Suspect sought in another cat shooting case
Lee County Domestic Animal Services is seeking information regarding the person or persons responsible for shooting a cat in the area of Winkler and McGregor boulevards in Fort Myers.
The cat was found by a nearby resident on May 31 who took him to a veterinarian for treatment. It was confirmed that the cat was shot in the front left leg with a .22 caliber bullet. This is the second cat shooting in less than two months that Animal Services has investigated. A cat was shot in Lehigh Acres in late April.
“Obviously this was a deliberate intentional act of animal cruelty. Individuals found harming animals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Chief Glenn Johnson, LCDAS operations manager in a prepared statement.
Shooting animals is a felony punishable by up five years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.
Susan Johnston, who found the 1-1/2 year old cat, named him Kevin. She reports that he is healing and doing well although he still hobbles on three legs. Kevin uses the injured leg to balance himself and does not appear to be in any pain, according to Johnston. She also added that he is very docile in nature and extremely well-socialized. Johnston would like to find a home for him and asks anyone interested in adopting him to contact her at (239) 482-0271.
Animal Services considers crimes of this nature to be particularly cruel and disturbing and will investigate any leads for ultimate prosecution. Anyone with information regarding animal abuse is asked to call Animal Services at 239-533-7387. To be eligible to receive a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible, contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.