Cat caretaker finds arrow in animal’s leg, PA shelter says. ‘Thought she was safe’
A sweet cat in Philadelphia is on the mend after being a victim of a horrible act of animal cruelty, a shelter says.
Kimiko was discovered by her caretaker after showing up in her usual dinner spot with an arrow piercing through her behind, the Pennsylvania SPCA said.
Warning: Graphic images are included in the comment section of the link.
“Kimiko had thought she was safe in the colony she lived in, until one day she wasn’t,” the shelter said in a Sept. 27 Facebook post that showed Kimiko’s X-ray with the arrow embedded in her back upper leg.
“When the caretaker of her colony went out to feed one night last week, they were left in disbelief. There Kimiko sat in her regular waiting place, but this time, an arrow was protruding through her right thigh.
“In an apparent act of cruelty, she had been shot in her hind end.
“She was suffering.”
The cat was rushed into an animal specialty emergency to be stabilized before coming back to the SPCA for her surgery, the post said. Currently, Kimiko is on the mend, and the shelter’s Animal Law Enforcement team has opened an investigation to track down the person, or people, who harmed her.
“We ask that anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of those responsible please contact the organization’s cruelty hotline immediately at 866-601-7722 or cruelty@pspca.org. Tips can be left anonymously,” the post said.
In Pennsylvania, aggravated cruelty to an animal is considered a felony of the third degree, according to the Animal Legal and Historical Center.
For shelter information, visit their website.
This story was originally published September 27, 2024 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Cat caretaker finds arrow in animal’s leg, PA shelter says. ‘Thought she was safe’."