- Two men are sought for shooting and killing cats in Midvale.
- Witnesses reported the men drove up, shot a cat, and drove away.
- Animal cruelty is a crime, with global research showing increasing attacks on pets.
MIDVALE — A cat was shot and killed near an apartment complex at 7400 S. State by unknown men in what appears to be a random act of violence.
The alleged shooters are also suspected of killing a second cat, a community cat that Sgt. Jose Martinez from Salt Lake County Animal Services described as "the friendliest one that residents did care for and love." He said neighbors were upset to hear the news.
Martinez also said the area "is known to have about 20 community cats that the residents know about … and love to have around."
Both cats died as a result of injuries from the gunshots, according to the Unified Police Department.
About 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a witness told Unified police he was taking his wife to work when he saw two men shoot at the cat while it was on the sidewalk near an apartment complex.
Unified police officers arrived at the scene and began a preliminary investigation of the area. Investigators found "that two unknown men drove up on the sidewalk in a truck, fired one shot at the cat and drove away." They also learned that the cat's owner had had it for 10 years and believed this shooting to be a random act.
Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race indicated that the motive for why the men killed the cat is unknown and said that investigators are looking for any witnesses to the shooting. They are also looking for cameras in the area that can help identify the two men.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals released global research in 2024 stating that an increasing number of cats and dogs are being shot and killed all around the world. They have also noted that other weapons have severely hurt cats, such as pellet guns and bows and arrows.
In the United States, cats — feral and otherwise — have been shot and killed in North Dakota, Virginia, Florida, Utah and more, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the research states. Animal services staff across the state and nation remind the public that animal cruelty is a crime and can be punished to the fullest extent of the law, whether the cat is feral, a community-loved and fed pet, or a personal pet.
