09/28/09

Arrest in Duct-Taped Cat Case
Karen Nichols

sticky-the-duct-taped-cat

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.

ducttapedcat2James 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.

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09/24/09

Reward up to $2000 for Info in Duct-Taped Cat Case
Karen Nichols

sticky

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.

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