In Chandler, a seemingly malicious spree against a community of felines has sparked investigation and outcry, as advocates for a local cat colony have reported finding cats injured or killed by BB gun pellets near McQueen Road and Chandler Boulevard. Deanna Apodaca, an advocate working with the colony, shared her grief with FOX 10 Phoenix, "It was just very heartbreaking that I'm a person that takes time out of her day to come and help these cats and then there's someone out here who is just hurting them."
The group of caregivers has been feeding, fixing, vaccinating, and releasing the cats to curtail the growth of the population, a fact underscored by the Spay Neuter Hotline, which operates across Maricopa County and advocates for the trapping, sterilizing, and returning of outdoor cats to their colonies after having fixed upwards of 150,000 cats since 2009, according to their statement. Over recent months, according to advocating women, numerous cats from the Chandler colony have been discovered with pellets embedded in their bodies, and some tragically laid to rest right before the holiday season due to the severity of their injuries.
In response to the tragic incidents, Chandler Police has initiated an inquiry, meticulously combing through leads and evidence to pinpoint a suspect. Apodaca related a recent disturbing case of a cat found unable to use its hind legs, telling FOX 10 Phoenix, "A group of amazing women got together, crawled under the trailer, and got her out. She is currently at the Humane Society being assessed for her injuries and hoping that can help us with the investigation."
Community activists, meanwhile, are rallying support and speaking out against the cruelties inflicted upon these voiceless creatures, with Michon Javelosa emphasizing the urgency of advocacy in an interview with FOX 10 Phoenix, "When somebody is abusing animals, shooting them, hurting them, causing disruption in the community, cat cycle, and in just general in our community, we need to stand up. The animals have no voice, and so we want to be able to be the voice for them."
