PETA adds $5,000 to reward in Thurston County cat mutilations, bringing total to $15,000

A donation from PETA significantly upped the reward Friday as investigators continue to look for the person who mutilated seven cats in Thurston County.

PETA is offering a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and convinction on cruelty charges of whoever killed the cats. That brings the total reward money to $15,000, as donations to Pasado’s Safe Haven enabled that organization to offer a $10,000 reward.

If you have any tips, you can call Thurston County Animal Services at (360) 352-2510. You can donate to Padado’s reward fund here.

Officer Erika Johnson with Thurston County Animal Services says all the cats were cut open from stern to genitals with a scalpel and their spines were removed.

"I feel for the animal owners because I’m an animal owner myself and just the manner these animals have died is extremely horrific,” she said.

Officers believe the cases are linked.

"If there's a serial cat killer on the loose, it's essential that anyone with information about this case come forward before the victim count rises any higher," said PETA vice president Colleen O'Brien. "Cases like these are why PETA urges animal guardians to keep cats indoors, where they'll be safe."