Teen Charged For Killing Pet Cat Using Pellet Gun, Released On Bail

A teen was charged with animal cruelty after he shot and killed a cat using a pellet gun in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday.

Jasmine, the feline’s owner, said, the 16-year-old unnamed teen shot her pet six times with the pellet gun. She rushed the cat to a nearby animal hospital where it succumbed to injuries. Following a complaint filed by the cat’s owner, the teen was taken into custody and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center. He has since been bonded out.

Jeff Dorson, the executive director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, said they received several calls regarding animal cruelty. However, most of the time the punishment for the crime wasn't harsh enough.

"We are reaching out to the judges saying this is not what the community wants. You’re putting us all in danger, it’s sending the wrong message, and it’s now making Louisiana look incapable of handling this type of criminal activity, which is actually widespread," he said.

Dorson added that he has spoken to the cat’s owner and is working toward getting justice for the feline.

"Mobilize together to tell the judge and the district attorney what she [Jasmine] experienced, so that they're clear that the punishment equals the crime. It can't be a deterrent if the boy doesn't get a sense of responsibility. There has to be a punishment associated with this," he said.

Meanwhile, Jasmine was raising money for her cat’s cremation.

“I would like to raise money so I can get my cat cremated and keep her ashes,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

The incident comes less than two months after a teen in San Antonio, Texas, was caught on camera feeding his neighbor’s pet cat along with two other kittens to dogs. The cat’s unidentified owner rushed to her neighbor’s yard after she was told that “they had found three cats, three dead cats in their yard. One adult cat and two small kittens.” CCTV footage showed the teen feeding the three felines to a pack of dogs. Following a complaint, the teen was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty.