A cat was brought into a Coeur d'Alene animal hospital after suffering horrific abuse and torture and now police are trying to find the person or persons responsible.
The cat was soaked in diesel when it was brought into Alpine Animal Hospital on Saturday. Employees at the clinic said the cat had bruises, wounds, and deep cuts around his neck that were consistent with an attempted hanging. The cat's body temperature was so low that it didn't even register on a thermometer.
“The smell was so strong it would hurt your eyes,” Dr. Clark said. That one bath turned into three and multiple procedures.
Despite giving the cat baths, IV fluids, and medication, he was still having abnormal breathing and seizures, so the decision was made to put it down.
The hospital said the cat also had oil in his lungs.
“It made you feel horrible to know he had been so submerged and he was drowning,” Dr. Clark added.
The doctors say the cat's body temperature was so low, it wasn't even registering.
“Even when we weren’t working on him we hoped he would meow to see if he would turn the corner, but we knew it was serious and his progress was grave,” Dr. Clark said. “You try to do everything you can to stop their suffering, and when you can't, you feel let down."
The woman who brought the cat in found it on her porch in the area of Montana Avenue and 13th Street, however, it did not have any identification.
Last spring, another cat was found in the same area with a blow dart stuck in its face. That cat survived, but despite a $5000 reward offered from PETA, no suspects were arrested.
Anyone with information on this horrific case is asked to call Coeur d'Alene Police at 208-769-2320.
(story and photo: KHQ.com)