Teen Arrested for Cruelty to Kitten

ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents have concluded an investigation into the severe injuries of a six-month-old kitten with the arrest of a 15-year-old girl, a neighbor of the kitten’s owner.

ASPCA Special Agent Debbie Koch responded to an anonymous complaint about a cat in an apartment building in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn on February 11, 2008, and found the kitten, named Tiger, on the premises. Koch rushed Tiger to the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH), where veterinarians treated her for a collapsed lung and a broken rib—wounds reportedly sustained from being thrown down a flight of stairs by the teen.

Tiger was relinquished to the ASPCA and completed her recovery in the ASPCA Adoption Center, where she was renamed Kitty and adopted on May 11. The 15-year-old arrestee—whose name cannot be released due to her juvenile status—faces unspecified charges.

“Abuse of animals by children or adolescents can be an indicator of family violence issues in the home,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President, Anti-Cruelty Initiatives and Legislative Services. “It’s also a warning of a person’s potential for additional serious acts of violence when they get older. It is important to respond to these situations to ensure that these children and their families have a better chance of getting the services they need to prevent future violence.”

Have you witnessed cruelty to animals? Please report it to the proper authorities. In New York City, contact the ASPCA's anonymous tip line at (877) THE-ASPCA. To learn how to report cruelty elsewhere, visit our Report Cruelty section.