Cat found dead with skull and spinal injuries, Oakland County Animal Control investigating | State News | macombdaily.com
Cat found dead with skull and spinal injuries, Oakland County Animal Control investigating By Mark Cavitt mcavitt@digitalfirstmedia.com; @MarkCavitt on Twitter Oct 10, 2018 Save
Oakland County Animal Control has begun an investigation into the death of a Wixom cat.
The 8-year-old cat was found dead on Saturday afternoon in the Loon Lake Woods subdivision, according to owner Candace Mozak, who claims the cat appeared to have been stomped on and shot in the head with a BB gun.
The case was originally being handled by the Wixom Police Department before being transferred to the county. Walled Lake Veterinary Hospital performed a postmortem exam on Tuesday.
Exam findings included severe spinal and jaw injuries as well as a 2 millimeter hole in center of the cat’s skull and a 6 millimeter hole in the top of her mouth.
“I took her to the vet thinking she had been attacked by a hawk,” said Mozak. “The vet did x-rays and discovered not only was she shot in the head, but her jaw was shattered. Black residue was found in the opening on her head. The spine injury left her unable to move, but the kill shot ended her misery and her beautiful life.” +1
The new Oakland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, in Pontiac. Oakland County Animal Control has begun an investigation into the death of a Wixom cat found by its owner on Saturday, Oct. 6. Mark Cavitt/The Oakland Press
Ronald Shankin, Oakland County Animal Control supervisor, said animal control officials are working with Mozak and conducting their own internal investigation. No suspects have been identified.
“We don’t know how the cat died, but a preliminary report from a veterinarian suggests that it did not die from natural causes,” said Shankin.
He said the county only handles about 1-2 cases like these per year.
Wixom Police Chief Ron Moore said his department received the initial report and sent two officers to the scene to conduct a preliminary investigation, which included interviewing family members and neighbors. He said those interviews proved to be fruitless.
“This is a terrible situation and our hearts go out to the family,” said Moore.”
You can contact Oakland County Animal Control at (248)-858-1090.