PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for fatally shooting two cats outside the Belfair Towne Village shopping center this month.

According to the Bluffton Police Department, a stray cat known as Stitch was found shot and paralyzed—reportedly with a .22 caliber bullet in her back—near a dumpster on March 1. Stitch was taken to a local veterinarian but had to be euthanized due to her injuries. Days later, another stray cat named Whitney was found dead in the same area. Investigators believe Whitney was killed with a BB gun.

No leads or suspects have been identified, so PETA is asking for the public’s help.

 Anyone with information related to the case should contact the Bluffton Police Department Dispatch Center at 843-542-2777.

“These vulnerable cats were shot and left to suffer agonizing deaths, and there’s no telling what someone so obviously lacking in empathy could do next,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA urges everyone to consider that all animals in the area may be at risk and to take precautions by keeping cats and dogs safe inside unless they’re with a guardian and asks that anyone with information come forward so this killer can be held accountable and prevented from harming anyone else.”

PETA notes that cats who are let outdoors without supervision are vulnerable to the dangers of cruel humans, cars, other animals, and diseases. Cats can live happily indoors and should be given opportunities to explore the outdoors only under the watchful eyes of their guardians.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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