FORTUNA, Calif. (KIEM)-A cat named Misty and its owner will never be the same after a senseless act leaves her pet without a leg.
Redwood News spoke to Misty’s owner, Gloria Boots, she wants to know why someone would want to hurt her feline companion.
“When I heard that she’d been shot, three separate times and one pellet had shattered her femur, I was, I was devastated,” she said.
Boots says, the ordeal started on September 21st.
“She came in howling, which is not unusual, she likes to announce her presence,” she said.
But this time – was different – it appeared as if Misty’s leg was bothering her.
“So, the next morning I took her, I got an emergency vet appointment,” said Boots.
All she could do was drop her cat off with the vet and wait, according to Misty’s medical record, she was examined and given an x-ray – the image explained a lot.
“They said she had been shot three times,” said Boots says, her cat was shot three times, and because one of the pellets caused the cat’s femur to shatter, Misty was scheduled for a leg amputation two days after her initial prognosis.
“I was devastated, who does this to a cat, cats can be an annoyance to people who don’t’ like them,” she said. “A simple spray with a hose or a loud noise would have chased her away.”
Boots is now left with a cat who will now have to learn how to function with only one back leg.
She’s sharing her story to put the person who did this, and pet owners on notice.
“It’s been difficult, I just want people to know to keep their cats safe and to the person who did this, this was not OK,” she said. “If anyone one knows who done this turn them in.”
Boots says, Misty is beginning to adjust to life after her amputation – and is now strictly an indoor cat.
Anyone with information connected to the cat’s encounter is asked to contact Humboldt Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251.
Intentional cruelty to animals is a crime – in some instances, it’s a felony under penal code 597 – causing local harm to an animal.
The severity of the injury, according Animal Control and Facilities Manager Andre Hale, is irrelevant.
“It doesn’t matter the harm, if it’s just a break in the skin, a loss of a limb, regardless of the severity of injury, that person can be brought up on charges for causing that to occur,” she said. “Animal cruelty should always be reported or suspected animal cruelty.”
Hale says, those who see animal abuse within the Humboldt County Sheriff’s jurisdiction should call 707-445-4251, this will initiate investigation from animal control can investigate the incident.
If the animal cruelty is happening within city limits such as, Eureka, Arcata, Rio Dell, Fortuna, Blue Lake or Trinidad -for example – you are asked to call your local law enforcement agency.
