Reward offered for information in cat killings

Published 5:00 pm Friday, December 18, 2009

A California nonprofit organization is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot and killed six cats at a Shelby County animal sanctuary Dec. 9.

According to a United Animal Nations press release, the incident in question occurred when a caretaker at the Save our Strays animal sanctuary found the six cats the morning of Dec. 10.

An examination showed the cats had been killed by gunshot at close range. The cats had been living at the Save our Strays sanctuary for more than six years.

Capt. Ken Burchfield with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said the department is actively investigating the incident, but there have been no arrests to date. He said he couldn’t share any further information.

The United Animal Nations, a nonprofit animal protection organization, is offering the reward through its Zig Zag Memorial Reward Fund, which is designed to encourage witnesses to step forward with information about animal cruelty cases.

United Animal Nations President Nicole Forsyth said her organization is working to protect not only animals but people.

“We hope our reward will encourage someone who knows more about these grisly acts to come forward with information that could lead to an arrest,” Forsyth said. “Violence towards animals is often a precursor to violence toward people, so the community has a stake in seeing that whoever committed this blatant and senseless act is punished to the full extent of the law.”