A reward of $5,000 was being offered by PETA Thursday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for shooting two stray cats with a BB gun in South Los Angeles, leaving one of the felines with permanent injuries.
According to PETA, the attacks came amid an increase in reports of animal abuse in Los Angeles and “chronic inaction” by authorities.
The organization has been working with an adoption agency that has been caring for a cat named Albert, who was found injured after being shot in an alley near West 94th Street and Vermont Avenue.
“Albert’s condition is stable, but according to his neurologist, the bullet cannot be removed due to the risk of paralysis,” PETA officials said in a statement, noting that the cat is likely to remain on medication for the rest of his life and will always have a limp.
PETA officials were told by the adoption agency that dozens of animals have suffered abuse in the area lately, including another cat that was shot with a pellet gun in the same block as Albert, with no known investigation underway.
The organization stated that it is urgently moving to air its “Here Kitty, Kitty” advertisement on local broadcast stations to warn the public about the dangers of allowing cats to roam outdoors. The campaign features “It” actor Jaeden Martell portraying a series of sinister characters — each reaching for a can of gasoline, a golf club, poison, and a shotgun — following the chilling warning that “outdoor cats don’t go missing by themselves.”
PETA urged all pet owners to keep their cats indoors and report abuse or neglect whenever it is witnessed, and to “never walk away from an animal who is in danger or distress.”
Anyone with information was urged to contact Friends of Normie at hello@friendsofnormie.org.