RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A cat was set on fire and left for dead in January and Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) is looking for who is responsible.
At around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13 at the 4100 block of Richmond Highway in the city’s Southside, a cat was doused with accelerant and set on fire while inside a crate, according to RACC.
“It never gets easy, and I think every time we hear something to this magnitude, it’s heartbreaking,” RACC Director Christie Chipps Peters said. “We have been waiting for results to confirm the cause of death of the cat. And it was in fact from being burned, over 60% of his body. Second and third degree burns [are] the cause of death.”
Chipps Peters confirmed the cat belonged to someone in the area and the owners are aware of what happened.
Chipps Peters said RACC is still waiting for results on the kind of accelerant that was used. In the meantime, she hopes to garner help from the community’s to find the person who is responsible.
“I think that, you know, there was just this innate, horrible, cruel nature to some individuals. And unfortunately, you know, the animals are their victims,” Chipps Peters said. “Our goal is to try to be their voice and to find the person responsible and hold them accountable for their actions.”
There is now a $2,500 reward being offered for any information that helps solve this case. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Richmond Animal Care and Control at 804-646-5573, or email Robert.leinberger@rva.gov.
