More than 100 cats have been pulled from a property in southeast Albuquerque after police arrested a man wanted on four warrants, and the rescue effort took a dangerous turn when a fire broke out in the home's garage while animal control officers were still catching cats. Nearby homes had to be evacuated as crews worked to put out the blaze, which destroyed the garage and a vehicle. No people or animals were reported injured.
The chain of events began Tuesday when Albuquerque police officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle near Ross Avenue SE and Cornell Drive SE, according to KOAT. Officers confirmed that the driver, Christopher Hart, had four outstanding warrants and detained him on the spot. His vehicle was towed after his arrest.
The next day, officers went back to the area to check on a bus connected to Hart, the station reports. Inside, they found a large number of cats along with one dead cat. Someone at the home told police the bus and the cats belonged to Hart's girlfriend, though her identity has not been independently confirmed. As officers looked around further, they spotted cats entering a nearby garage and called in animal control for backup.
Fire Breaks Out Mid-Rescue, Homes Evacuated
While animal control officers were in the process of catching cats, a fire ignited in the garage, per the same account. Albuquerque police began evacuating nearby homes as the flames spread, and Albuquerque Fire Rescue was called in to knock down the blaze. The fire ultimately destroyed the garage and a vehicle parked inside it. Police said the incident resulted in no reported animal or human injuries.
By the time the scene was cleared, more than 100 cats had been taken from the property, according to police. Four kittens needed bottle-feeding once they reached safety, underscoring just how young — and vulnerable — some of the animals were.
Rescued Cats Now Recovering at Westside Shelter
All of the rescued cats are now housed at the Animal Welfare Westside Shelter, where they are receiving medical care and treatment, the station's report notes. The shelter operates out of 11800 Sunset Gardens SW, according to the City of Albuquerque. It is not yet clear whether the case will be classified as animal hoarding or whether anyone will face animal cruelty charges; under New Mexico law, as outlined by the New Mexico Legislature, cruelty to animals can include negligently mistreating, injuring or abandoning an animal, or failing to provide necessary sustenance — though no such charges have been confirmed in connection with this case.
A sudden influx of more than 100 cats would strain any shelter's resources. A 2024 dashboard launch covered by KRQE showed the city's Animal Welfare Department nearing its daily capacity with 720 animals sheltered at the time, including 176 cats — already slightly above what the department considered ideal capacity for that species. Those figures reflect a 2024 snapshot rather than current 2026 numbers, but they illustrate the kind of pressure a mass intake like this one can put on municipal shelter space. The city continues to track admissions and outcomes through its Animal Welfare data dashboard.
Large-scale cat rescues have become a recurring story across the country this year. CBS Los Angeles reported that more than 500 cats were seized from two units linked to a Southern California nonprofit in a hoarding case, while CBS Colorado reported that over 130 cats were saved from suspected hoarding situations across Northern Colorado communities over a six-week span. Those cases remain separate and unconfirmed in their details relative to the Albuquerque rescue.
For now, the focus in Albuquerque is on stabilizing the animals pulled from the property. With kittens requiring bottle-feeding and the full scope of the property's living conditions still being sorted out, shelter staff face a long road of care ahead for the more than 100 cats now under their watch.
