PEPPERELL -- The phone started ringing at the Fund for Dogs and Cats Inc. on Sheffield Street recently when a posting on an online message board pleaded with people to adopt some of the 150 cats that otherwise would be euthanized.
Because the owner of the shelter had died, the message said, the cats need new homes or would soon be killed.
The message spread quickly. It wound up on MySpace and other sites, prompting a flood of voicemails from around the region and country, including harsh words against the interim shelter operator over the alleged euthanization plan.
Elaine Contant, a Shirley attorney representing the Fund for Dogs and Cats, said it's untrue.
"There are terrible rumors being circulated," Contant said. "There is no plan to put any cat down."
Animal rescuers and state officials who oversee shelters are trying to set the record straight. Although it is true that the shelter owner died, they say the state is not closing the facility. The shelter can take as much time needed to find new homes for the 70 cats, not 150, left there.
The rumor began a couple of weeks ago, almost a month after Teresa LaPointe, who ran the cat shelter out of her home, unexpectedly died.
LaPointe, a tax accountant, was a devoted animal rescuer and helped place thousands of cats and dogs into new homes, according to Contant.
The Internet message claimed LaPointe's daughter took over the shelter operation, but because she lacks a license to do so, the facility has to be shut down.
The truth is, LaPointe's good friend, Martha Blanchette of Townsend, took over. The state requires only shelters to be registered, not individuals who operate them, according to Martha Smith, director of veterinary medical services for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, which has been assisting the shelter with the adoption process.
Smith added the Fund for Dogs and Cats has not met the requirements for the state registration. Contant said, however, LaPointe received a letter on March 5 from the state Department Agricultural Resources Bureau of Animal Health -- which regulates shelter operations -- indicating that the shelter was registered. It has operated since 1994.
Smith, who examined about 90 cats at the shelter shortly after LaPointe's death, said about 20 deemed healthy were immediately adopted. The rest, however, have minor health conditions, mostly respiratory illnesses stemming from co-living in a crowded space, she said.
Lisa Capone, of the state Department of Agricultural Resources, said these cats are waiting to receive health certificates before adoption.
The state agency began checking on the cats at the shelter months prior to LaPointe's death after complaints that some cats adopted from the shelter were not healthy. Because of that, the agency is requiring health certificates, Capone said.
The Animal Rescue League of Boston contacted the state last month to offer help when they heard a number of animals needed homes, according to Smith. The state agency then asked the organization to get in touch with the shelter.
Blanchette said the cats will be available for adoption after May 8.
Contant said the shelter is supported by volunteers, who are committed to taking care of the animals until suitable adoptees are found. Donations may be sent to: Fund for Dogs and Cats, Inc., 7 Sheffield St., Pepperell, MA 01463.