Kitten Found With Zip Tie Around Mouth In San Diego; Public's Help Sought

SAN DIEGO, CA — A 3-month-old kitten is recovering after being found wandering a San Diego neighborhood with a zip tie cutting into his mouth and neck, prompting an investigation by San Diego Humane Society.

On Sept. 23, the kitten wandered into a home near 33rd Street in the Stockton neighborhood, looking for food and water, according to San Diego Humane Society. A resident secured the kitten and contacted the organization.

A humane officer took the kitten to an emergency veterinary hospital in Mission Valley, where the zip tie was removed and he was given pain medication.

The kitten, now named Derry, suffered cuts at both corners of his mouth and an injury to his neck. He was later transferred to the humane society's Center for Shelter Medicine, where veterinarians treated him with antibiotics and pain medication.

On Sept. 28, veterinarians repaired a deeper wound on the left side of his mouth. He is recovering from his injuries.

Despite the ordeal, Derry has been affectionate and social with his caregivers, officials said. He was adopted Oct. 7 by a member of the humane society's Humane Law Enforcement team, who will continue his care.

"There is no excuse for a zip tie cutting into a kitten's mouth, and no excuse for leaving him to suffer," said Jace Huggins, vice president and chief of Humane Law Enforcement. "We do not yet know how this happened, and we are not going to guess.

"What we know is that Derry was hungry and in pain when a neighbor did the right thing and called us. If someone knows anything about this case we'd like to hear from them. No detail is too small."

Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement team. Call 619-299-7012 (press 1 for dispatch) or email investigations@sdhumane.org.