A South Carolina animal shelter overrun with hundreds of kittens is getting some attention from “The Righteous Gemstones” actor Tony Cavalero, The Post has learned.
Cavalero is volunteering at Charleston Animal Society, in the city where the HBO show films, walking dogs, cleaning the kitten room, cuddling with kittens and helping carry an 80-pound tortoise to his owner’s SUV, a shelter spokeswoman said.
The “School of Rock” actor is also using social media to promote the shelter’s desperate plea for people to foster and adopt kittens.
Charleston Animal Society has 604 kittens in its system, along with 79 cats, 27 puppies and 98 dogs — along with five bunnies and guinea pigs. But it has space for only 250 animals, the shelter’s spokeswoman said.
Joe Elmore, CEO of the Charleston Animal Society, said the situation was “dire,” in a release.
The no-kill shelter takes in 95% of Charleston County’s stray and unwanted animals. Overcrowding is a problem now, due to June marking the height of kitten season. Compounding the problem is a decline in spay and neuter surgeries during the pandemic and development in Charleston forcing stray animals out of hiding, Elmore said.
Cavalero, who recently joined Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson in the cast of the upcoming film “Lips Like Sugar,” volunteered even before the shelter declared the kitten situation a “crisis” on Friday, the spokeswoman said. She said the actor spent time at Charleston Animal Society on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Cavalero didn’t respond to requests for comment.
“We’ll take all the help we can get,” Elmore said.
This is the third time in Elmore’s 12 years at the shelter that an overcrowding of kittens has caused the facility to declare a state of emergency, the CEO said. “This is the only time in those 12 years I’ve had to bring in an additional air conditioned trailer,” he added.
The trailer houses sick kittens, with more felines falling ill due to the overcrowding. In addition, the shelter set up popup pens in the hallways.
“That’s not ideal,” Elmore said. “Animals will get sicker.”
If you are interested in fostering, adopting or donating, visit the Charleston Animal Society’s website.