Cat shot with .22
Mechanicville, NY (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
County: Rensselaer

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Authorities need the public's help to find the person who last week shot a cat, leaving him paralyzed.

Since being shot, Mario the cat has undergone several surgeries to repair the damage caused by the .22-caliber bullet that wounded him in the back.

Mario was shot in the vicinity of Waverly Avenue in South Troy between 5 and 8 p.m. Sept. 18, city police said. Mario somehow made it home after being wounded. His owner rushed him to a veterinary hospital in Latham where quick care saved his life.

Police canvassed the neighborhood but have exhausted their leads in the case, said Capt. Robert Cipperly, who commands the detective unit. Felony animal cruelty charges could be brought in this case, he said.

Rensselaer County District Attorney Patricia DeAngelis asked for the public's help Thursday. Anyone with information should call Troy Police at 270-4427.

DeAngelis said her office will continue to crack down on animal abuse in Rensselaer County. Plans are in the works to establish a fund so that rewards can be offered to people reporting animal cruelty cases.

"We have always had animal abuse in Rensselaer County. Since I started the Animal Abuse Task Force, we've seen more and more cases reported," DeAngelis said.

As a result, DeAngelis is seeking volunteers who have the space to house abused animals. The district attorney said investigators often find animals that must be removed from where they are being abused.

Anyone seeking to assist the task force with space for animals should call the district attorney's office at 270-4040.

DeAngelis' staff recently prosecuted an animal cruelty case out of Troy in which Dennis Christensen, 45, was sentenced to a year in the Rensselaer County Jail for kicking to death his 6-week-old kitten, Creamsicle, in June. Christensen surrendered two other cats when he was sentenced.

If you have information on this case, please contact:
Troy Police
270-4427

References

• Times-Union - Sept 28, 2007

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