Neighbors in the relatively peaceful San Diego neighborhood of Mission Hills were unnerved this week to learn on NextDoor that the Humane Society found a cat that had been fatally shot by an arrow.
Lulu was found a week ago and taken to the vet –- where she died. She was a community cat in a neighborhood known for its love of animals, as you can see by missing-pet posters often hung up on local telephone poles. It’s unclear why Lulu was shot with an arrow, of course, but what is well understood is that neighbors want justice.
Residents learned about the horrifying news on the NextDoor app after Lulu’s owner posted that the once feral cat — who loved to wander around – had been shot.
"It's a sad situation, and I feel very badly for the people in that neighborhood," said Bill Ganley, who is the San Diego Humane Society's chief law-enforcement officer. "I believe the cat had become more of a community cat to the neighborhood, and so a lot of people are probably hurting by this. So I want them to know that we feel for them and will do everything we can to bring the person to justice that did this."
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Ganley said Lulu was found by a neighbor near where Robyn’s Egg Trail terminates at Titus Street.
Residents who loved the cat are disturbed.
"For somebody to be animalistic on a cat like that is just ridiculous," said a resident who asked not to be identified. "Nobody should've done that. Lulu wouldn't hurt nobody."
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The woman told NBC 7 that she often fed Lulu and had some ideas about punishing her killer: "They ought to be shot with the arrow themselves,"
Another neighbor, who said she walks her dog along the trail, said she has heard what she believes are cats being tortured in the canyon — she says she found her cat there with its head crushed back in January.
"I feel very upset that this cat was hurt," the woman said. "I feel like somebody did it very purposely, very intentionally, and I would appreciate it if they would leave the animals alone."
Humane society officials are asking anyone with information about the case to contact investigators at 619-299-7012, no matter how insignificant what they know may seem.
"Many times, people think we're aware of what's being discussed on NextDoor, but, unless somebody brings it to our attention, we don’t see it," Ganley said.
There are reports on NextDoor that a second cat may have also been shot with an arrow, but investigators said they have not received any additional reports. Whoever shot Lulu will be facing felony animal cruelty charges that could bring with them prison time and fines.
