SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Scottsdale family said their kitten was shot with a pellet gun and its leg had to be amputated.
Now, they are trying to spread the word about what happened in hopes of tracking down the person who did it.
Lee Lyons is more than just a cat person.
“My kids call me the 'Cat Daddy.' We had one, then we had four, then we had a dozen… I’m kind of a cat whisperer,” Lyons said.
One of his cats, Spooky, recently endured a painful experience.
“She’s hopping on one leg and her little hand, her little paw was just emaciated. I go' oh no' and I went to grab her, and she screamed," Lyons said.
Lyons said the bones were completely gone.
“It flopped where it’s not supposed to flop,” he said.
After a visit to the vet, Lee received heartbreaking news.
“He says I have bad news. This animal has been shot with a pellet,” said Lyons.
X-rays show Spooky’s bones were severed.
“I’m going, what are the odds and he goes not good, because lead will cause cancer and infection,” he said.
It was either that or amputation.
“He goes cats are pretty good with this, tripods… three legs, I’m going, ok do it,” said Lyons.
The surgery was a success and after a lot of rest and medication, Spooky is making progress, but she still has a few months of recovery ahead of her.
“It’s heartbreaking to watch a cat who’s so agile, hopping around,” he said.
Now, Lyons is putting up fliers around the neighborhood near 71st Street and Thomas Road, hoping someone has information about the person that did this.
“I don’t know what kind of a disgusting, creepy person would want to shoot a cat. It could have killed her,” he said.
He wants the person caught, but in the meantime, his focus is on Spooky.
“Sometimes I think I feel the pain more than her. She just acts like it’s always been three legs... it’s just like – what’s next Daddy-O?" he said.
Spooky is proving she’s resilient.
“We’ll just change her name from spooky to hop-along,” Lyons said.
Thankfully, there is some good news in all of this. Spooky’s vet says she should be able to live a fairly normal life. She just won’t be able to climb walls anymore.
If you have any information pertaining to this case, call Scottsdale police.
