Cat Dies After Being Hit With a Blow Dart in Ames (Caution: Graphic Photo)
An Ames man is hoping that a graphic photograph of his cat, shot with a blow dart will encourage someone to come forward with information on who did it.
An Ames house cat was shot with a blow dart and died Tuesday, and his owner hopes to find who was responsible.
Ron Carson posted a photo of his dead cat to Facebook Wednesday hoping that someone would come forward with information. The photograph shows a small orange blow dart sticking out of the 8-year-old cat's chest.
“It's disturbing to think that someone would do that,” Carson said.
Carson said that he last saw Star about 1 p.m. Tuesday when he left for work. Star, an indoor/outdoor cat, had a tendency to roam on nice days, he said. When Carson came home about 8 p.m. Tuesday his neighbors were rushing his cat to the Iowa State University veterinarian clinic, but it was too late.
Valerie Stallbaumer, Carson's neighbor, said the veterinarians there said the animal's heart had stopped.
Stallbaumer was returning home from a walk, when she noticed the cat struggling to walk in Carson's driveway. She picked it up and saw the orange tag sticking out of the cat's chest, but didn't realize what it was. Another neighbor rushed Stallbaumer and Star to the veterinarian school.
Carson said his cat would roam long distances, but he believes his cat was probably shot somewhere near home on 9th Street and Caroll Avenue.
Carson reported the incident to police and Ames Animal Control is now investigating.
Lorna Lavender, Ames Animal Shelter Supervisor, said they have not yet determined whether the cat died from the dart alone.
Stallbaumer said the cat didn't appear to have any other injuries.
Three squirrels were killed or had to be put to sleep after being hit with blow darts last summer, Lavender said. Those incidents took place about a mile from where Star lived, she said.
Lavender said officers will canvass the area looking for anyone who owns or operates a blow gun.
Anyone with information should call animal control at 515-231-1080 or the police at 515-239-5133.
“It's too late for my cat, but my hope is that the guilty party will be found and charged,” Carson said.
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Erv Server
11:47 am on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
That cat has visited my yard many times, would drink from my barrel pond, very sad to hear this news
Alison Gowans
12:10 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wow, that is really disturbing.
Laura S.
12:46 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I am so sorry about your cat. I think Star visited us many times and once she was sleeping peacefully on a blanket in our garage. We live on Stafford and have a 16 year old indoor/outdoor cat. One of our neighbors recently turned us in--they hate cats. We are trying hard to keep him in, but I don't think we can change his habits at this age.
Deb Belt
2:01 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
That's so sad. If the culprit felt the cat was being destructive why not call animal control. Star was clearly well-fed and clean, obviously someone's pet.
Robin S
2:31 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Whoever did this is a dangerous person. People who harm animals often go on to harm people. Find them and lock them up. RIP Star:(
Erv Server
11:43 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Laura S it is illegal in Ames to let your cat roam free. I live on east 9th and know of 3 cats and one dog hit by cars. I can also tell you about racoons that live in the neighborhood and drink out of my pond at night , some are very huge and can easily kill a cat. Now with a cat killer living here, along with diseases and everything else you must not let your cats roam. At least build a kennel if it needs to go outside.
Miss Kitty
11:58 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
My heart goes out to this family. My cats are strictly indoors and I wouldn't have it any other way. I take them for walks in a pet stroller, they sit in the floor to ceiling windows catching rays and fresh air. They are happy inside, and above all, SAFE. Whoever did this needs to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Jack
9:08 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
This was a little drastic, but come on, waste police time with this? Don't own a cat if you don't intend to take care of it. I am so sick of people letting their cats roam neighborhoods - using my kids sandbox as a litterbox, killing wildlife, etc. If you want a cat that is fine but don't expect other people to want to clean up after it.
Laura Runyan
10:03 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
A "little drastic"? You mean that the deliberate killing of a defenseless animal is "little" drastic? I have to agree with the post below that refers to the link between animal and human abuse (and I agree with the shelter director's comment as quoted in the Tribune: that the connection is "well established" [or words very close to those]).
But even is such behavior weren't associated with a potential threat to humans: We're talking here about highly sentient creatures--sentient enough that they can suffer tremendously--who bond closely with humans and have done so since ancient times. We owe them better than this. And although this case in Ames has been turned over to Animal Control, plenty of police departments across the nation DO handle animal cruelty cases, and larger communities have ASPCA officers (animal "cops"), who are full-fledged law enforcement officers.
Why do these organizations exist? Because the deliberate harming and torture of animals is cruel and represents one of the basest layers of human behavior. Only a bully--and thus, by definition, a coward--would inflict injury on those who are so much weaker. There is simply no excuse for such conduct.
Robin S
3:48 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I don't think this is really an appropriate place to lecture people about how they choose to care for their pets. The point is that their is an animal murderer and someone lost a dear member of their family. Have a heart.
Robin S
3:53 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I mean "there" is an animal murderer. Forgive my spelling.
Laura Runyan
7:53 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Below the asterisks is what I posted in reference to the other Patch story I saw about this awful incident (http://ames.patch.com/articles/reward-offered-for-information-on-cat-shot-with-blow-dart-in-ames). Like many other people, I'm still deeply disturbed by what happened.
And it led me to a Google search on the legality of blow dart guns. Why aren't these things prohibited? What innocuous purpose do they serve? As it turns out (and I'm not terribly surprised by this), they're outlawed in places: Canada, the U.K., California, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C.
Why do we need or want these things in Iowa?
**********
It was such a sadistic act, and I feel terrible for this completely innocent animal and for Mr. Carlson and the other people who loved her. I hope that anyone who has any pertinent information will cooperate with authorities so they catch whoever was involved in this monstrous behavior. After I heard about it on the news last night, the dark streets outside seemed a little less safe. It makes me feel much better, though, to know how uncommon this sort of thing has been in Ames.
Laura Runyan
8:00 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Oh, sorry: I meant Mr. CARSON. I hadn't noticed the typo until I clicked "send." (From when I lived in Ames, earlier, I recognized him when I saw him on the news last night.)
Erv Server
11:46 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
to commenter Jack, Police should investigate any crime. A law was broken and while it may seem petty to you often animal killer and torturers escalate their violence to humans.
Jessica Miller
6:03 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
Animal Control has been investigating the case. Police took the initial call because it was after 8 p.m.
Erv Server
11:03 am on Sunday, May 20, 2012
are animal control people trained and investigative like police officers are? I thought they were a couple of people driving around in mini vans collecting stray and dead animals.
Belinda Merritt
11:32 am on Sunday, May 20, 2012
What neighborhood does this "Jack" person live in? Perhaps, based on his comments, he and his family should be included in the investigation...
Laura Runyan
1:32 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Hi, Erv. No, Animal Control in Ames doesn't, from what I understand, have the authority of law enforcement--though the ASPCA officers found in many larger communities are considered law enforcement officers and can obtain warrants and make arrests for animal cruelty: http://www.aspca.org/aspcakids/animal-careers/14-cool-facts-about-animal-cops.aspx.