Failed cooling system endangering medically at risk cats at Denver metro area shelter

A cat shelter in the Denver metro area is struggling to protect the animals in its care after its air conditioning unit broke down, putting many medically vulnerable cats and kittens at risk.

Angels with Paws in Lakewood houses dozens of cats, including seniors, young kittens, and cats with special needs.

"We help more medically needy, vulnerable cats; cats that could be on the euthanasia list, so FIV, FELV, neonates, and any cats that other places don't have placement for," said Angels with Paws Executive Director Elizabeth Talamantez. "We also help our local community, people who are facing home insecurity, domestic violence; we put them at the top of our list to take their cats in if they need help. So that's our specialty."

When the recent heat wave hit, the building's HVAC system proved it wasn't up to the task and stopped functioning properly. The shelter says its portable AC units are not enough to keep the shelter at a safe temperature for the animals, and temperatures are hovering around 90 degrees. But that's expected to rise over the weekend.

According to PetMD, the ideal range for indoor cats is between 68 and 80 degrees. Temperatures above 85 can lead to heat stress, and temperatures above 100 can cause severe dehydration and heat stroke.

The situation also means the shelter is unable to take in more animals.

"We have an intake hold until our HVAC gets fixed. So, anybody who's reaching out to us to take cats that are medically needy or facing eviction, we're having to turn them to other places," said Talamantez.

Angels with Paws is accepting donations of wet food and other items that can help them provide temporary cooling solutions.

Talamantez says she hopes that the community can help them get the HVAC system operational, stating, "Some of the bids that we've gotten are $12,000-$17,000, which is a lot for us."