Two alert Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies made a disturbing discovery Saturday as they searched a car during a narcotics arrest: a cat with its paws and legs covered and bound together with electrical tape. According to KABC News, the deputies from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station spotted a suspicious car parked behind a closed business and decided to investigate.
Drugs were found in the car and a man and woman identified as boyfriend and girlfriend were arrested for narcotics possession, according to the KABC report. Deputies heard a faint meowing sound and eventually uncovered a pet carrier buried in the back and turned upside down. “That’s what was attracting our attention, something kind of calling to us,” said Adam Halloran. Inside was a helpless tabby cat named Lilly. All of her paws were wrapped in electrical tape and her legs bound together.
“I mean, when I first found the cat, I was like, ‘No way.'” said Halloran. “I mean, I own cats–that’s not how a cat should be treated.” When the deputies asked the couple why the cat was wrapped in tape, they were astonished when they were told that the tape was used to stop the cat from scratching. “Isn’t that what cats do?” Halloran said. Both the man, 23, and the woman, 26, now also face animal cruelty charges. The cat was turned over to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, which will investigate. Halloran said that Lilly is a sweet and loving cat and he hopes she will find a safe, caring home.
Me too!