Justice for Margarita: Cat Fatally Shot By Neighbor in MI.

In late June of this year, Margarita, a 2 year-old, DSH Brown Tabby/Tiger, rescue cat was shot by my neighbor in Livonia, MI with a BB gun in an effort to "stun it" in his words; the admission came one day after she was humanely euthanized after returning home with what was an initially undetermined illness and/or injury at that time.

Margarita, a semi-feral cat that was rescued from death row at a local shelter and fostered by the rescue organization, Shelter To Home, was learning to adjust to a happy life indoors after 1 year of coming to live with me; she did enjoy the occasional opportunity to sunbathe on the deck, but aside from that, she spent her time indoors to keep her safe and to abide by the local ordinance prohibiting "animals at large" outdoors.

One afternoon, however, she bolted out the door, but I expected her to return within hours, per usual; she always returned in the evening regardless. She did not come home and was missing for 3 days when I knew something was not right; I checked the local shelter, made a missing animal report and scoured the neighborhood.

On the 4th night, I found her in the front of my home, lethargic, confused, bleeding and frothing from the mouth and nose and bleeding from the rectum; she was wheezing and seemed partially paralyzed. Margarita was spayed, current on vaccines and healthy, so I suspected something was very wrong and having Vet. Tech. and animal shelter experience, I examined her and noticed no wounds and no broken bones; her "third eyelid" had started to appear, so it was clear she was dying.

I rushed her to the vet, where the only humane, merciful option was to put her to sleep; her problems were undiagnosed at this point, but it was clear that someone or something had deliberately harmed her; we suspected poisoning and/or bodily trauma based on her condition.

This was a Friday when I lost her and the following morning, a chance encounter with my neighbor lead to a shocking confession that he had "shot (a) cat with a BB gun" as he shoots all the wildlife that enters onto his property (squirrels and chipmunks, etc.) in order to "stun them"; he claimed he "only shot it in the tail" after asking me if I had a cat and after I advised him that I did, but she came home with bizarre symptoms after she was missing for 3 days and was put to sleep as a result.

He had confronted me in the past about the cat, claiming once last winter that she was responsible for some deceased wildlife left on his porch by an animal and I assured him that my cat was indoors the entire winter; we live on a ravine, surrounded by coyote, fox, raccoon, opossum, feral cats, etc. so there are many predatory animals which are responsible for this type of behavior and to blame one cat is asinine, especially when that cat was indoors.

A police report was filed and he has been charged with criminal/felony animal cruelty for his admission to shooting "cats" and other wildlife, although he now admits only to shooting "a cat" and not my cat; regardless, he has caused immense pain and suffering to many animals and her injuries were determined during the necropsy that weekend to be consistent with being shot with a BB gun causing a ruptured organ, internal bleeding and partial paralysis, particularly since he admitted to shooting cats "in the tail" which is essentially the spine. 

The court date is Monday, Aug. 24, so this is short notice, but I am seeking support that justice will be served for Margarita; she shouldn't have been outside, but it was an accident and two wrongs do not make a right; she suffered tremendously and would have died a slow, agonizing death on her own. I am only thankful that she mustered up the strength to drag herself home, otherwise, I may have never known about her or my neighbor's behavior. Besides, it is also illegal to discharge a firearm and "hunt" and he was shooting animals in his front yard, in the direction of the street where children frequently pass on foot, bikes, etc.  

I have a second witness to his admission and he is a senior citizen, so while I do not wish to see him serve jail time, rather, I feel restitution is due and perhaps a donation to or community service at the animal shelter would be appropriate; my worst fear is that the charges will be dropped and her death be in vain.