Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward as they try to find the person who severely burned a kitten found in a Philadelphia neighborhood last week.
A woman recovered the 4- to 5-week-old male kitten on Thursday near McPherson Square in the city's Kensington section. Officials say the animal had suffered burns over more than a third of its body, mostly on its head and back.
The Humane Society of the United States announced the reward on Monday, calling it a “depraved act of cruelty.”
“This is the latest in a disturbing string of animals apparently being intentionally lit on fire,” Sarah Speed, Pennsylvania state director for the HSUS, said in a statement. “This depraved act of cruelty will not be tolerated, and we hope this reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward and help bring the perpetrator to justice.”
The kitten is being treated at a veterinary hospital and is expected to recover.
The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is investigating.
“This is a horrendous act of cruelty to inflict on a helpless animal,” said George Bengal, Director of Law Enforcement.
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Anyone with information should call the Pennsylvania SPCA Anti-Cruelty Hotline 866-601-SPCA.
