Cat shot with pellet gun
Sonoma, CA (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jan 11, 2008
County: Sonoma
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Kenneth McCann, Sr.
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Tiger is an orange tabby with a sweet disposition, a loving family and an air gun pellet in his head that entered through an eye.
Tiger belongs to the Crumly family on Lasuen Street and they'd like whoever shot their cat to know the anguish and expense caused by that senseless act of cruelty.
The Sonoma Police Department would like the assailant to know that he (or she) could be charged with a felony punishable with state prison time and a $20,000 fine.
Tiger was found at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, in the family's garage when Maureen Crumly returned from picking her children up at school. The shooting had occurred sometime in the preceding two hours. "I think he was in shock," Maureen Crumly recalls, "because he was very calm." Both children had to witness the bloody wound.
"My daughter just started sobbing," said Mike Crumly, who added that the girl has dreams of becoming a veterinarian.
Tiger was a gift to the Crumly's son two Christmases ago, adopted from Pets Lifeline into a pet-loving household already containing two other cats, a dog and two chinchillas. Tiger's mellow disposition quickly made him a favorite but he likes the outdoors and Maureen said he travels a circuit through the immediate neighborhood carrying him into the yards of various nearby neighbors.
So far, no one has any idea who shot the cat, but it was an expensive act of violence. Before any surgery had been performed, and even before Tiger got to see an animal ophthalmologist, vet bills were nearly $1,000. The expense could easily double and it isn't clear yet whether Tiger will lose the wounded eye. Mike Crumly said there was never any question about the expense, on top of which Maureen must now administer medication to Tiger five times a day.
To the family's surprise, when Tiger was X-rayed, two other pellets from earlier attacks were found in his body. Tiger's vet, Dr. Rhonda Stallings, said it's not an unusual phenomenon. "When you X-ray cats you find pellets more often than you expect." Stallings said the prognosis for Tiger is good and that it may even be possible to save the cat's wounded eye.
The experience has added unwanted stress to Maureen Crumly's life which is particularly untimely because last year she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and stress can exacerbate the condition. Tiger aside, Friday had already been a stressful day.
That morning Maureen Crumly discovered that her car had been broken into and rifled, although nothing of value was apparently taken. The break-in was believed to be part of a string of auto burglaries police now say totaled at least 11 individual incidents in which GPS units, cameras, stereo plates and other valuables amounting to more than $3,000 were taken.
Sonoma police say the sheriff's department's property crimes unit is now investigating the crime spree and has collected some helpful evidence, including fingerprints. There is no indication that the attack on Tiger is related to the auto burglaries.
Case UpdatesA 63-year-old Sonoma man could face up to a year in prison in the shooting of a neighborhood cat with a pellet gun.
Kenneth McCann Sr. was arrested this weekend after a neighbor reported seeing him with a pellet pistol, hearing a popping sound and seeing the orange tabby, Tiger, leaping over a fence.
The cat lost an eye as a result of the shooting earlier this month. When he was given X-rays after he was shot, two other pellets were found in his body, apparently from earlier attacks.
McCann was booked into Sonoma County jail on felony animal cruelty charges and felony possession of hashish, which police say they found when they searched his house. | Source: KESQ - Jan 21, 2008
Update posted on Jan 23, 2008 - 4:36PM |
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