Texas: Joseph Lupardus, 21, alleged to have poured boiling water on adopted cat to "teach it a lesson"

TEXAS -- An adopted cat is recovering from third-degree burns with its new owner after a 21-year-old San Antonio man who initially adopted the cat from a Bandera animal shelter allegedly boiled water and poured it on the cat to teach it a "lesson" for biting him.

The Animal Welfare Society of Bandera posted photos of Joseph Lupardus, the man who first adopted a black cat named KitKat from the society, to their Facebook page detailing the incidents leading up to the cat being placed in ACS' care, then the AWS of Bandera and finally, into a new, permanent home.

According to the society's director and founder Sandy Bowman, four people witnessed Lupardus pour the boiling water on the male cat for biting him, prompting witnesses to contact San Antonio Animal Care Services.

When ACS arrived, Lupardus allegedly admitted to officers that he had boiled water and poured it on the cat to teach the cat a "lesson," Bowman said.

According to the Facebook post, which has been shared several times, the cat "didn't want to be held any longer but the man wanted to keep holding him," and eventually bit Lupardus.

Bowman said ACS officials will press charges on Lupardus for animal cruelty.

Bowman said she has received "nasty" emails from Lupardus' mother, also stating that Lupardus' mother believes the situation was exaggerated, however, Bowman said the post contains factual information given to her by ACS — an organization Bowman's society is partners with.

Lupardus adopted KitKat in February from a La Cima PetSmart partnered with AWS of Bandera and was 20 years old at the time — just months shy of being allowed to adopt KitKat per society regulations, Bowman said. Noticing Lupardus expressed substantial interest in KitKat, Bowman said she spoke with Lupardus' mother prior to releasing KitKat into Lupardus' care to make sure it was okay with his mother.

Bowman said she "felt like it was a good adoption," until she received a phone call from ACS last Thursday informing her KitKat was recovering from burns to one of his hind legs and that KitKat had finished his 10-day quarantine at ACS for biting his former owner. Bowman said she became ill upon the news and ended a vacation early to care for the cat.

Although Bowman has received emails from Lupardus' mother, she said it's not a personal attack and that in her 20 years of operating the AWS of Bandera, she's never seen anything like KitKat's situation. She said she would consider taking the post down if Lupardus sought therapy.

"We aren't trying to lambaste this young man," Bowman said. "But, he needs help. This was just not the right thing to do."

Lisa Norwood, ACS spokesperson, said she could not confirm details as the office works to establish a case against Lupardus, however, she noted that Lupardus did not sustain significant injury from KitKat.

KitKat was re-adopted yesterday evening.

(MySA - Aug 10, 2016)