‘Save their lives.’ Animal shelter pleads for help for cats near Williams-Brice Stadium
Days after a cat found near Williams-Brice Stadium tested positive for rabies a Columbia animal shelter is pleading for help to save the lives of the other cats in the area.
Pawmetto Lifeline is trying to track down people vaccinated against rabies to foster cats in the community in an effort to stop them from being euthanized.
“All community cats and feral cats in the area are at HIGH risk of being euthanized,” Pawmetto Lifeline said on Instagram.
The group said the cats it is trying to protect have been trapped, neutered, and set free again. They are “fairly domestic and socialized.”
Fosters would need to take in the cats for a six-month quarantine period, according to Pawmetto Lifeline. Anyone interested should call 803-606-4149.
The urgency to protect the cats was heightened after a stray kitten living near Williams-Brice Stadium exposed a person to rabies.
The kitten, a Siamese flame point, was found Sept. 13 near Williams-Brice Stadium between Key Road and Bluff Road around the Cockabooses, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The kitten was part of a feral colony that lives in the area of the Gamecocks’ football stadium, according to DHEC. Columbia’s animal control department is helping DHEC investigate by identifying other feral cats in the area that might have rabies.
The person who came in contact with the kitten was told to seek medical care, health officials said. Further information on the person’s condition was not made available.
If you think you’ve been exposed to a rabid animal, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water, and seek medical care, health officials said.
“Any persons who have been bitten, scratched, or potentially exposed to saliva from an animal, particularly a cat, in or around Williams-Brice Stadium in recent weeks should contact their healthcare provider,” DHEC said.
DHEC said pet owners in the area should keep their pets indoors. If a pet has a wound of unknown origin it should be taken to a veterinarian and DHEC’s office should be contacted.
Getting pets vaccinated for rabies is the best way to protect against the disease, DHEC said.
This kitten is the eighth animal in Richland County to test positive for rabies in 2021, DHEC said. There have been 68 cases of rabid animals statewide this year.
In 2020, eight of the 168 confirmed rabies cases in South Carolina were in Richland County, according to DHEC.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
