Reward Offered in Minnesota Kitten Cruelty Case

July 13, 2007

ST.PAUL, Minn.-- The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a $2500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the mutilation of a kitten found in a parking lot near St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Case:
On Sunday, July 8, 2007, Caring for Cats, a St. Paul animal shelter, received a four-month-old kitten who was found in a parking lot in nearby Maplewood, Minnesota. The kitten had a shoelace wrapped around her neck and an oily substance with gravel and sand embedded in and around her mouth and whiskers. She also had a fever, multiple lesions on her right rear leg and paw and her right front paw pad was red and raw. 

The kitten's left rear femur was crushed and the ankle bone so shattered that it cannot be repaired. When the kitten, whom Caring for Cats volunteers have named "Campbell," is strong enough, she will have to undergo an amputation of that leg.

Michael Foster, D.V.M., who provided triage care to Campbell when she was admitted, says the kitten was in very bad shape: "The extent and severity of her injuries were significant. In the past few days, she has made remarkable progress. We are optimistic about her potential for a full recovery and a long, healthy life."

Animal Cruelty:
The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. The HSUS First Strike Campaign® raises public awareness and educates communities about this connection while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty. For more information, visit www.humanesociety.org/firststrike.

The Investigators:
Anyone with information related to this incident can call Rick Ruzicka, the city of Maplewood's animal control officer, at 612-685-2700.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.

The Central States Regional Office of The HSUS, located in Naperville, Illinois, serves 10 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.