37 Cats Rescued from Crumbling Building

Albuquerque Animal Welfare officers pulled 37 cats from a back apartment in the Bliss Building after the downtown Albuquerque structure partially collapsed and emergency crews cleared the site. The building housed Lindy’s Diner at 5th Street and Central Avenue, along with other tenants, and had already been flagged by the city as a public safety hazard. Susan Ellis, associate director of the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department, told local outlets the cats were found during the evacuation and surrendered by their owner. The rescue tied an animal-welfare case to a broader downtown building failure that city officials have been managing since late April. ### How were 37 cats discovered inside the building? The cats were found when crews entered a roughly 1,000-square-foot apartment in the back of the Bliss Building during the evacuation, KOB reported. Ellis said Animal Welfare was called after officials learned cats were inside, and officers found 37 animals living there. KRQE reported the discovery came shortly after Lindy’s Diner collapsed and emergency crews moved through the building to clear occupants. (kob.com) The Bliss Building had more than the restaurant on its ground floor. KOB reported the structure also contained two art studios, a workspace and the apartment where the cats were living. That wider occupancy became more urgent after the city red-tagged the property and then saw part of the structure crumble about a week later. ### What did the city say about the building itself? The City of Albuquerque said the Bliss Building, home to Lindy’s Diner, partially collapsed on April 27. (kob.com) A city update said an independent structural engineer completed a secondary review on April 30 as officials continued evaluating the site, and code enforcement had already moved to close the diner on April 20 after inspections tied to complaints about the building’s condition. Mayor Tim Keller said on May 8 that the city had ordered the owners to secure the property, stop additional debris from falling and shore up the structure. KOB reported the city gave the owners until May 15 to apply either for a renovation permit with a timeline or for a demolition permit, with emergency action possible if they did not act. ### What condition were the cats in? (cabq.gov) Ellis said the case was crowded but not the worst Animal Welfare had seen. KOB quoted her saying it was a “basic kind of messy house,” and KRQE reported her description of the cats as “very happy, healthy, fat, and sassy.” Because the owner surrendered them voluntarily, Ellis said, the department could begin medical care right away, including spay-and-neuter procedures and behavioral assessments. (kob.com) KOAT reported on May 19 that 18 of the cats had already been adopted. The same report said the remaining animals were split among Albuquerque Animal Welfare locations and partner sites, including the West clinic, PetSmart locations at Winrock and Renaissance, and a rescue partner that took seven kittens. ### Why did Animal Welfare say the number grew so large? Ellis said the case fit a pattern her department sees repeatedly when a small number of cats breed unchecked. (kob.com) KRQE quoted her saying one or two cats can keep reproducing until the situation becomes overwhelming, and KOAT quoted her urging owners to get animals spayed and neutered before numbers spiral. KOB reported Ellis also said staff try to begin with help rather than judgment because some owners are unable, physically or mentally, to manage so many animals. (koat.com) The City of Albuquerque says Animal Welfare offers adoption, foster and spay-neuter services through its shelters and pet-services network. City pages also show information on working-cat placements for animals that are not suited to traditional home adoption. ### Where can people find the cats now? KOAT reported adopters can visit Albuquerque Animal Welfare at 11800 Sunset Gardens Road SW to see available cats from the rescue. The city’s Animal Welfare pages direct residents to shelter locations, adoption information and online adoptable-pet listings. (krqe.com) Animal Welfare’s next step is continuing intake, evaluation and placement for the remaining cats. (cabq.gov) The city’s adoption and events pages list shelter information and regular media features for adoptable pets, while the Planning Department continues posting updates on the future of the Bliss Building. (cabq.gov) (koat.com)