Humane Officers Concerned After Second Cat Found Shot
HOSTETTER (KDKA) -- Westmoreland and Indiana Counties Humane officer Mindy James said another cat was found shot and this time dead Friday morning in Hostetter.
This cat is an adult male brown tabby cat.
"This cat shows a gunshot wound through and through and went through shoulder blades. We're not sure what kind of gun. The body started to decompose so it's hard to tell," James said.
James met with KDKA-TV outside Vought Veterinary Services in Derry. She brought the cat there so veterinarian Dr. Danielle Vought could check him out.
"It looks to be more powerful since it was through and through and a lot of blood at the scene from the person who found this cat," James said.
The cat was found in Hostetter, Westmoreland County, in the grass in front of a home on Bell Memorial Church Road which is about a mile from where little Gidget, the kitten KDKA-TV told you about on Friday, was found Thursday morning.
"Considering the close proximity and even time wise and mileage wise it seems a little bit suspicious," Dr. Danielle Vought with Vought Veterinary Services said.
James said the woman that spotted the cat called her this Saturday morning.
"She inspected it and noticed there was blood and the gunshot wound and the cat was in really bad shape. It looked like it had been through a lot of torture, she said," James said.
Unfortunately, Dr. Vought said she sees these types of cases more than people realize, but that doesn't mean it's OK to hurt a harmless creature.
"The biggest thing is you don't know if that's someone's pet or not and to take it upon yourself just to shoot it," Dr. Vought said.
"Whether a kid or adult, there's no excuse to leave a cat lie to suffer," James said.
James said any kind of animal abuse is not tolerated and when the person or people responsible are found, they could face multiple charges including animal cruelty.
If you are interested in making donations to help with Gidget's medical expenses you can contact Paws Across Pittsburgh, Westmoreland/Indiana County Humane Officer Mindy James at mindy@pawsacrosspittsburgh.com or (724) 762-9060 or Dr. Danielle Vought at Vought's Veterinary Services.
As for little Gidget, James took her to Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center Saturday evening for further evaluation on her spine. She said Gidget will need to get an neurological exam next week to determine her prognosis.
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