Stray cat hung from a secluded train trestle
Southampton, NY (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Apr 15, 2006
County: Suffolk

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

The person who hung a stray cat from a secluded train trestle in a bucolic corner of Southampton could face up to two years in jail if caught and convicted, officials said.

"The perpetrator could be charged with aggravated animal abuse, which is now a felony," said Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "We will do everything to bring the perpetrator to justice, and get the maximum [two-year] sentence."

Gross said the month-long investigation has produced several leads, but he would not divulge any details of the probe. "The Suffolk County SPCA will not back off," Gross said. Rudolph Buchholz, a volunteer with the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, regularly feeds a group of stray cats that putter around the Long Island Rail Road train trestle, officials said. He made the gruesome discovery in mid-April after arriving at a site beneath the trestle to feed his feline friends. he dead cat was hanging from a wire fastened to the trestle. "Only a very troubled and unstable person would victimize an innocent little cat.," said Animal Rescue Fund head Sara Davison.

"It's very upsetting for all of us here, and for the volunteers who care for the cats." Although the animal rescue group believes the cat was one of several strays that volunteers feed, Gross said it is possible that it belonged to someone. "Maybe he or she just hasn't come forward yet," he said. But cats, dogs and other legal pets are all considered "companion animals," regardless of whether the animal has an owner. Unlike abuse of companion animals, which carries felony charges, abuse of wild animals results in misdemeanor charges. But Gross said the county is cracking down on all animal abusers.

If you have information on this case, please contact:
Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons
(631) 484-2400

References

• The NY Daily News - May 15, 2006

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