The owner of a well-known cat rescue organization is facing criminal charges after nearly 70 cats, many unhealthy, were found housed in what uthorities said was deplorable conditions in a warehouse
The Bucks County SPCA removed 67 cats and kittens from the C.A.T.S. Bridge to Rescue in the 2800 block of Old Lincoln Highway on Wednesday, Oct. 1, but two kittens died of feline distemper, a highly contagious and deadly virus, the animal welfare agency said.
The rescue, which is now closed, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Thursday, Oct. 2.
Newly arrived cats from C.A.T.S. Bridge to Rescue volunteer cat shelter are lined up and waiting for medical exams at the Bucks County SPCA in Lahaska after they were removed from what the agency called unhealthy, unsanitary living conditions on Oct. 1, 2025.
The SPCA became involved after Bensalem’s animal control officer received a complaint about the conditions at the rescue’s shelter, according to SPCA spokeswoman Cindy Kelly.
The officer contacted the SPCA, which got a search warrant in the event the rescue’s founder and director, Margaret Vautard, was unwilling to surrender the animals, Kelly said.
Vautard has been cooperative, Kelly said. She faces pending animal neglect and cruelty charges.
The all-volunteer run, no-kill, nonprofit, which opened in 2009, offered a refuge to unwanted, stray and abandoned cats and kittens taking in, sterilizing and adopting out thousands of cats, according to its website.
But the health of the cats indicated it’s likely they all suffered from a long-term lack of sanitation and proper veterinary care, according to the SPCA.
“Conditions in the warehouse where the animals were housed were awful,” Kelly said in a release posted on the SPCA Facebook page.
Some cats were confined to dirty cages while others were free roaming. The room was filled with trash and animal waste and smelled strongly of urine. Flies and fleas were visible throughout the room.
Many of the cats were in very poor health, extremely thin and suffering from upper respiratory infections, severe diarrhea and fleas and mites. At least one of the cats rescued tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which affects the immune system.
The Women’s Animal Center in Bensalem, a nonprofit shelter and veterinary clinic, on Thursday agreed to accept 15 cats, Kelly said. Once cats are deemed healthy, they will be placed up for adoption, Kelly said.
The agency added that this case highlights the need for state regulation of cat rescues in Pennsylvania.
“This (state regulation) is already in place for dog rescues, animal shelters housing dogs, dog breeders, and kennels,” the release said. “Without proper licensing and inspection, tragic cases of large-scale suffering will continue to be uncovered only when animal cruelty complaints are finally made.”
Donations to BCSPCA’s Animal Relief Fund will help cover the high cost of food, medicine, and shelter for sick animals like these.
The SPCA is continuing its fee-waived cat adoption special through October. Adoption fees for all adult cats and working cats are waived.
If you know of animals suffering abuse or neglect anywhere in Bucks County, call 1-844-SPCA-TIP (844-772-2847) or report online at buckscountyspca.org.
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Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: 70 cats removed from Bensalem warehouse; nonprofit director charged