Animal shelter takes in nearly four dozen cats following closure of Pueblo Val U Stay Inn

Josué Perez, Pueblo Chieftain
·3 min read

The Humane Society of the Pike Peak Region’s Colorado Springs office took in nearly 40 cats from the Val U Stay Inn and Suites of Pueblo, which was indefinitely shut down last week due to a lack of a lodging permit and “unlivable conditions.”

HSPPR’s Animal Law Enforcement division was dispatched to the Val U Stay Inn after animals were found in several rooms, including one that contained 38 cats, the shelter wrote in a Facebook post.

All of the cats were transferred to HSPPR’s Colorado Springs location where the facility has more space to shelter them, said Cody Costra, public relations manager for HSPPR. Costra did not know of any other animals that were taken from the hotel to HSPPR, which also has a facility in Pueblo.

Some of the cats are being treated for conditions like ear mites and dental issues and most are in need of spray and neuter surgeries, Costra said.

A total of 38 cats were recently taken to the Colorado Springs office of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region after being taken from a single room at the Val U Stay Inn and Suites in Pueblo on Thursday.
A total of 38 cats were recently taken to the Colorado Springs office of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region after being taken from a single room at the Val U Stay Inn and Suites in Pueblo on Thursday.

All 38 cats belonged to one owner, Costra said, and a 39th cat owned by the same person was found dead inside the hotel room.

Costra said the living conditions of that many cats inhabiting the same space were likely "not great.”

“For the most part, from my understanding, it wasn’t too bad, but with that many cats, it’s not safe with things like litter and animal feces,” Costra said.

The Pueblo Police Department is investigating the situation with the cats, said Frank Ortega, spokesperson for Pueblo PD, though he noted the incident could be more of an “animal control question" than a police one.

More: Val U Stay Inn shut down in Pueblo for lack of lodging license, 'unlivable' conditions

No charges in the case had been referred to the 10th Judicial District as of Monday afternoon, District Attorney Jeff Chostner told the Chieftain.

“Most of the cats are still being evaluated and it takes some time to go through all of them,” Costra said. “We don’t have a timetable yet, but those cats will be available for adoption in the near future.”

As of April 29, HSPPR had raised nearly $3,000 from 58 donations in its call for help to care for the cats. Though the intake didn’t drastically affect the shelter's capacity, HSPPR expects to take in more cats soon, Costra said.

“When we are taking care of this many pets at once, it is incredibly draining on our resources,” Costra said. “All of the donations that we have received will be going towards medical care and feeding and sheltering all of these cats that came through our doors.”

The Val U Stay Inn was issued a cease-and-desist letter last week by the city of Pueblo because it had been operating without a lodging license. It could not pass an inspection to obtain one earlier this year after an inspection revealed “unlivable” conditions, said Mayor Heather Graham.

Graham said the city set up a resource center headed by local partners to house the people who were displaced from the hotel.

Chieftain reporter Justin Reutter contributed to this report.

Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Nearly 40 cats taken to animal shelter after Pueblo Val U Stay Inn closes