Reward offered in case of cat shot with BB gun

By KEVIN PASSON – GM Today Staff 
October 7, 2004

OCONOMOWOC – A volunteer search and rescue operation has offered a $500 reward for information in the case of a family’s pet cat that was shot in the face with a BB gun. 
A.J. Marhofke of 911BC Search & Recovery in the town of Summit said he would offer the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Sept. 25 incident.

“I guess I don’t condone people who let their pets roam free outside, but I have a great deal of compassion for animals,” Marhofke said. “Hopefully, offering a reward of some kind may help.”

On Sept. 25, Carla Treder, 614 Highland Ave., reported her family pet, Punkin, returned home with a broken leg and bloody jaw. Taken care of by a veterinarian, the cat appeared to have been shot in the face with a BB gun, Oconomowoc police Lt. Ron Buerger said.

A pair of residents suspected by neighbors of injuring the cat have been cleared by police, Buerger said today.

“The woman who reported the incident gave us the names of two suspects,” Buerger said. “An officer contacted both of them, walked through their yards and found no evidence of traps or cats being shot.”

Buerger said one person did have a live trap used for raccoons, but it had not been used for years, as evidenced by it being full of dirt and garbage.

Reports that 10 to 12 cats have been injured or killed in the neighborhood during the past five years cannot be proven through police records. Buerger said he first heard of that story when contacted by the media.

“We did a records check on Highland Avenue complaints since 1992, and this is the only incident of an injured, maimed or missing animal reported,” he said.

Buerger said he called up all records from the neighborhood relating to animal cruelty, suspicious activity and other related reports.

Marhofke said it may mean the loss of his vacation money, but the reward is well worth it.

“It’s a fact that people who abuse animals grow up to abuse people,” said Marhofke, a youth counselor. “I think it (the reward) may give a little push to help police deal with the situation.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Oconomowoc Police Department at 567-4401.

Kevin Passon can be reached at kpasson@conleynet.com.