Cat Shot In Cutchogue, Heartbroken Woman Seeking Answers

NORTH FORK, NY— A heartbroken Cutchogue woman whose cat was shot and, ultimately, died, wants answers.

According to the North Fork Animal Welfare League, which is offering a $250 reward, a cat that was adopted by Heather Cusack last year was shot on Thursday.

"This cat was a beloved family member and part of this family," a Facebook post read. "The League, Suffolk County and the State of New York will not tolerate animal abuse. Animal abusers will be prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law."

The family lives on Alvah's Lane between Route 48 and Route 25, the post read. "The cat was an indoor cat and rarely went outside, so our assumption is the cat was shot within this area," the post said.

Anyone with information about "this horrendous act," is asked to email director@nfawl.org or call the shelter at 631-765-1811. All calls are confidential and callers can remain anonymous.

"We will be seeking justice and will ensure this case is prosecuted to the fullest extent the law allows," the NFAWL said. "Please watch your animals closely in this area."

(Prince, left, playing during happier times. / Video courtesy Heather Cusack)

According to Cusack, she knew something was wrong when Prince didn't come in when called. Looking for him, Cusack went outside and heard a cat meowing in the yard; a large tabby was right next to Prince. "At first I thought they'd had a cat fight — but now, I think he was protecting my cat," she said.

Prince, who was just 8 months old — Cusack was adopted with two siblings from the same litter last summer— was bleeding. "He could pull himself along with his front legs; he was a strong cat. But his back legs were completely useless," she said.

At first, Cusack thought maybe Prince's back was broken; he couldn't walk and she had to put him in the litter box. He hadn't eaten anything since she found him, she said.

And then, when she brought him to the vet for X rays, she got the shocking news: Her cat had been shot with a pellet gun — and the pellet was lodged right in his spine. Desperate to help him, Cusack asked if surgery was an option. But because the pellet was lodged in Prince's spinal column, there was no choice — he had to be put to sleep.

"My sweet and beautiful kitty Prince," she said. "He was such a sweet cat."

Heartbroken, Cusack is now demanding answers. She's reported the incident to the Southold Town Police and the Suffolk County SPCA.

"Who shot my cat?" she asked on Facebook. "I will find you."

While some people, she said, shoot rabbits, raccoons and birds with pellet guns during target practice, she said, "My cat didn't look like any of those animals."

Poor Prince, she said, unable to walk and critically injured, "dragged himself home to my front yard. It was heartbreaking. He made his way home."

Someone, Cusack said, "knows something." She wants the message shared because even though it won't bring back her beloved pet, it might teach whoever shot the pellet gun a lesson — to save another animal's life.

Prince, she said, first came into her life after her own cat died and she went to the NFAWL to adopt. Her son was with her and, when they saw the litter of three, he told her, "You can't separate them."

And so she brought the trio home; at first, because they were found wild, they needed time. "Eventually, they all became very nice cats," Cusack said.

The cats loved playing with one another and the remaining two are "sad" without their brother.

The hardest part, she said, was calling her son to tell him; she offered to FaceTime from the vet so her son could say good-bye. "He was too sad," she said. "He so wants to find the person that did this. He was a beautiful, loving, innocent animal and should not have been shot."