Cat bound with duct tape, left for dead
Benton Township, MI (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 7, 2007
County: Berrien

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Animal Aid is offering a $500 reward for information about an animal abuse case that happened earlier this week. The front and back legs of a cat were duct taped, and the animal was left for dead in Benton Township.

The cat got her name "Ducky" because on Wednesday police found her wrapped in duct tape and trapped between the storm and entry doors of a Benton Township home.

"She's missing some hair -- it's shorter because of where we had to cut, but I didn't see any other wounds or other signs of injuries," Veterinarian Dawn Gallagher told WSBT News.

Although Ducky's story is sad, she is not alone. Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan have investigated four cases of animal cruelty in the last few months.

"We have several abuse and neglect cases that we're currently working on," explained Sue Burkhard of Animal Aid. "We have a case that we're working on right now where a dog, the owners allowed a collar to grow into its neck to the point where it was embedded into the skin and then instead of allowing it to be humanely removed they just bascially ripped it back out."

Gallagher says there's no excuse for abusing or abandoning animals. "If they have an unwanted animal there's humane society, there's animal aid," she said.

Animal Aid says they're not sure if abuse and neglect are on the rise, or if more people are just reporting these crimes.

"Those people are actually dangerous to society because of the potential that if they're starting with animals then what happens when they move on to children or humans or the elderly?" Burkhard said.

Animal Aid is offering a $500 reward for information about this case. As for Ducky she needs a loving home.

If you are interested in adopting Ducky or have any information related to the case, contact Animal Aid of Southwestern Michigan.

References

• WSBT - March 8, 2007

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