As an animal lover - and especially a cat lover, this story makes my blood boil...

Two teens arrested in fireworks attack on kitten

Bee Metro Staff

Published 12:23 p.m. PST Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001

Two teenagers have been arrested for trying to blow up a 7-month-old kitten on July 3, the Citrus Heights police said Tuesday.

The teenagers, who were not identified, were booked on felony counts of exploding a destructive device and cruelty to animals.

The cat's owners discovered the wounded gray-and-black kitten named Smokey in bushes outside their Citrus Heights home late on July 3.

"They rushed her right in, not knowing what happened," said James Young, a veterinarian at Pet Emergency Center in Roseville, who spoke to The Bee in July. "When they got here, a physical exam showed a significant wound on the right side of his neck."

Doctors also found M-80 fireworks still strapped with electrical tape to the left side of the cat's neck. The M-80 that detonated left deep, penetrating wounds.

Sgt. James E. Lewis, a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said the arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the Sacramento Metro Fire Department, members of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and sheriff's detectives.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department staffs the Citrus Heights Police Department under a contract with that city.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Answers

Strap some of these fireworks to their butts? Yeah, I know, not very charitable, but I'm with you in blood boiling, Jim! I don't excuse kids who put firecrackers in frogs mouths either! Grrrr!

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Yeah, I'll hold them down while you get the straps and M-80's, Joy. For the life of me I don't know what would ever posess someone to do such a thing... :-(

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Every day, I transcribe some veterinary info regarding cats and dogs that were shot with air rifles, BB guns, or dragged in/out of pickup trucks. I can't imagine how incredibly STUPID people are sometimes!

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Of course they should pay for the crime, however, a condition should include long term counseling and community service of supervised assistance in an animal trauma center.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

Wow Jim this one hurts! I wasn't that bad as a kid but I did some cruel stuff myself. Maybe poverty has something to do with it? Painful huh?.....Kirk

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

I think I read a study that was done on this and that almost all children that abuse animals were battered or abused themselves. I think that jay was on the mark that they need help beyond punishment. Animal abuse is also a frequent precursor to other antisocial behavior as they get older.........like child abuse and rape.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

It seems to me I remember reading somewhere that Jeffery Dhamer tortured animals when he was a child. It would be interesting to see if working at an animal trauma center would work to rehabilitate these kids...

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

I've known plenty of kids who weren't abused but were cruel to animals anyway. Perhaps they merely learned to be indifferent to animal suffering from their parents, rather than being actually abused themselves?

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

I don't think it has to do with poverty. In our community 35 percent of the kids under 18 live below povery level. We don't tend to explode our kittens. I think it has to do with media and TV. We have become so used to violence and pain that it is almost not real!! I know I am a minority, but my view is, if you want to help your kids,

THROW AWAY YOUR TV!

kim

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

I dunno what the answer is. The perpetrators should certainly be made aware that cruelty is not acceptable. If the pharmaceutical companies wanna do something else worthwhile maybe they aughta work on developing a compassion pill.

It too did some things when I was a kid that weren't cool and shameful to me these days. I wasn't abused or mistreated tho I can see how being either could lead to that kinda behavior. Sometimes kids can just be stupid and thotless---the nature of the beast I guess.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001