Cat Miraculously Survives Blow-Dart Shot to the Face

PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person—or persons—responsible for shooting a cat in the face with a blow dart and leaving him for dead.

A family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, made a horrifying discovery on May 12: Their cat, Red, had a 4-inch blowgun dart stuck in his skull, narrowly missing his eye and brain. The family rushed him to a veterinarian, and he’s recovering from his injury, but police have yet to determine who is responsible for shooting him. Neighbors have reported seeing blow darts lying around—stuck in trees and car tires—in the neighborhood of North Eighth Street and East Birch Avenue.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Coeur d’Alene police at 208-769-2320.

Remember: Acts of cruelty to animals are not mere indications of a minor personality flaw in the abuser. They are symptomatic of a deep mental disturbance. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals don’t stop there—many of them move on to their fellow humans. “Murderers … very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids,” says Robert K. Ressler, who developed profiles of serial killers for the FBI.

Things like this happen more often than you might think.

Mauled by dogs, run over by cars, and even tortured by sadistic humans—cats all over the country are at great risk when left to wander outdoors unsupervised. For their safety, keep your feline companions safe and healthy indoors. But if your cat is comfortable exploring the world outside, be sure always to supervise him or her closely in a safe, enclosed area like a fenced-in backyard. You could even check out some tips for leash training your cat companion.

Help us find out who did this to Red!

Even if you don’t live in Coeur d’Alene, sharing this story with your friends, family, and social media followers could lead to information that will help authorities find whoever is responsible for this sick, twisted crime. We need to spread Red’s story far and wide for another reason, too—it will discourage others from committing acts of violence against animals if they know they can’t get away with it.

Together, we can help cats (and other animals) everywhere.