POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Hillside SPCA near Pottsville says the accusations that it euthanizes cats at its facility are false.
"We are pretty much fighting every day of our lives, to save lives, so when people accuse us of wanting to kill the cats at the shelter, it's very hurtful," said Hillside SPCA executive director Tricia Moyer-Mentzer.
Employees say it's been a very stressful and frustrating week because people online have been accusing the animal shelter of euthanizing cats.
"Nobody is killing any animals here at the Hillside Spca. We're here because we want to do what's right and we want to do what's humane for all of the animals here. We're only here because we love animals and we want to treat them humanely and we want to offer them a safe spot until they can find forever homes," Moyer-Mentzer said.
Currently, nearly 300 cats are housed there and are up for adoption. Hillside SPCA says it's a no-kill shelter and the only time any animals are put down are when they're too sick to recover.
"No kill does not mean never euthanize. I would hope that people would agree that if there was an animal that was terminally ill, or so sick that it cannot recover, that an animal should be put to sleep. I am not a person that believes in letting an animal suffer and die on the floor. I think that that is inhumane, and I am not an inhumane person and I will not allow suffering to go on while I'm in charge of the SPCA," Moyer-Mentzer said.
Hillside SPCA adds that it is not shutting down its cat facility despite what some have said. It's just under new management. There's also a free cat adoption event this Saturday that's open to the public.