Two recent cases involving domesticated animals struck by arrows have Shelby County’s animal control officer on the hunt for those responsible.

&8220;This is absolutely a terrible thing,&8221; said Donald Kendrick, the county’s animal control officer. &8220;It’s against the law and it’s just stupid.&8221;

The owners of a prize-winning Angus cow near Wilton alerted authorities Tuesday morning when they noticed an arrow embedded in the cow’s belly.

Kendrick responded to the call, fresh off the case of a housecat killed by an arrow near Calera just last week.

The cow, which Kendrick said still has a calf, is a large black animal that would not likely be mistaken for a deer.

&8220;There’s no way this could have been an accident,&8221; he said.

Bow-hunting season began Oct. 15 in Shelby County and across the state.

&8220;I think you’ve just got a lot more people out here with bows and crossbows, and unfortunately I think you’ve got a very small percentage that’s doing this,&8221; Kendrick said.

&8220;These idiots use animals for targets.&8221;

Owners of the cow were still weighing their options, including a trip to Auburn for veterinary treatment, at presstime Tuesday. But Kendrick said the animal’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Kendrick rushed a wounded cat to a local veterinarian Thursday after getting a call from citizens near Calera who reported the animal wAndering the neighborhood with an arrow protruding through both sides of its body.

The cat, which was wearing a flea collar, was thought to have been struck by an archer several days before it was captured. It died shortly after arriving at the Shelby County Animal Shelter for treatment.

&8220;The cat had been running around for a few days and it had just bled out. It didn’t have a prayer,&8221; Kendrick said. &8220;How in the world that little fella’ lived that long, I don’t know.&8221;

Kendrick said the arrow that killed the cat featured a small point, like those commonly used by archers for practice and target shooting.

It was unknown at presstime whether the arrow embedded in the cow was tipped with a practice point or a broadhead, the bladed tips used by hunters to kill deer and other game.

Kendrick said each incident will be treated as an animal cruelty case, a misdemeanor, and that all information will be passed on to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office