Someone is shooting cats in California, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wants them caught.
PETA is putting up a $5,000 cash reward for information that leads to the apprehension of whoever’s been shooting cats across south Los Angeles.
At least two cats were shot last week, the animal rights agency said in a statement to the press. “The attacks come amid a growing animal abuse epidemic in the area and chronic inaction from local authorities,” PETA officials said in the statement.
The latest incidents come just weeks after a volunteer with Friends of Normie allegedly found dozens of stray cats that had been shot and injured. The organization said that reports of cat abuse have been coming in weekly.
PETA’s statement outlines the case of a stray named Albert, who was found shot by a BB gun last week.
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While in stable condition, a BB lodged in Albert’s back cannot be removed without possibly paralyzing the cat.
Albert will likely need pain medication for the rest of his life, and officials said he will probably walk with a limp forever, as the BB also shattered a bone in one of his legs.
PETA also noted that the adoption group has reported “dozens of animals [that] have been abused in the area … including another cat who was shot with a pellet gun and found on the same block as Albert.”
“Animal control has been consistently unresponsive,” reads the PETA media release, released on Thursday, March 27. “There is no known investigation underway.”
Friends of Normie volunteers have also found multiple trash bags containing dead dogs this month, according to KTLA.
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Many of the cats who’ve been attacked appear to be former pets who’ve been abandoned by their masters, PETA said.
Ladan Davia, the CEO of Friends of Normie, said volunteers also discovered cats who had been shot and poisoned.
“It’s past time that local animal control do their jobs and investigate these shootings before more cats end up injured or dead,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “PETA urges everyone to always keep their cats indoors, report abuse and neglect when they see it, and never walk away from an animal who is in danger or distress.”
It was unclear if the cat shootings are being actively investigated, and efforts to reach an LAPD spokesperson Monday, March 30, were unsuccessful.
If you know of or suspect animal abuse or neglect, you are urged to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through their website or call your local animal control officer.
