On December 12, just days after Alley Cat Allies submitted a statement condemning the actions of police officers in Alpharetta, Georgia, who pepper sprayed a cat, Alley Cat Allies President and Founder Becky Robinson was interviewed by Atlanta news channel WXIA-TV about the incident.

“These officers took an unacceptable and unprofessional approach to the situation,” Robinson said. “No legitimate response from police or animal control would result in using pepper spray on a cat. There is no indication or evidence in the video that the cat was aggressive or showed signs of illness. In fact, she was simply meowing and exhibiting a friendly demeanor. Proper protocols, including calling animal control services, and then the use of a humane box trap, should have been followed.”

Video of the pepper spraying has received wide play in news reports and on social media. In the footage, one officer can be heard saying he wanted to shoot the cat with a shotgun. Moments later, a stream of pepper spray hits the cat.

“We demand an investigation into the officers’ actions on this call,” Robinson continued. “Furthermore, the public needs to know what happened to the cat. Using pepper spray on a cat is outrageous, and authorities should consider appropriate discipline.”

Robinson also urged the Alpharetta Police Department to train its officers on proper humane assessment and response procedures to calls about animals.