Family cat loses limb after being shot with BB gun

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
HOME SAFE — Chester Sowards, right, and Thirise Rollins of Houlton are wondering who shot their pet cat Pokey with a BB gun, causing one of his legs to be amputed by veterinarians. The Houlton Police Department was contacted, but have no leads in the case.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A Houlton couple is wondering who is responsible for shooting their beloved pet with a BB gun, resulting in the animal losing one of its limbs.
    Three weeks ago, on July 13, Thirise Rollins and Chester Sowards discovered something was wrong with their cat “Pokey” when they spotted him limping up the driveway. The cat was hobbling, not using one of his legs, as it tried to get back to its owners.
    “It must have just happened, because it seemed like he was still in shock,” Sowards said.
    Rollins stated she picked the cat up, and he was not crying or acting as if he were in pain. The limb was not severed and there was no sign of blood.
    “My first thought was he may have had a stroke,” she said. “It was just hanging there, dangling. When I put him down on the ground, that’s when he yelped.”
    The incident happened sometime between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. as the couple had just returned from Presque Isle and let Pokey, a 12-year-old calico cat, outside. Distraught, the couple called several veterinary clinics before they were able to reach a doctor at Aroostook Veterinary Services.
    “They told us there was nothing they could do for him that night, so they put him on a morphine drip to make him more comfortable,” Rollins said.
    The vet’s first thoughts were that a car had struck the animal. Rollins and Sowards thought differently, however, since there were no other signs of trauma to the cat and no traces of blood.
    The next morning, X-rays were performed on the limb, and a small BB was found still lodged in his leg. The pellet went through the cat’s leg, snapping the bone in half, but did not exit the other side.
    Surgery was performed on Friday, July 15, to remove the limb.
    Once they found out that someone had shot their pet, the couple contacted the Houlton Police Department. Officer Stephen Nason interviewed the pair and conducted an investigation in the area, but with no witnesses, it was difficult to solve the case.
    “It’s totally impossible to know how far the cat wandered or where the shooting may have taken place,” Nason said. “There are no leads at this time.”
    If a suspect could be located, Nason said they could be charged with cruelty to animals. In Maine, animal abusers can face felony charges, go to prison, be forced to give up their animals, pay restitution, veterinary costs and boarding fees, face mandatory counseling and be banned from ever owning an animal.
    According to Nason, cruelty to animals is a civil fine, subject to a fine of $500 to $2,500 for the first offense and $1,000-$5,000 for each subsequent offense. In 2004, state humane agents investigated 744 complaints, compared to 483 in 2000, according to Maine’s state website.
    According to the 2010 annual report of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Maine is one of the top five states in the country for its strong anti-cruelty laws. The other four are Michigan, Oregon, Illinois and California.
    Rollins said she has lived at her Holland Street residence for seven years and has let Pokey out every day without incident. Now, Pokey is unable to go outside because Rollins said she is fearful he will not be able to defend himself with only one front paw.
    Rollins said Pokey sometimes acts more like a dog than a cat.
    “He follows us everywhere,” she said. “If we go out for a walk, he wants to come with us. You call his name, he comes running.”
    The couple has three other cats, but those animals are all house cats, which do not venture outside.
    Rollins said she was angry when she learned that someone with a BB gun had intentionally harmed her pet. She is now paranoid that someone close to her home is the person responsible.
    “I wonder, ‘was this just a kid being stupid?’,” she said. “I have brothers, and growing up, I know they did some stupid stuff. They even shot each other with BBs. Now I am constantly looking around [the neighborhood] to see if I see anyone with a BB gun.”
    Rollins said she understands some people may be frustrated with so many animals roaming around their home, but shooting them with a pellet gun is not an acceptable form of dealing with the animals.
    “The hardest part is watching him now,” Sowards said. “It’s sad because he still wants to go outside and will go from one door to the next waiting for us to let him out. It really isn’t fair.”
    Rollins said she hopes her plight will raise some awareness for others in the community.
    “I’m hoping that whoever did this learns that the animal you are shooting is someone’s pet,” Rollins said.
    A BB gun is a type of air gun that shoots small pellets similar to birdshot. Some types of guns can fire a pellet capable of traveling 550 feet per second, but typical children’s guns fire at a rate of 280 feet per second.
    The couple spent $764 on veterinary bills for Pokey during the ordeal.
    “I know some people would say, ‘Just put him down,’” Rollins said. “There was no way I could do that. He’ll be fine without a leg.”
    Sowards said despite not having a leg, Pokey’s demeanor has not changed.
    “He’s still the same loving cat,” he said. “He’s just like one of the kids.”
    Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Nason at 532-2287 or call the anonymous tip line at 694-1323.