My Dad Left His Cats With Me When He Lost His House. What Are My Options?

Location: Wisconsin

My dad is a senior citizen and a hoarder with severe, unmanaged ADHD and possibly autism. He lost his house to the county due to many years of unpaid property and income tax. I now have his cats crashing in my bathroom.

I am unable to take care of them long term. I do not have the time, space, or energy to give them what they need. I would like to take them to the humane society.

My dad has been staying with a friend of his and is “working on” a living solution. This means he has NOT reached out to any senior living/rent-capped facilities but is instead trying to convert a retired school bus into a livable motor home. He will never complete this project (he has started the same project many times over the last 30 years).

His hoarding is severe and he lives in squalor. His plan for the cats, who are only about 5-6 years old, large, and very active, is to house them in a large multilevel cage in said bus. This will not be enough space for them. Even my bathroom is not enough space for them and they deserve real space. I also know he will not be able to provide them with a consistently clean litter box, water dishes, or food dishes. When I took them, their dishes were caked in filth and required several long soaks in harsh chemicals and a TON of scrubbing.

He has never, in my lifetime, been able to take care of himself or any other living organism. Our childhood pets lived in squalor along side us and had no space for exercise or play. Unless he actually gets himself into an apartment of some sort where I can pay for a cleaner to come 1-2 times a week, I will not allow him to take them back.

So far, he has not agreed to let me take them to a no-kill shelter to find them a good home. If I take them to the shelter without his permission, what are the legal ramifications for me?