SACRAMENTO, Calif. – November 4, 2022
Alley Cat Allies, the leader in the global movement to protect cats and kittens, is calling for a rigorous investigation and aggressive prosecution in the case of a cat found dead in the Orangevale neighborhood of Sacramento. Local police have arrested and charged 18-year-old Colin Lendewig with cruelty to animals in the case.
Multiple news stories from Sacramento tell of reports of cats going missing, and one cat later found dead. News coverage shows outdoor surveillance video in which a person is seen harming one cat and stealing another.
Well-established research has identified The Link between violence against animals and violence against people. Cases of cruelty toward cats should be vigorously pursued not only because cats are thinking, feeling, sentient beings who do not deserve to suffer, but also because harmful actions toward cats are a precursor to harmful actions against people.
Alley Cat Allies also offers to the public many resources and information on what to do if you think cruelty may be occurring. Whether or not you know who is responsible, it is always important to alert police to what is happening. Document what happened, including the date, time, location and details of what you observed. If you discover an animal’s body, be sure not to contaminate it and instead immediately alert the police so evidence can be preserved and collected by the proper authorities. Additionally, keep copies of the information you collect, because documents could be lost or destroyed.
Further information on what to do if you suspect animal cruelty is available at alleycat.org.
Alley Cat Allies will continue following the Sacramento case, while urging law enforcement and the judicial system to continue with the investigation and prosecution, seeking the maximum punishment allowed by law.
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Our dedicated supporters are the reason Alley Cat Allies can stay involved in cases of cruelty toward cats and create critical resources to help communities report and respond to animal cruelty.
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About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies is the leader of the global movement to protect and improve the lives of cats and kittens. Now in our 33rd anniversary year, we are joined bynearly 1 million supporters worldwide.
Alley Cat Allies believes every cat deserves to live out his or her life to the fullest. We exposed an entrenched system in which animal control agencies and shelters have been killing millions of cats for over a century. Today, the programs we introduced in the United States are mainstream.
To achieve our goals, we collaborate with grassroots advocates, animal shelters, municipal managers, and lawmakers to replace deadly laws and policies with ones that protect cats.? We defend all cats by offering cutting edge education online, in person, and through one-on-one dialogue. We advance lifesaving innovations such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and Shelter-Neuter-Return (SNR); high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter; microchipping; anti-declawing legislation; and any program that best serves the interests of cats.