Animal clinic mascot Johnny the cat dies in dog attack, memorial fund created to help other cats

After tragically losing its mascot, the staff at Corpus Christi's People Assisting Animal Control refuses to let his memory fade.

Johnny the cat, who years ago became the staff's pet, died after being attacked by four dogs Friday morning.

According to clinic staff, the dogs entered its property and grabbed Johnny from the deck. The staff ran off the dogs, but Johnny's injuries were extensive.

"Our boy fought for his life for three days but sadly did not survive," a Facebook post on the PAAC page states.

Cheryl Martinez, founder and president of the PAAC, said the clinic is not the same without its mascot.

"He belonged to everyone and everyone loved him. He greeted everyone that came over," she said.

Martinez said she met Johnny when she found him outside a Johnny Carino's restaurant in 2015.

"He was in the front and some people were being mean to him. I do not make it a habit of picking up animals and I went inside to eat," she said. "It kept bugging me because he was so sweet."

Martinez said the waiters at the restaurant had put their aprons in the bushes to keep Johhny warm and had been feeding him. After she finished dinner, the cat was nowhere to be found.

Determined to find the sweet cat, she kept going by the restaurant until a waiter told her he had the cat and took Johnny to her.

Martinez took Johnny to the clinic and the rest is history —he became the clinic cat.

"Johnny was the face of PAAC. He is in our building, vehicles, etc." Martinez wrote in an email to the Caller-Times. "He made every day interesting. To walk into the office now without him there waiting for treats, it’s just empty," she said.

"He used to enjoy driving me crazy by throwing my papers all over the place from my desk when I would walk away," Martinez said. "He would sit in my seat and bite me when I tried to take him off my chair. He was a brat, but we all loved that boy."

Martinez said the dogs who killed Johnny were pursuing a female dog in heat. She said Johnny could still be alive if their owners had been more responsible.

"Responsible pet ownership could have prevented this tragedy. If these dogs had been neutered, they would not have traveled across town pursuing a female in heat. If the female had been spayed, this would have also prevented the males from pursuing her," she said.

Martinez said the dogs were reported to animal control but she's unsure if they have been picked up.

"We do not know if any of these dogs were allowed to roam freely or if they escaped their home or yard. We hope that no other animals or people were harmed by this pack," she said.

Martinez said having a pet spayed or neutered will keep it from roaming and from reproducing unwanted litters.

"We spay and neuter pets to let them live longer, healthier lives," she said.

In Johnny's memory, PAAC Corpus Christi has set up a fund that will be used to sponsor free community cat surgeries.

Donations can be made online at paypal.me/ccpaac or mailed to the People Assisting Animal Control clinic at 5804 Ayers St, Corpus Christi, TX 78415. Clinic staff said to note that the donation is for Johnny's Fund.

Staff said the clinic's services are available for anyone at a low cost. Call or text 361-248-2009 to get a pet spayed/neutered.