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1/9/2018

Rescued Tortured cat shines light on need for federal protections for pets

11 Comments

Read Now
 
A stray cat was brought to Prince George’s County Animal Shelter with an array of wounds to his ears, limbs and tail that left him limping and weak. It was clear that this poor cat had been through extreme cruelty and was suffering greatly. Because of the severity of his injuries and necessary treatment, Alley Cat Rescue came in and rescued this traumatized cat.

Looking at his gashed ears and nearly amputated toes it was clear that these injuries were the result of intentional animal cruelty. Our veterinarian assessed him and his prognosis was worse than we could have anticipated. The abuser had tortured the cat over a course of weeks. The cat had slowly suffered with no veterinary care or compassion. The abuser had tied the cats tail and limbs tightly and had cut his ears. His tail became necrotic and required surgical removal. The toes on three of his legs were hanging by threads and our vet removed the toes as well. He is finally receiving the love and compassion he deserves here at Alley Cat Rescue. After the horrible ordeal he suffered he somehow still trusts humans and loves to nudge people and have his head pet. We have named him Hardy, which means courageous and capable of enduring difficult conditions. This certainly describes Hardy’s brave yet gentle personality.

Hardy’s case illustrates the real life costs of animal cruelty. Hardy’s case shows a severe form of animal cruelty where an abuser took advantage of an innocent and voiceless creature for their own sadistic purposes. Animal cruelty is often an indicator of a violent personality. Offenders who begin by abusing animals can escalate to abusing and even killing humans. A 10 year study of at risk children found that children that were cruel to animals were more than twice as likely to be referred to authorities for violent offenses[i]. Animal abusers are more likely to be convicted of other types of crimes such as violent, property and drug crimes[ii]. We as a society need to take animal cruelty seriously, not only by prosecuting offenders but by proactively helping pets leave violent homes.

As animal cruelty is a predictor crime, it is also an indicator crime. This means that in homes where animal cruelty is occurring there can be other victims such as spouses and children. The co-occurrence of domestic violence and animal cruelty is well reported. In a study conducted at a domestic violence shelter, 71% of women with companion animals reported that their pets had been threatened, abused or killed by their partner[iii]. This is why the Pet and Women Safety Act is crucial to help protect both human and non-human victims of violence. This federal bill would provide funding to domestic violence shelters for them to include pets in their housing, encourage states to include pets in Orders of Protection and include hurting or threatening a victim’s pet to the definition of stalking in the federal criminal code. Although we do not yet know Hardy’s backstory, abusers mutilate and torture countless cats to control or punish their victims. The Pet and Women Safety Act would allow domestic violence victims to escape their abusers with their pets, who could also fall victim to violence. Alley Cat Rescue supports the Pet and Women Safety Act and is working to help pass this necessary bill. We urge you to reach out to your legislators and ask them to support this bill. We also urge anyone who has information on Hardy to contact Prince George’s County Animal Control who is investigating his case.



[i] Becker, K.D., Herrera, V.M., McCloskey, L.A. & Stuewig, J. (2004). A Study of Firesetting and Animal Crueltymin Children: Family Influences and Adolescent Outcomes, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(7).

[ii] Luke, C., Arluke, A. & Levin, J. (1997). Cruelty to Animals and Other Crimes:A
Study by the MSPCA and Northeastern University, Massachusetts Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 1997.

[iii] Frank, A.R. (1998). Battered women’s reports of their partners’ and their children’s cruelty to animals. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 1, 119-133.
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11 Comments
Karen
1/10/2018 04:32:37 pm

What is Hardy's status now? Is he going to be put up for adoption or put to sleep?

Reply
Brianna link
1/22/2018 02:40:37 pm

He will not be put down. He is receiving veterinary care to treat his injuries.

Reply
Jacqueline
1/11/2018 05:59:40 am

I am also interested in knowing Hardy's fate. Is he eligible for adoption? Is he likely to survive? Will the ears heal? Is there a fund to help him?

Reply
Brianna link
1/22/2018 02:41:49 pm

His ears are healing very well! Interested people can donate here: http://www.saveacat.org/donate.html

Reply
Sharon layton
1/12/2018 09:12:53 am

When will Hardy be available for adoption? Is it possible to. Is it with him?

Reply
stefano turconi
1/13/2018 12:23:26 am

thanks for the noble work you are doing. fell in love with Hardy and if he needs a loving parent to take care of him, i will be delighted to adopt

Reply
JANET CASTRO
1/13/2018 05:55:18 pm

KEEPING HARDY IN MY PRAYERS THAT GOD WILL WATCH OVER THIS PRECIOUS CAT. TO THE DOCTOR'S AND STAFF THANKS FOR TAKING CARE OF THIS CAT.. GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS AMEN!!! FOR WHOMEVER HURT THIS POOR INNOCENT CAT LET ME JUST SAY KARMA WHAT GOES AROUND COMES BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!!!

Reply
Ella
2/11/2018 01:06:38 pm

So sorry to hear about the beautiful cat. Hardy looks like our cat. Back in November 2017, we posted a missing notification on several sites but have not received any information. We went to the local shelter but no luck. What phone number can we call to check if it is our cat? Thank you.

Reply
purina one dog food coupons link
2/19/2018 09:30:27 pm

Every market is a microcosm of the environment. "Lessons from a Pet Store" is a series of observations and in a commonly recognized environment that can be easily applied to virtually any market.

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Julie Arnold link
1/5/2021 08:49:20 pm

Great post much appreciate the time you took to write this

Reply
Ironville Sandblasting link
8/2/2022 11:29:25 am

I enjoyed readingg your post

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  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission
      • Our Team
      • Board of Directors
      • Financial Information
      • Email Sign-up
    • ACR in the Press
    • ACR Publications >
      • Newsletters
      • Blog
      • Press Releases
      • National Surveys
    • Adoptions >
      • Adoption Application
      • Cats available for adoption
      • New Cat Checklist
      • Introducing A New Cat
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact Us
    • Partners
  • Action Alerts
    • Spay Neuter Pledge
    • No Declaw Pledge
    • Campaigns >
      • TNR Support Letter
      • The Feral Fix
      • Working Cats Program >
        • Shelters with Working Cat Programs
      • End Deadly Eradication Methods
      • "Fix the Family"
  • Spay/Neuter
    • Early Age Spay/Neuter
    • Misconceptions About Spay/Neuter
    • State Low Cost Spay/Neuter
  • How to Help Community Cats
    • Find a Stray Cat?
    • What is a Feral Cat? >
      • Feral vs. Stray Cats
      • Benefits of Feral Cats
    • TNR-- What does this mean? >
      • TNR Statistics
      • TNR Step-by-Step
      • Targeted Trapping
      • TNR Tips
      • Hard to Catch Cats
      • TNR Equipment Loan Resources
      • Where to Buy TNR Equipment
      • TNR/Community Cat Care Financial Resources
      • Helping Shelters Implement TNR Programs
      • Common Complaints
    • Providing Shelter
    • CAT Action Teams: TNR Groups by State
    • Health Care
    • Cat Overpopulation
    • Relocation
    • Feral Kittens >
      • What to do if you find kittens
      • Stages of Kitten Development
      • Orphaned Kittens
      • Socializing Feral Kittens
      • Fostering Kittens
    • How Rescuers Can Effectively Adopt Out Cats >
      • Adopting Adult Feral Cats
    • Winter Tips for Protecting Cats
    • Summer Tips for Cats
    • Feral Cats and the Law
    • Cats and Wildlife >
      • Cats and Predation
      • Where have all the birds gone?
      • Debunking the Myths and Misinformation: Cat Predation
      • Why Eradication Methods Fail
    • Handbook Download
  • Cat Health & Supplies
    • Health Care for Your Cat >
      • Vaccines
      • Wellness Vet Checkups
      • Microchiping
      • Nail Trimmings
      • Effects of aging
      • Hospice Care and Euthanasia Decisions
      • Vet Care Financial Assistance
      • How to Prepare for an Emergency
    • FIP, FeLV, FIV >
      • Testing for FeLV/FIV
    • Common Cat Health Issues >
      • Feline Panleukopenia
      • Fleas
      • Zoonotic Diseases
      • Rabies
      • Toxoplasmosis
      • Ringworm - Symptoms and Treatment
      • Ringworm Myths Debunked
      • Obesity in Cats
      • Diabetes
      • Indoor/Outdoor Cats
    • Cats & Claws
    • Animal Cruelty Against Cats
    • Hazardous Poisons
    • Poisonous Plants
    • Cats and COVID-19
    • Cat Supplies
    • Pet Food Banks
    • Pet Disaster Preparedness
  • Cat Behavior
    • Solutions to Prevent Surrendering your cat >
      • Rehoming
    • Common Cat Behavior Issues >
      • Litter Box Problems
      • Scratching and Destructive Behavior
      • Aggressive Cats >
        • Cat on Cat Aggression
      • Meowing and Yowling
      • Urine Marking
      • Behavior Issues in Elderly Cats
    • Introducing Cats
    • Cat Enrichment
    • Tips for Entertaining an Indoor Cat
    • Cat Supply Resources
    • Lost Cat
  • African Wildcats
    • AWC Conservation Projects
    • Press Release on African Wildcat Campaign
    • Differences between AWCs and domestic cats
  • Donate
  • Store