Me-ouch!
Police are searching for the weasel who shot a neighborhood feral feline named Whitney with a crossbow in Gerritsen Beach last week. The traumatized kitty — who spent all her days and nights outside with her colony family — is now healing, and looking for a new, safe home, said her rescuer from Brooklyn Animal Action.
“She’s with me in the basement, I put her in a big cage. If she’s friendly enough, we can find her a home,” said Gerritsen Beacher Tara Green. “She was born and raised outside, she’s never been handled, never been touched, she’s scared, but not aggressive at all.”
One-year-old Whitney’s caretakers found her with the crossbow bolt through her cheek in the late afternoon on March 17, and called Animal Care and Control to come help her. But the frightened feline had her tail between her legs and wouldn’t come out of hiding, according to Green.
Two days later, though, Green lured little Whitney out with some food and brought her to the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Marine Park so professionals could safely remove the bolt from her pierced cheek and give her antibiotics, Green said.
Whitney was well enough to be released that day, so Green brought her home where she’s now healing and getting ready for her next family to love her. But the four-legged-furball is used to fellow felines, so her new family must have another cat to keep her company, said Green.
“I can’t keep another cat, but will work with her to find her a really good home,” she said. “They have to have another cat. I feel bad taking her away from her family. She’s not aggressive, we can work with her to be socialized to get her a home.”
The police department’s Animal Cruelty Squad, in conjunction with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is investigating the case — but they are asking for the public’s help, because finding the jerk who hurt Whitney is much more difficult when the victim can’t speak, said Detective James Byrne.
“The cat couldn’t point out the perpetrator in a line up so we don’t have a lot to go on,” said Byrne.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is providing forensic support for police, and the Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad has posted a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest, according to a spokeswoman.
If you are interested in adopting Whitney, please contact the Brooklyn Animal Action [Brook
