NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) – Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies are searching for the person reportedly responsible for shooting a cat with a BB gun.
Officials said Wilson the cat was shot on the left side of his neck near Fort Lauderdale in the area of Southwest 19th Street and Gardenia Road on May 27.
Telma Rodriguez, the cat’s owner, said she immediately noticed a difference in Wilson’s behavior.
“Normally, he’s very affectionate. He always comes up to you,” said Rodriguez, “and he was hiding, and he just did not seem like himself.”
Wilson also had some breathing trouble following the shooting.
“He was hacking when he was eating,” Rodriguez said. “He was just hacking just to breathe, and I’m like, ‘This is not normal.'”
Rodriguez took Wilson to the vet, where X-rays showed a pellet was lodged near his spine.
“I was expecting something different,” said Rodriguez. “When he told me it was a pellet gun, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?'”
Rodriguez said it took veterinarians four hours to remove the pellet.
The Nova Southeastern University student said she spent nearly $3,000 on surgeries and X-rays.
“I want to go the extra length for him,” she said.
Wilson is now recovering after having had his stitches removed on Tuesday.
“I’d love to know who did this and why,” Rodriguez said. “They need to be caught.”
While Wilson is getting better, Rodriguez said it doesn’t change the fact that someone pulled the trigger of a BB gun and hurt her cat.
“He’s an innocent animal. He didn’t do anything to deserve that,” she said. “You cost an animal a lot of pain, and I hope that you get the help that you need.”
The shooter could potentially face an animal cruelty charge.
If you have any information on this shooting, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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