Photo courtesy of Rachel Diebner
By Rachel Diebner, Staff writer
A few weeks ago, not many people likely knew about In-Sync Exotics Wildlife and Rescue Education Center, a Wylie shelter that houses more than 60 abused and neglected exotic cats.
Now, the small organization has fallen under a big spotlight, after realizing that its tigers and lions might not live much longer.
Four of the big cats contracted canine distemper virus (CDV), while 18 other lions and tigers have begun to show symptoms.
The news has sent the shelter into a frenzy. The cats’ annual birthday bash was cancelled, and the staff has been staying at the shelter until two or three in the morning each night.
“We are all frantic to save their life again,” said Vicky Keahey, In-Sync founder and president. “We did that when we rescued them, and we’re supposed to do that forever. Every effort that we have goes into saving them again.”
The virus was thought to be transmitted through raccoons. Last month, 25 raccoons in Plano and 29 in Arlington were diagnosed with distemper, and in the past few months, In-Sync has found four raccoons on the property, Keahey said, adding that the big cats likely contracted the disease through contact with the urine or feces of one of the raccoons.
The outbreak could have easily been prevented had the cats received a vaccination. However, while the cats were vaccinated against feline distemper, they did not receive the vaccination for canine distemper. Instead, veterinarians and cat experts alike advised the shelter against it: the vaccination posed dangers to the cats, and besides, the chance that they would catch the disease was slim, Keahey said.
After the first four cats were diagnosed, the remaining lions and tigers were given immunizations against canine distemper. It remains unclear which of these cats have contracted the disease and which are simply displaying symptoms from the vaccination.
Symptoms of distemper include lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, seizures, respiratory disease, loss of motor control and death.
Because it is a virus, distemper cannot be treated, Keahey said. The key to the cats’ survival will be to boost their immune systems through antibiotics and a good vitamin protocol.
“They may be tigers, but we’ll get the medicine down ‘em,” he said. “And they will be OK. They have to be.”
However, with the additional medications, vaccinations and veterinary appointments, In-Sync’s expenses have skyrocketed – as if the shelter was not already struggling financially. In a typical year, In-Sync spends $50,000 on veterinary care. This year, the shelter has already spent more than $70,000 on veterinary care. Factor in $12,000 more per month for food, and bills are mounting.
And it’s only June.
For Keahey, this means a lower paycheck. Not that it matters much to her: she normally doesn’t take a monthly paycheck, and she said that the most she has made in a year is $24,000.
“The only time I get paid is when the cats can afford to give me a thousand dollars in a month’s time,” she said. “I spend 14 to 16 hours out here every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – all for the cats.”
With In-Sync’s animals’ lives in danger, the public has grown worried about their own pets. While humans are not susceptible to the virus, cats and dogs are at risk.
As a response, Collin County Animal Services will host a low-cost vaccination clinic for domestic dogs and cats at the county animal shelter. From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, the shelter will provide combination vaccinations (DHPP for dogs and FVRCP for cats) targeted at a number of diseases, including distemper, at a $10 cost.
Though some of its animals don’t get that chance, Keahey said In-Sync will do what it can – and what it always does.
“I have been told that 50 percent of the animals will die. That’s what I’ve been told,” Keahey said. “But the person who told me that doesn’t know me, either. They don’t know In-Sync and how determined we are.”
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