Family fears their cat is victim of animal cruelty spree



BREMERTON, Wash. -- The same day someone lit a cat on fire in Bremerton, another family in the neighborhood claims their cat showed up on their porch severely injured. They fear their pet may also have been a victim of animal cruelty.

The Darcey family said someone left their cat on their porch here on High Avenue, suffering from an injured tail and a broken pelvis. They said what’s disturbing is that a neighbor discovered another cat burning alive a block away and just a few hours before.

At the young age of five, Melyzza Darcey isn’t just learning about love but experiencing heartache, with a fear that her cat may not survive after her family found Jude on their porch with a severely injured tail and broken pelvis.

“It’s horrific that animals are being hurt that are innocent and non-deserving but that it can also happen to other adults and people in the neighborhood, so that was my concern,” said Pam Kemper, a family friend.

Kemper said she finds it odd Jude went missing the same night a neighbor found another cat down the road with severe injuries, after it had been set on fire.

“It was just the big coincidence that the crime done with the other poor kitty could have happened,” said

The family said the vet told them Jude’s injuries are consistent with abuse or getting hit by a car, but only one theory makes sense to them.

“There wasn’t a drop of blood and those are kind of the basics that you look for in someone that has been hit by a car, so with that not happening and the vet mentioning that possibly he was held up by its tail and tied up by its tail and maybe smacked with a stick- that put into more perspective medically,” said Kemper.

Regardless of what happened to Jude, they say he’s in need of healing as is a community still in search of answers.

“It’s just kind of heinous and that’s why I stepped forward and that’s why someone needed to come forth and help this family out,” said Kemper.

Community members have now started a fundraising page to help raise money to pay for Jude’s surgery, so he may walk again.

https://www.gofundme.com/judesvetbill

They also want the person who left Jude on the porch to come forward. They believe that person, a possible Good can provide more answers.

A teen has been arrested on the cat burning case, but there’s no word yet if investigators believe these are connected.