Woman wants cats back after 64 seized

An Elrose woman who had more than 60 cats and other animals seized by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is asking for the public's help in getting them back.

On Jan. 12, the Saskatchewan SPCA removed 64 cats, one dog, one iguana and seven turtles from a home in Elrose, about 160 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.

According to the SPCA, the animals were rescued and were assessed by a veterinarian who confirmed they were in distress.

The animals are now being cared for at the Saskatoon SPCA.

But Dolores La Plante, the woman who kept the cats, and is a spokeswoman for Saskatchewan Alley Cat Allies, said she wants to get them back.

Alley Cat Allies bills itself as an alternative shelter to the SPCA that euthanizes fewer animals.

On the group's website, La Plante said she's worried the animals will be killed and a court injunction may be pursued. She's asking for the public's help, citing the need to pay a $10,000 fine.

Among the animals seized, she said, was her own dog Jasper and an iguana named Chubchub who has lived with her for 12 years.

She denies the animals were distressed but says 2010 was the 14-year-old group's busiest year ever. She also admits to being "a bit overwhelmed."

Meanwhile, the SPCA says its investigation into the case continues.