Arrest of West Memphis Priest for Drowning Cats Prompts New PETA Video: ‘Cats Don’t Go Missing by Themselves!’

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Following reports that a West Memphis priest has been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals after allegedly drowning cats in a tank of water on his property, PETA is urgently bringing its new video series targeting people who let their cats wander outside to West Memphis. The spot, which features Y2K actor Jaeden Martell, shows a young man holding a can of gasoline, a man grabbing a golf club from a shed, a woman mixing a bowl of cat food, and a man who appears to be relaxing on his porch—before their sinister intentions become clear. The video ends with a message urging people to keep cats safe by keeping them indoors.

“The great outdoors is simply not great for cats, who can be perceived as a nuisance and harmed in heartbreaking and horrific ways,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA encourages all guardians to provide their cats with a happy and interesting indoor life safe from the many dangers of the outdoor world, and we urge anyone with information about this case to please come forward.”

In addition to enduring violence and abuse at the hands of cruel and intolerant people, cats allowed to roam outdoors—as well as homeless ones fed regularly by people who somehow believe that the animals don’t need other care—are at risk of contracting parasites or potentially fatal diseases, being attacked by predators or run over by cars, and encountering other hazards. PETA notes that cats kept indoors need to be physically and mentally stimulated with a view of the outdoors, toys, climbing structures, scratching posts, cat TV, and other enrichment. PETA offers a catio-building guide as well as a “cat guardian’s bible” written by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk that’s full of tips and available for purchase here.

PETA’s video series has run in Blaine, Minnesota, where alandlord allegedly poisoned cats whom a tenant was feeding; El Paso, Texas, where a cat was stomped on and stabbed with a screwdriver; Los Angeles, where a man is accused of shooting multiple homeless cats with a crossbow; and Pequea Township, Pennsylvania, where a cat was shot in the head with a metal arrow. Many more cases are detailed on PETA’s website.

Anyone with information related to the case should contact the West Memphis Police Department at 870-732-1210.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.