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CLEARFIELD — A badly injured cat was found in a Clearfield yard late last month, and investigators believe it's possible the case is connected to the torture of a pet cat named Sage earlier in March that garnered worldwide attention.
The new case involves a 1-year-old orange tabby domestic cat that was found in a side yard in the area of 500 East and Lynwood Drive on March 29, said Clinton Thacker, director of Davis County Animal Care & Control. The male cat, so-far unnamed, survived its severe injuries and continues to be cared for by the agency.
The county was called after homeowners found the badly abused animal. Thacker said it's possible that the same individual — or individuals — are also responsible for harming Sage, who eventually died from his injuries.
"Right now we are treating each case separately. We are not ruling out the possibility that they are combined ... because of the similar nature of the injuries and close proximity," Thacker said.
Sage disappeared March 6 and returned home two days later at 385 E. Center, just two blocks from where the second cat was discovered. Someone had beaten Sage, applied a hot glue gun to his eyes, genitals and anus and cut his whiskers, according to the Humane Society of Northern Utah. All of his paws were broken.
The second cat was likewise "severely injured," Thacker said, though he declined to go into more detail about the wounds. The cat is believed to have owners, but nobody has stepped forward to say he is theirs. Investigators don't know whether the cat was tortured close by or simply dropped off in the area, Thacker said.
Last month, the Humane Society of Utah reported more than $60,000 had been received toward a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for Sage's torture and death. Donations arrived from other Humane Society chapters as well as from individuals around the United States and other countries.
The organization stepped forward again Thursday to offer a $3,000 reward for information leading to the solving of the second case.
"This case may be unrelated but coincidentally close in proximity, or the investigation may find that they are connected," said Deann Shepherd, spokeswoman for Humane Society of Utah. "We strongly believe that the abuse of animals is a concern for our community and the person responsible needs to be apprehended.”
Thacker said Thursday that there were "some good leads that we're following up on" in Sage's case. While the two cases are being investigated with the help of Clearfield police, he said, it's best for residents to exercise extra caution with their pets.
"Keep a close eye on your animals. Keep the cats on your property, keep the dogs on your property," he told KSL. "Try to minimize this as much as you can."
Thacker added that the animal cruelty cases have taken a toll on everyone involved, particularly the cats' caretakers.
"They care for these animals every single day. ... it's a load on everybody at the shelter," he said.
Anyone with information about either case is asked to call Davis County Animal Care & Control at 801-444-2200.
