Man charged after kitten shot in the eye with a dart, Rowlett police say
A 45-year-old man has been charged in a weeklong animal cruelty investigation after a kitten was shot in the eye with a dart, Rowlett police said.
Residents first spotted the injured kitten, named Shadow, on August 21. Animal services and Rowlett police responded, but the kitten was skittish and kept running away, disappearing for days at a time. Rowlett Animal Services said it kept traps out consistently, making sure the kitten wouldn't be left confined in unsafe conditions.
Locals eventually rescued Shadow a week ago.
An organization called Friends of Rescued Animals paid for him to see a vet, and the dart was removed. Shadow survived surgery but lost his right eye.
"This was an event that should not have occurred," said Rowlett police Det. Cruz Hernandez. "Once Shadow the cat was injured, then several people that encountered him, they took their time to work together as neighbors, as citizens in order to rescue Shadow, and it took days to do, but they did it. They did not give up."
Suspect claims mistaken identity
Rowlett police identified a suspect last week, who admitted to shooting Shadow; however, the 45-year-old man later identified as Jacob Cushingham, said at the time, he did not know it was a kitten, believing the animal to be an opossum. He told police that his dog alerted him to an animal in his garage and all he could see of it was a bit of nose and whiskers.
Arrest warrant issued
On Friday, Rowlett police issued an arrest warrant for cruelty to non-livestock animals for Cushingham. Hernandez said he turned himself in on Monday.
Shadow expected to fully recover
Shadow the cat is expected to make a full recovery.