The cat who was mummified with duct tape has found a new home. Here’s the story from Philly.com:
By Peter Mucha Inquirer Staff Writer
‘Sticky’ has found a family.
The cat that became a media sensation after being found body-wrapped in duct tape joined its new adoptive family yesterday, according to the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
A handful of people called to claim ownership, but no one followed through, according to spokeswoman Liz Williamson.
“They were given the opportunity to come in and meet with our officers and prove ownership,” she said. “Only one person even set up an appointment and that person did not keep the appointment.”
More than 100 adoption requests came in, and they were considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
This family’s request came soon after the news broke Sept. 22 about a cat found bound from neck to toes in a North Philadelphia yard, Williamson said.
The female cat was nicknamed “Sticky” by workers at the PSPCA, where she was sedated so the tape could be removed with scissors. The cat was doing well after her ordeal.
The family wishes to remain anonymous, and Williamson didn’t know where they live or whether they have children or other pets.
She was also waiting word on whether the name “Sticky” would stick.
The case captured public attention, generating all sorts of news reports that led to increases in adoptions, donations and phone calls for the society’s headquarters in North Philadelphia.
Last year, from Sept. 23 to 29, 15 cats were adopted at the headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave. This year, during the same period, 58 cats found new homes, an increase Williamson called “awesome.”
Donors who mentioned Sticky gave $2,075, she said.
Callers clogged phone lines with leads for investigators, who were offering a $2,000 reward.
On Saturday evening, acting on a tip, Pennsylvania SPCA law enforcement officers arrested James Davis, 19, of the 2100 block of 22d Street in North Philadelphia.
If convicted of the animal cruelty, Davis faces up to two years in prison and a fine of at least $1,000, the PSPCA said.
“He did not have any previous convictions or complaints related to animal cruelty,” Williamson said.
“We’re very pleased that Sticky’s story is one of our success stories,” she said. “We’re very, very pleased with the outpouring of love and support that not only Sticky received, but also our law-enforcement officers and staff during the past week.”
Many other cats and kittens are available for adoption, she pointed out.
“We encourage everyone who was interested in adopting Sticky to visit our headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave. or the Animal Care and Control Team at 111 West Hunting Park Ave.,” Williamson said.
Adoption hours at Erie Avenue are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. They’re more limited at West Hunting Park Avenue: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
An arrest has been made in the animal cruelty case in which a Pennsylvania cat was duct-taped from head to toe and dumped. The following is the press release issued by the PSPCA:
Pennsylvania SPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers have made an arrest in the case of a cat that was found duct-taped from head-to-toe on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, in the 2200 block of Edgley St.
James Davis (left), 19, of the 2100 block of 22nd St., was arrested on the evening of September 26, 2009. He now faces a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, which carries with it a sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine not less than $1000, the possibility of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, as well as other related charges.
The cat, affectionately named Sticky by the Pennsylvania SPCA staff, was rescued by a Humane Law Enforcement officer when a woman discovered the cat near the fence in her backyard. Sticky was brought directly to the Pennsylvania SPCA’s headquarters, located at 350 E. Erie Ave., where she received a medical evaluation and was found to be in stable condition, although moderately dehydrated. She received intravenous fluids to treat the dehydration and was sedated to remove the duct tape. Once free from the tape, Sticky was able to be further evaluated and found to have no additional medical problems in need of treatment.
Despite claims by a few individuals that they were Sticky’s rightful owners, no one has been able to prove ownership. The Pennsylvania SPCA received nearly 100 inquiries from people who would like to adopt her. These requests are being reviewed in the order in which they were received to find the best possible home for the cat.
The $2000 reward that was offered by the Pennsylvania SPCA will be distributed to the person or persons who provided critical information to the Humane Law Enforcement team if a conviction is handed down in the case. No court date has been set in this matter.
We wrote about Rescue Ink earlier this year, and since then they’ve scored not only a book deal, but a National Geographic series as well.
National Geographic just premiered their TV show, Rescue Ink Unleashed, on Friday, Think Animal Cops with a twist: it’s a group of bikers with more than 1700 pounds of muscle, over 80 tattoos, and one unlikely mission: to rescue helpless, abandoned and abused animals. These tough guys are not afraid to go anywhere or confront anyone to save animals in danger.
Each one-hour episode of Rescue Ink Unleashed takes viewers on “ride-alongs” as members follow up on leads in the New York metro area.Taking an average of 100 calls a week at their headquarters on Long Island, they jump into their cars — or on their “hogs” — and confront alleged animal abusers, investigate stolen animals and firmly encourage owners to give up their pets if it’s in the best interest of the animals.
Our favorite is “Des,” known as “The Cat Man.” Des is a friend to all felines. Although he grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Jamaica, Queens, where survival included hanging with a gang, Des’ cat friends have given him a new purpose in life. Des gets called in anytime there’s a cat-astrophe.
The series is on the National Geographic channel on Fridays at 10pm.
The tabby who was mummified in duct tape and unceremoniously dumped in a yard in the 2200 block of Edgley Street in North Philadelphia has had the duct tape removed, and is doing very well. Despite her ordeal, she has exhibited affectionate and playful behavior with the staff of the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Liz Williamson of the PSPCA reports that “She’s doing great. She is really happy and playful, which leads us to believe she came from a household”.
“This is a very very very sweet cat,” George Bengal, of the PSPCA, told Fox News. “I can’t imagine someone doing this to this cat. I mean, this is a domestic cat. Obviously, it was owned, it can be handled very easily.”
The cat cannot be adopted until sufficient time has been given for the cats owners to come forward. The owners are not believed to be the perpertrator of this crime.
Donations have poured in, reflecting the public’s outrage at this act of cruelty. The reward is now $2000 for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) responsible for taping and dumping the cat. Anyone with information on the crime should contact the SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline on 1-866-601-7722.
Acea Schomaker (left), of Lincoln, Nebraska, the doper who stuffed his kitten, Shadow (below), in a bong to calm her down, has been sentenced to a 90-day jail term and $1,171.30 in restitution to go to the Capital Humane Society for its care of Shadow, who has since been adopted.
The judge, Gale Pokorny, asked Schomaker if he had anything to say. Shomaker said, “I screwed up big time, and there’s nothing I can do to take it back.”
In a meeting with a probation officer, Schomaker said he got the idea marijuana smoke would calm the cat, which nipped and scratched him. The day he was arrested, he told deputies he was trying to figure out a way to control the cat without hitting her, as her former owner had.
He said he grabbed Shadow by the scruff of the neck and put her in the box, quickly closing the lid.
“It’s so ridiculous they’re calling me an animal abuser,” he told the probation officer. “I would not be wasting pot on it.”
Schomaker admitted he had been disciplining the cat by putting it in the bong for about three weeks, maybe a couple of times a week.
Shomaker’s fiance, Marissa Vieux, was sentenced to 15 days in jail and $450 restitution for her role in the abuse.
Thanks to an alert clerk at the Stop & Shop Supermarket in the Swampscott Mall, Gloria the Cat has a chance of enjoying her remaining eight lives.
The clerk called the Swampscott (Mass.) Police Department when he heard a cat mewing from the inside of a glass-crushing recycling machine. The machine operates by having two grinding gears come together to crush glass upon activation by an internal motor. If another glass had been dropped in, Gloria would have been mutilated.
They unplugged the machine and removed the front so that animal control officer Diane Treadwell could reach in and pry the cat out.
“I looked up into the machine. Gloria was up inside, perched on a little shelf maybe an inch wide, between the motor and the two crushers,” Treadwell says. “There was a space, maybe an inch or an inch and a half wide and when I looked into it, all I could see was a tail.”
Treadwell stuck her hand into the space to reach the cat.
“I just grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and by her tail and pulled,” Treadwell says. “Her head got a little stuck trying to get through the narrow part but I wiggled and it came out.”
Gloria was totally covered in glass dust.
“She had glass dust in her eyes that I flushed out as soon as I could,” Treadwell says. “But the most amazing thing is that throughout this all, Gloria never scratched or bit.”
Gloria was named after disco queen Gloria Gaynor, who performed the 70s hit, “I Will Survive.”
Treadwell added, “I can’t imagine anyone cruel enough to have put the cat inside the machine. But I do know that Gloria has used up one of her nine lives.”
You can make this happy ending complete by adopting Gloria. She’s at the Marblehead Animal Shelter, 44 Village St. Marblehead, Mass. They’re open from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Their phone number is 781-631-8664.
Forgive me for deviating from cat-related news today, but the topic transcends species and I need your help in communicating to the Philadelphia Eagles that animal cruelty is NOT OKAY.
Yesterday, the Philiadelphia Eagles signed sociopath animal torturer Michael Vick to a one-year, $1.6 million deal with a one year option. Here are the details as reported by AP:
PHILADELPHIA – A remorseful Michael Vick wants a second chance and vowed to crusade for animal rights with the Philadelphia Eagles — and knows he won’t be easily forgiven by fans.
“I know I’ve done some terrible things, made a horrible mistake. Now I want to be part of the solution and not the problem,” Vick said Friday, referring to his conviction for his role in running a dogfighting ring.
Vick was introduced by the Eagles a day after signing a one-year deal for $1.6 million with a team option for a second year for $5.2 million. None of the money is guaranteed, so the Eagles face no financial risk if Vick does not make the team.
As upset as I was that the NFL had reinstated Vick, I am livid that a team has actually signed him. Vick’s claims that he will crusade for animal rights fall on deaf ears in my household. He’s a sociopath with a multi-million dollar career at stake. It would be a far better deterrent for future dog fight promoters to see that Vick’s life was ruined by his actions, rather than seeing him serve a brief stint in jail and return to his former glory, making it all better by saying, whoops, my bad, sorry.
Sorry, Mike: in my book you don’t deserve a second chance.
Vick had hands-on involvement in his dog-fight operation, including killing some of the dogs. Rather than being put down immediately, the surviving dogs were rescued and are being rehabilitated. Here’s the story of Shadow, rescued by Best Friends Animal Society:
Shadow used to be so shy he’d hide in the corner and try to disappear. When he came to Best Friends he wanted nothing to do with anybody. He was completely shut down.
Not surprising when you learn what he’s had to live through. Shadow is one of the 22 dogs who came to Best Friends from the estate of former NFL quarterback, Michael Vick after he was arrested and charged with “conspiracy to engage in dog fighting in violation of the animal welfare act.”
Out of all 22 Vicktory dogs who came to Best Friends, Shadow was perhaps the most withdrawn. Everything terrified him. On his walks, he’d do a sort of commando crawl the whole way, staying as low to the ground as possible.
Wow, what a turnaround! It’s amazing what a little TLC can do (okay, a lot of TLC). Once Shadow came to realize that everybody wanted to love him and help him get better, he became a different dog entirely. Nowadays he loves visitors, walks, and all things fun. An amazing act of healing in a dog who used to think the entire world was one big scary problem to hide from.
Best Friends and Pit Bull rescue organization Bad Rap were two of the groups who helped rescue Vick’s dogs, and rehabilitation, though mostly successful, has not been easy. The scars were not only skin deep. The dogs were abused emotionally as well as physically.
Currently, the only outlets I know of to express your outrage to the Eagles, owner Jeffrey Laurie and coach Andy Reid is to 1) sign a petition and 2) send an email through their website. No, it won’t do any good, but I think it’s important to let them know that pursuit of the almighty dollar does not trump animal cruelty. If enough people voice their outrage, we might move a little closer in this country to implementing a zero-tolerance policy toward animal cruelty.
Please tweet this post [short URL: http://su.pr/1Pw5IU] and get the word out.
Thanks to a tipster, this cat and about 300 others — crammed into 22 bamboo crates in a freight yard in Shanghai — were rescued by animal activists this week.
The cats, likely trapped at night by thieves scouring residential neighborhoods, were awaiting shipment to restaurants in the Guangdong Province.
Most were reunited with their owners. Due to non-existent animal protection laws in China, the dealer and the restaurants will not be charged or punished. The restaurants usually pay the equivalent of about $7 per cat for the meat.
WARNING: The following post discusses an act of animal cruelty in a recent Bronx cat killing and the action you can take to urge that justice be served.
Recently, in the Bronx, 17-year-old Cheyenne Cherry (pictured above) was arrested for torturing and killing a kitten (below, right) in what she described as an act of revenge against an ex-roommate. It was a particularly heinous act for which the accused has shown no remorse. According to published reports, Cherry confessed to the crime and allegedly told investigators “I hate cats.” Cherry dismissed the murder as a “practical joke.” Click here for details of the case.
Incredibly, despite a criminal record, Cherry was released without bail.
Cherry has a history of violence that appears to be escalating. In June 2008 she was arrested for larceny and extortion in an armed dognapping. She and her boyfriend held up a woman walking her dog at gunpoint, stole the dog, then sent friends to claim the $500 reward. The victim, Johan Castro, said, “They wonder why this little girl doesn’t learn right from wrong. “If she’s willing to kill a cat and steal my dog, what else will she do? She thinks she can beat the system.”
Last year Cherry was also arrested for robbing a man of his iPod at gunpoint. “It was just a joke,” Cherry claimed, after her arrest. She pleaded guilty to robbery and got five years probation. In 2007 she was arrested for assault.
Sounds like an unrepentant sociopath to me.
Please send letters to the following authorities, urging that Cherry be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that she is sentenced to mandatory psychological counseling and maximum jail time if she is convicted.
Robert T. Johnson, Bronx District Attorney
The Office of the Bronx County District Attorney
198 East 161st Street; Bronx, NY 10451
ph: 718-590-2000, 718-590-2312; fax: 718-590-2198
email: angueirl@bronxda.nyc.gov
Steven Reed, Director of Public Information
The Office of the Bronx County District Attorney
198 East 161st Street; Bronx, NY 10451
ph: 718-590-2235, 718-590-2234
Joe McCormack, Assistant District Attorney
Bronx County District Attorney’s Office
198 East 161st Street; Bronx, New York 10451
ph: 718-590-2000, 718-590-2026; fax: 718-781-1129
email: mccormaj@bronxda.nyc.gov
Nancy Borko, Senior Assistant District Attorney
Bronx District Attorney’s Office
215 East 161st Street; Bronx, NY 10451-3511
ph: 718-838-7114
Maria T. Rivero, Administrative Assistant District Attorney riverom@bronxda.nyc.gov
Anthony Girese, Counsel to the District Attorney
Bronx County District Attorney’s Office
198 East 161st Street; Bronx, New York 10451
ph: 718-590-2175; fax: 718-992-0545
email: giresea@bronxda.nyc.gov
Judge Dennis J. Boyle
G Correspondence Clerk
Bronx Supreme Court Criminal Division
851 Grand Concourse, Room 123
Bronx, NY 10451
The animal welfare organization Kinship Circle has provided the following sample letter. We strongly encourage modifying this letter to include your own thoughts and feelings, as opposed to simply copying and pasting, as it loses some impact when a prosecutor receives hundreds of identical letters. Also, where feasible, send a hard copy of the letter vs. an email for maximum impact.
Dear _________,
Thank you for recognizing public concern in the case of Tiger Lily, a kitten scorched alive inside an oven on May 6, 2009. I understand Cheyenne Cherry, 17, is charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty, burglary, arson, criminal trespass, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
I respectfully ask for your utmost deliberation in the investigation of Cherry and her accomplice, who allegedly broke into ex-roommate Valerie Hernandez’s home and trapped Tiger Lily inside an activated stove. Apparently, they ransacked the apartment and raised the stove’s heat before fleeing with stolen items. The girls never heard Tiger Lily’s last screams and scratches against the oven door.
Please seek maximum adult incarceration of two years for felony animal cruelty. Cherry also faces possible jail terms of 15 years for second-degree burglary, one year for arson, and four years for criminal mischief. I urge you to hold both teens accountable. Both require psychological evaluation and therapy. Both should be barred from possessing or working with animals.
At the very least, they ought to be interned in a juvenile detention hall until age 18 (if applicable). Then, reassessment of the girls’ personality traits can determine if adult imprisonment is necessary.
Adolescents who commit brutal crimes against humans usually begin with animals. Columbine shooter Eric Harris, 18, smashed mice with a crowbar and set them on fire. Washington D.C. serial killer Lee Boyd Malvo killed stray cats with a slingshot. Kip Kinkle blew up a cow and burned a live cat. He then shot 25 classmates and murdered his parents in Springfield, Oregon. After Luke Woodham, 16, mortally stabbed his mother and shot nine others, he confessed to bludgeoning his dog with baseball bats and setting her on fire.
These murderers, like Cherry, were able to torture and kill without remorse. Indeed, the intentional burning of an animal is a “particularly significant predictor of violent and even homicidal behavior,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood of ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and a frequent consultant for cruelty investigators, law enforcers and mental health professionals.
Cherry “thought we would play a joke on Valerie.” But she and her friend are not guilty of warped humor or bad choices. Roasting a defenseless kitten is the calculated action of a sociopath and a predator.
Thank you for prosecuting Cherry and her accomplice to the fullest degree allowed by law.
After hours spent with letters and packages raining down upon her, a frightened calico kitten, weighing just two pounds, was discovered in a streetside mailbox by a postman in Boston last weekend. A woman who witnessed the discovery brought the kitten to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals where the cat was nourished back to health and named “Postina.”
Despite her ordeal, Postina is friendly and has adjusted well to her temporary home at the shelter. Initially, she was a bit shy about meeting reporters in the MSPCA lobby, but she quickly adjusted to the spotlight.
“She obviously is a very forgiving cat, regardless of how she has been treated in the past,” said Brian Adams, the MSPCA spokesperson.
About 10 calls an hour have been coming in from people anxious to adopt Postina. The MSPCA hopes this leads to more adoptions of other cats in their care. Tomorrow is the deadline to apply to adopt Postina, though hundreds of other cats are available.
Adams points out that pet owners in Boston who need to surrender their pets can do so for free at the MSPCA. They also offer low cost veterinary services, like spaying and neutering for as little as $50.
The MSPCA is asking anyone with information about Postina’s abandonment to call its law enforcement department at 617-522-6008 or 800-628-5808. Animal abandonment is a felony crime with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
James Davis (left), 19, of the 2100 block of 22nd St., was arrested on the evening of September 26, 2009. He now faces a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, which carries with it a sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine not less than $1000, the possibility of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, as well as other related charges.
Acea Schomaker (left), of Lincoln, Nebraska, the doper 
Forgive me for deviating from cat-related news today, but the topic transcends species and I need your help in communicating to the Philadelphia Eagles that animal cruelty is NOT OKAY. 
Not surprising when you learn what he’s had to live through. Shadow is one of the 22 dogs who came to Best Friends from the estate of former NFL quarterback, Michael Vick after he was arrested and charged with “conspiracy to engage in dog fighting in violation of the animal welfare act.”
she described as an act of revenge against an ex-roommate. It was a particularly heinous act for which the accused has shown no remorse. According to published reports, Cherry confessed to the crime and allegedly told investigators “I hate cats.” Cherry dismissed the murder as a “practical joke.” 
After hours spent with letters and packages raining down upon her, a frightened calico kitten, weighing just two pounds, was discovered in a streetside mailbox by a postman in Boston last weekend. A woman who witnessed the discovery brought the kitten to the 
