WEST VIRGINIA -- An investigation of animal cruelty is underway in Hancock County after an incident in the Chester area this week.
Hancock County Sheriff Ralph Fletcher reported a Chester resident contacted the county’s 911 center at approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday to report her cat had been injured.
Fletcher said the owner was near her barn on Veterans Boulevard and believed she saw her orange tabby carrying a stick in its mouth. The sheriff said, the cat, in fact, had an arrow shot through the top of its head, exiting through its jaw.
The owner took the feline to the Chester Veterinary Clinic of U.S. Route 30, where the animal’s condition was deemed, “very grave,” according to Fletcher.
The veterinarian performed an emergency surgery to remove the arrow, saving the cat’s life, the sheriff said.
“The cat is in stable condition. It is eating and moving around and appears to be doing well,” he said, noting an additional surgery will have to be performed later to remove an eye damaged by the arrow.
Fletcher said the Hancock County Dog Warden notified the Sheriff’s Office of the incident, which remains under investigation. He said residents should be cautious and take note of where their pets are in the meantime as a precaution against additional incidents.
The resident is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to the conviction and arrest of the subject responsible.
Information can be submitted to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office at (304) 564-3911 or anonymously through Tip411.
(Weirton Daily Times - Oct 18, 2014)
