Teen, 12-Year-Old Under Arrest After Allegedly Siccing Dogs On Family Cat

Two young men, a teenager and a 12-year-old boy, are under arrest after allegedly siccing their dogs on a family cat in Philadelphia last week.

The two juveniles, 17 and 12, were arrested over the weekend after coming into the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) office with a parent to address the allegations on Friday afternoon. The two then surrendered to police, and were taken into custody pending a custodial determination hearing. The two are charged with multiple counts, including felony animal fighting, felony aggravated animal cruelty, and criminal conspiracy. The charges do not qualify the suspects to be tried as adults, the organization said. The two dogs involved were also taken into the custody of the PSPCA and are currently on hold in connection with the investigation. The PSPCA made the announcements in a Facebook post.

According to 6ABC Philadelphia, the two boys were walking down Granite Street in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 22, when they noticed the cat, named Buddy, sitting on the porch of the family’s rowhome. Surveillance video from the house showed the boys letting the dogs off their leashes. The dogs bolted toward the cat and began attacking it. The boys allegedly cheered on the dogs, with one shouting “good boy,” until one of the cat’s owners came out and rescued it from the dogs. “There is a sound heard on the video that indicates they are encouraging the dogs. That continues until a resident of one property comes out and sees what’s happening and everybody attempts to pull the dogs off the cat,” PSPCA director of humane law enforcement Nicole Wilson told 6ABC. The video had previously been publicly available on the PSPCA’s Twitter feed, but has since been taken down.

The cat suffered significant abdominal lacerations and severe internal injuries, considered to be life-threatening, from the attack. It was taken to the PSPCA hospital, where it was treated, then admitted to a local emergency veterinary care facility in critical condition. Officials said last week that they were “cautiously optimistic,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The PSPCA received an outpouring of support from the community and from others around the world. “The outpouring has been nothing short of amazing,” spokeswoman Gillian Kocher said in an emailed statement, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We have seen donations from Scotland, India, Australia, and so many places across the country. The love is immense for this sweet boy. The notes are pouring in ‘love to buddy from North Carolina.’ He is so loved.”

In subsequent Facebook posts this week, the PSPCA issued an update on Buddy’s recovery. The organization thanked supporters for their donations and support. Buddy was seen recovering from his injuries in a video posted Wednesday.

“While this act of cruelty was especially shocking in its intentional nature, the outpouring of support for Buddy the cat and the effort to bring the offenders to justice has been overwhelming,” PSPCA CEO Julie Klim said in a statement, via NBC 10 Philadelphia. “While we certainly see a lot of bad as we fight to end animal cruelty, we also see how much good there is, especially in a case like this, from all corners of the globe. We will do everything humanly and medically possible to ensure Buddy’s future will be a bright one.”

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