CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A growing population of stray and feral cats is creating challenges across Canyon County's rural communities, with local animal rescue organizations reporting they're overwhelmed by calls for help and unable to meet the increasing demand.
WATCH | Growing stray cat population sparks concern in Greenleaf, Wilder, and Parma—
"The number of cats that are in desperate need of help is innumerable in our county. They're everywhere," said Melissa Blackmer from Lake Lowell Animal Rescue.
Gwen Hernandez, co-founder of SNARF Rescue, said her foster-based organization is receiving hundreds of requests monthly. The small organization focuses on spay and neuter services, trap-neuter-release programs, and adoption.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Canyon County's cat overpopulation crisis: How animal nonprofit Pet Haven is sounding the alarm
"We're seeing probably a couple hundred emails and messages a month — and we're just a small organization," Hernandez said.
The situation worsened when West Valley Humane Society discontinued its Community Cats program, leaving a significant gap in services.
"They stopped doing any intake. The estimates that we've seen are between 500,000 to a million cats roaming around Canyon County — and there's nobody out there to help them," Hernandez said.
Blackmer described the volume of calls as "astronomical," with many involving abandoned animals or large groups of stray cats.
"The kind of calls that we're getting are just astronomical. We're drowning in them. People are calling really desperate," Blackmer said.
One of the most difficult aspects for rescue workers is turning away people seeking help due to capacity constraints.
"You have to just tell people there's no option. I'm unable to help you. We're just full," Blackmer said.
Community members in Greenleaf, Wilder, and Parma have expressed mixed reactions on local Facebook pages. While some support trap-neuter-release programs and community care efforts, others report property damage, hygiene concerns, and allergy issues related to the growing cat population.
Hernandez emphasized the urgency of addressing the problem before it grows further.
"They breed like rabbits, they breed like cats, and they're out there breeding. One cat in multiple generations can have thousands and thousands of cats, and if we don't nip it in the bud, we spend the money dealing with it on the other end," Hernandez said.
Local rescue organizations say they're doing everything possible but acknowledge they cannot keep pace with the growing demand for services. West Valley Humane Society has indicated it's exploring options to potentially reopen its Community Cats program.
For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
