The reward to find the person who shot a kitten and tossed her into a dumpster in Portland, Oregon has been increased to $5,000. Meanwhile, little Lucy is getting the best of care and the support of the community.
12-week old Lucy, as she has been named by her caregivers, was found by a concerned citizen after she was tossed in a dumpster in SE Portland. She is now in the care of the Oregon Humane Society. OHS veterinarians are hopeful Lucy will make a full recovery, despite needing surgery for the bullet or pellet wounds she has suffered.
OHS hass offered a reward for info leading to an arrest, which has since been increased and matched.
Lucy will undergo surgery – probably next week – to remove the bullet or pellet that struck her in the head and is now lodged in her cheek. Lucy also suffered a second projectile wound to her neck. The wound to Lucy’s head caused related brain trauma.
“In cases involving such a young animal with possible neurological damage we must remain cautious, but we are optimistic that Lucy will make a full recovery,” said Dr. Jacqueline Blanchette, OHS lead veterinarian.
Lucy is not available for adoption at this time, though there has been considerable interest in her since her story made the local news and was shared on social media. OHS will share her progress with the commnity.
OHS veterinarians have not yet determined the type of weapon responsible for Lucy’s wound. They suspect an air rifle or a .22 caliber firearm was used. After being shot twice, Lucy was wrapped in two black garbage bags and put in a dumpster in the parking lot of an apartment building on the 2200 block of SE 96th Avenue in Portland, near the intersection with SE Division. She was discovered on the morning of May 28 by a concerned citizen who brought her to OHS to receive medical attention. It is not known how long Lucy was in the dumpster before being discovered.
“The person who did this horrible act to Lucy could be a danger to other animals as well as to people,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS executive director. “We hope the public will share any information they have with our investigators to help solve this case.”
The Oregon Humane Society is partnering with the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to increase a previously announced reward for the person who shot Lucy from $500 to $5,000.
“Anyone who can engage in such a violent and depraved act presents a huge risk to our community,” said Scott Heiser, Director of ALDF’s Criminal Justice Program, based in Portland. “That person needs to be off the streets and held fully accountable. That is why we are joining forces with Oregon Humane Society to increase the reward in this case.” ALDF is a national nonprofit that works through the legal system to end the suffering of abused animals.
The $5,000 reward is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting Lucy and abandoning her in the dumpster. ALDF is contributing $2,500 to the reward fund, which will be matched by $2,500 from OHS.
“If there is a silver lining in this case, it is the huge outpouring of community support for Lucy,” said OHS Executive Director Sharon Harmon. “We applaud ALDF for their show of support and hope witnesses come forth who can help us solve this case.”
OHS spokesman David Lytle is quoted in today’s Oregonian saying: “Everybody wants to adopt Lucy.”
Lytle said that while Lucy had lost a lot of blood she wasn’t as badly injured as initially feared, adding: “Twelve-week-old kittens are healing machines.”
Lytle confirmed that Lucy is expected to have surgery as early as next week, and said doctors want to observe her for signs of lessening neurological damage before she undergoes the procedure to remove the pellet.
Kitty gets checked out at OHS in a video that also shows more pics and a photo of the dumpster where she was found:
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I would like to find the creep who shot and tossed this kitten away. They deserve the same fate. Makes me sick to think that the sick bastard might have done this to other animals. How do you live with yourself after such cruelty on innocent helpless animals ? I pray that they find out who did this and they do time in prison…..