Volunteers nurse over 70 animals recovered from Wisconsin trailer back to health

“That's kind of where we like our numbers to be, because that's enough that we have some variety for people coming in to do adoptions, but not so many that our volunteers aren't able to take care of them,” said Kristen Gregerson, a volunteer who serves as the association’s board treasurer, administrator and cat coordinator.

By the end of the day, the facility would be overrun with a record-breaking intake of sick and malnourished pets following a gruesome discovery in Fountain City.

Members of the association, which is completely run by volunteers, were called to a trailer.

Inside the trailer, law enforcement had found a horrifying site. Over 70 animals — including more than 50 cats — and the body of a woman who had died six weeks earlier were discovered inside.

The trailer's remaining occupant, 69-year-old Arthur McMullin, was arrested for the mistreatment of the animals and for hiding his wife's corpse. 

Gregerson was one of three volunteers with the Buffalo County Humane Association who made the 40-mile journey to the trailer that evening.

Other volunteers stayed at the shelter to help prepare for the animals.

“They took our tiny little kitten room and played the largest game of Tetris ever to get kennels in there so that when we drove up to the door with carloads of cats, there was a kennel for every cat to go into," Gregerson said.

The volunteers weren't fully prepared for what they found, as the sheriff's office initially estimated there were between 10 and 15 dogs and about 30 cats.

'Worst thing I have ever smelled'

The 13 dogs found inside were removed first.

Once the dogs were safely removed, the Buffalo County Humane Association volunteers entered.

“It's the worst thing I have ever smelled in my life,” Gregerson said.

According to the criminal complaint file in court against McMullin, the trailer was "horrendous and neglected" and smelled of urine, feces and decomposition.

Initially, 47 of the cats were recovered and returned to the Mondovi shelter that evening. Four remaining cats were collected later with live traps.

Other nearby organizations also pitched in to collect some of the animals.

“(The cats) were sitting on the kitchen table. We just opened a carrier and started dropping cats in a carrier,” Gregerson said.

The carriers were then brought outside, where the cats were put in an open kennel in a transport van.

“We just kept filling carriers,” she said.

Cats had been cared for

Once one group cats was scooped off the kitchen table, another group would jump up to eat corn flakes that had been scattered on it.

The cats were dehydrated and hadn't eaten in a while, according to Gregerson. They were also covered in fleas.

The cats, she said, had been loved at least up until the woman's death. That was proven by their friendliness and, eventually, their understanding that the sound of a cat food can opening meant that it was food time.

"She was doing the best that she could," Gregerson said. "They were loved, and she had been trying to take care of them.”

Rescue organizations Tails of Hope and the Trempealeau County Humane Society also helped at the scene that evening, along with the Fountain City Fire Department, according to the sheriff's office.

Lucky Paws Midwest also took some of the animals.

The Trempealeau County Humane Society in Wisconsin took in six dogs and 11 cats from the scene, according to the humane society's board president Mike Anderson.

The society was already at or above maximum capacity at the time with about 55 cats, along with six dogs.

"(The cats) are overflowing into every single room of the shelter," Anderson said.

That didn't stop volunteers from offering to help in Fountain City.

“We're just go getters that if there's a problem out there, we're going to do the best we can to help with it," Anderson said.

He said the group recognizes one day it will need help, too.

Unparalleled situation

Gregerson, who has volunteered with the Buffalo County Humane Association for 8 years, doesn't know of a bigger intake in the organization's history. 

The biggest previous rescue she remembers involved 14 cats.

The organization has existed for about 30 years, she said, but it's only had a shelter for five years. Before then, it was foster-based.

Anderson said the biggest intake he remembers at the Trempealeau County Humane Society before this one was about 3 dogs at once and about 11 cats at once. 

Those 11 cats, he said, were kittens.

Even among pet rescue operations in larger communities like Winona, Minnesota, the situation in Fountain City is big.

"While WAHS hasn’t witnessed a hoarding case of that magnitude in the last few years, several smaller - and heart-wrenching - situations have arisen," stated Erica Ellefson, the humane society's online coordinator. "Each hoarding case has involved a great deal of animal suffering and impacted the organization significantly." 

Representatives from the Winona group can't ever recall hearing of a case in the region as significant.

"We're not sure about all the cases in the shelter's entire history, but those of us currently at WAHS have assisted with several hoarding-related rescue efforts. Five instances in particular stand out, and each one resulted in 6-15 animals being rescued at a time," stated Autumn Wicka, Winona Area Humane Society's cat director.

Ellefson and Wicka said the organization tries to have a proactive plan for large intake situations, but "nothing can truly prepare a nonprofit organization to handle such a tragedy."

"Each call for help is different, requiring various resources, housing space, and funds. Advanced notice helps to gameplan an effective care strategy, but it isn’t always possible. All you can do is jump into action, care for those that you can, plead for donations, and learn as you go," they stated in an email.

Health improvements seen

The health of most cats rescued from the Fountain City trailer has improved significantly.

“On the whole, everybody is doing pretty well," Gregerson said.

Most have been seen by a vet at All Paws Animal Hospital in Mondovi.

Many are now vaccinated and some have even been neutered and spayed. 

One of the cats rescued was euthanized last week, as it was suffering and not responding to treatment.

"Those are hard, because sometimes what's best for them is the thing that breaks your heart," Gregerson said.

Some of the cats face more serious health issues, like dental troubles that could require surgery in the future. 

Donations sought

“We'll probably have at least $15,000 worth of medical bills," Gregerson said, explaining that people can help the association through donations, especially monetary ones.

She said preventative care for the cats alone will likely cost $175 to $200 each, even after high discounts.

Monetary donations can be made online at bchapets.org and at Alliance Bank in Mondovi.

People can also learn about what donations are needed by going to the association's Facebook page.

The organization also seeks volunteers, including those who can help with office tasks, photography of the cats, cleaning, and management of the association's website and social media.

While there's no estimate for when the rescued cats will be put up for adoption, people can also help by adopting available pets — including the 20 that already were at the shelter and about 30 more that are in foster care.

Some of the rescued Fountain City cats already have future homes with the group's volunteers, Gregerson said. 

The association's board president plans to take home the last cat rescued from the trailer, Gregerson said.

“Our community has been absolutely amazing," Gregerson said. She said people sent donations and asked how they can help.

Online donations, she said, have come from as far away as Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky and Canada.

The Trempealeau County Humane Society has also seen a large amount of support.

“It's heartwarming to know that the community cares that much and has our back on this with donations and everything they've brought forward so far," Anderson said.

He said while the organization could still use some Purina hard dog food, the shelter is otherwise well-stocked due to donations. 

He hopes people will donate to the other rescue organizations involved, which have been hit harder by the situation.

How to help

Donations to the Buffalo County Humane Association can be made online at bchapets.org or at Alliance Bank in Mondovi.