Local shelter needs a shelter of its own

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) - Organizers of "Superhero Animal Rescue" say they've found homes for more than 400 feral felines during their 3 years of operations. But now they're looking for a new home of their own.

Due to rising property values and costs of homes, the shelter is losing its building in summer 2022.

Shelter directors plan to raise money to either buy the property or find a new building.

The shelter serves the community by controlling the stray cat population.

“It's important to us to make sure that we are reducing the population of strays," local volunteer Karley Bacon said. "We want to make sure that feral cats have their territory and that they aren't being invaded on by other cats. But really, when it comes down to it, it's getting cats to forever loving homes”

Organizers believe the growing stray cat problem in Rexburg is due to young neighbors moving on with their lives without their furry friends.

“There's a lot of college students that adopt a cat and they won't get it fixed and then let it out when they have to move away because they can't take Kitty along," volunteer director Annalina Loomes said. "So they'll let Kitty outside and then that cat will breed with another cat and then it'll just kind of explode from there.”

For now, volunteers aren't sure where their clients will go after they have to move out in may.

“We do have a few connections with other rescues, especially in Boise, that could possibly take them. But kitten season is coming, so they're going to be filling up super fast," Loomes said.

Shelter directors hope to either raise enough money to buy the property or find a new one by May.