Animal hung from power line in Buffalo

Tag : animal shoe

Warning: This story contains material that some readers may find disturbingdue to the graphic nature of the material.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - In a very disturbing case of animal cruelty,a cat was found dead, hanging over a power line. We want to warnyou that even though we've blurred the images, (News 4's Video OnDemand) you may still find them disturbing.
SPCA serving Erie County Director Barbara Carr said, "I have neverseen anything like this in 25 years."
We are blurring the disturbing image (News 4's Video On Demand)among the power lines of the 400 block of Ontario Street.
But those who live there couldn't help but see the kitten, with ashoelace tied around its neck, hanging on the other end of thisshoe and thrown onto a suspension wire.
North District Councilmember Joe Golombek said, "I saw the cathanging there and the first thing that went through my mind wasgang activity, you know? I was concerned about that because it'sright near one of my housing developments, that I've had a lot ofproblems at for the past several years."
Buffalo Police say they don't believe it's gang-related, despitethe symbolism of a shoe hanging from a wire. They hope to catchwhoever killed the cat and find the motive for this senselesscrime.
Golombek said, "There's a city camera that's right down the streetfrom there and I spoke to the deputy commissioner yesterday, andasked him to please review the tapes they said that they were goingto do that."
Golombek says he will push for that person to be prosecutedappropriately.
Golombek said, "If they're doing that to animals, it's not longbefore they're going to be doing it to other people."
Erie County SPCA Director Barbara Carr agrees.
Carr said, "When someone has no regard for life, that's somethingto be very concerned about, particularly if it's a young person,that person needs some help, needs some intervention, we don't wantthat kind of crime going on and leading to something that causesviolence towards people or other animals."
She says an SPCA investigator may also look into this crime.
Carr said, "Violence is always violence. It doesn't matter how manylegs are on the victim."
If you have any information on who may have committed this crime,you're asked to called the Buffalo Police Tip line at 847-2255 orthe Erie County SPCA at 875-1361.
Story by Alysha Palumbo, WIVB.
Previous Story: 9:28 a.m., July 14, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Residents in a Buffalo neighborhood wantanswers after they say someone hung a kitten from a power line.
Neighbors in the 400 block of Ontario Street woke up Sunday to finda disturbing sight in the power lines.
Someone took a shoe, tied a shoelace around a kitten's neck, andthrew the helpless animal into the air and over a wire. The kittenwas strangled.
Neighbor Samantha Craddock said, "...makes me feel sad. People areevil, killing little kitties. Gosh, next they're going to bekilling doggies."
North District Councilmember Joe Golombek says he hopes it's notgang related.
Golombek said, "I know that when you put sneakers on wires that,that has some gang significance, drug significance, and it is nearone of my BMHA [Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority] developmentsthat I've been having problems with over the past several yearssince they got rid of the BMHA police officers."
Throughout the course of the day, Buffalo Police, animal control,and the fire department stopped by. None of the agencies feltcomfortable removing the kitten from power lines.
Around 8:30 Sunday night, a National Grid line supervisor puttogether a special pole and removed the kitten from the wire. Thewire was actually a suspension line and didn't have any electricalcurrent.
Neighbors were relieved when the dead animal was finally removed.
Police investigators will look at the new police video camera atthe nearby Shaffer Village public housing complex, and see if itpicked anything up.
Golombek says the camera is there to monitor problems in the area.
Golombek said, "I've lost some very, very good tenants that havemoved out of BMHA because of the violence and the problems thatthey're having there and I hope that this is not part of it, I hopeit's just stupid kids doing something stupid."
If you have any information on who may have committed this crime,you're asked to called the Buffalo Police Tip line at 847-2255 orthe Erie County SPCA at 875-1361.
Story by Rob Macko, WIVB.