FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Contact: Tony Carr, 503-249-9996, tony@idausa.org IDA Pledges $2,500 To Catch And Convict

Kitten Torturer in McMinnville, Oregon

Portland, Ore. (July 20, 2011) – In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization with over 100,000 members, has pledged $2,500 to a reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals who tortured and abandoned four kittens in McMinnville, Oregon.



On June 30, four starving and dehydrated kittens estimated to be 3 to 4 weeks old were brought in a box to the Homeward Bound Pets animal shelter in McMinnville. One cat appeared physically healthy otherwise but the other three showed signs of torture.



A calico kitten had such severe injuries that she had to be euthanized. Her whiskers had been burned off and her lower jaw was broken, possibly due to a kick to the head or another extremely forceful impact. A Siamese kitten showed multiple wounds at various stages of healing, a sign of continuous abuse rather than a single incident or accident. The third injured cat - a long-haired white kitten with grey spots – is weak, barely able to stand or walk, and exhibits a strange gait when moving. The cause of these symptoms is unknown. The shelter worker fostering the kitten reported that he had a hard time holding up his head to eat and cried incessantly while held, unable to be comforted.



Shelter workers and IDA staff believe the nature and variety of these injuries constitute solid evidence of torture. The attending veterinarian is in the process of filing a report of possible aggravated animal abuse with local police.



“FBI profiles of serial killers suggest that the disturbed individual responsible for these despicable acts is a danger, not only to other animals in the area, but to people as well,” said Tony Carr, Northwest Coordinator for IDA. “Serial killers commonly practice on animals before 'graduating' to humans and studies have confirmed that those who abuse animals are much more likely to abuse humans. For your own safety, as well as the safety of the animals, children, and adults around you, please contact the police if you have any information on animal cruelty in your community.”



IDA urges anyone with information leading to the conviction of the criminal(s) responsible for the brutal mutilation of these defenseless kittens to contact the City of McMinnville Police Department at (503) 434-6500. The three people who dropped off these kittens at Homeward Bound are urged to contact either the shelter or the police to help with the investigation. To contribute to the reward fund, please call IDA at (415) 448-0048. ###