San Jose cat adoption center closes following car crash

SAN JOSE – A nonprofit cat adoption center near downtown San Jose was forced to close after an SUV crashed into its building Tuesday afternoon, center officials said.

Two vehicles collided at Julian and 15th streets around 1:05 p.m., causing one to veer into The Dancing Cat at 702 East Julian St., a San Jose Police Department spokesperson said.

A volunteer at the center suffered a sore arm, President Ann Chasson and Director Mary Rubin said in an interview. None of the 11 cats at the center at the time were injured or escaped.

One of the drivers also complained of pain but was not taken to the hospital, police said. The other driver was not injured.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Police do not believe alcohol or drugs played a role.

Chasson said the collision caused extensive damage to an exterior wall. Photos shared by the center showed an SUV sandwiched between the building and a lamp post.

All of the cats were moved out of the center following the crash.

Adoptions are expected to continue as usual, but instead of coming to the center’s “living room-like space,” people will visit the cats in their foster homes, Rubin said.

However, the center’s immediate future as a place where cat-oriented community events are held is less certain.

“It’s really the community-centric part of our mission that is on pause for a few moments,” Rubin said. “We may be able to do some events off-site. We’ll have to figure that out.”

Founded a decade ago by Chasson and Rubin, The Dancing Cat has helped nearly 1,900 at-risk adult felines from the San Jose Animal Care Center find homes by giving them an open, cage-free environment in which to mingle with people and other cats.

“We’ve grown a really wonderful community,” Chasson said. “We’re sure they’ll rally around us.”

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