Tubby was a familiar stray cat in his Lee County, FL neighborhood, looked after by the people who lived there. After he killed a neighbor's chickens, he was shot in the leg with an air gun and left with a broken bone, screeching in pain as he limped home. Sadly, this animal abuse apparently wasn't an isolated outburst. Neighbors say the same person who shot Tubby had previously grabbed a husky by the neck and threatened to kill her after wrongly accusing her of harming his chickens.
Sign the petition urging the State Attorney's Office to pursue a lifetime ban on animal ownership and mandatory mental health counseling as part of this case.
A man now faces an animal cruelty charge after deputies say he shot Tubby with an air gun, breaking the cat's leg. Neighbors reported hearing shots from his backyard, followed by the cat's screeching, before Tubby turned up injured a short time later. The pattern is clear. When animals came near his property, his response was violence and threats, not the ordinary frustration of a neighbor dealing with wandering pets.
A lifetime ban on owning or being near animals would make sure he never gets the chance to hurt another one. Mandatory mental health counseling addresses what led to this behavior in the first place, giving him the support he needs while protecting every animal who might otherwise cross his path next. Without both, there is nothing stopping this from happening again the next time an animal wanders into his yard.
Tubby couldn't defend himself, and he shouldn't have to. Sign the petition and demand the State Attorney's Office pursue a lifetime ban and mandatory counseling in this case.
