Two boys have been arrested after a video emerged of dogs being used to attack a cat in Philadelphia.
The Friday arrests came after surveillance footage on Tuesday showed individuals egging on their dogs to attack a cat named Buddy who was resting on the porch of his home.
One of the dog handlers could be heard saying “good boy” as the dogs attacked the cat. The altercation came to an end when one of the cat’s owners ran outside.
The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) said on Friday evening that the suspects surrendered to law enforcement.
The suspects, aged 17 and 12, “came in to the Pennsylvania SPCA with a parent to address the charges” around noon on Friday, the PSPCA said.
“The dogs related to this incident have also been taken into the custody of the Pennsylvania SPCA and are currently on hold attached to the investigation,” the group added.
The charges include “felony animal fighting, felony aggravated animal cruelty, and a conspiracy charge”. The charges don’t allow for juveniles to be tried as adults, and because the suspects are minors, their identities haven’t been made public.
The cat’s condition is “critical” but his “prognosis is hopeful”, the PSPCA wrote on Facebook.
PSPCA director of humane law enforcement and shelter operations, Nicole Wilson, told CBS Philadelphia on Wednesday that “it was a prolonged attack”.
“It took a number of minutes and it was completely unnecessary. None of this had to happen ... There’s extensive damage to his hind abdominal region, so we’re going to have to really try and sew him back together and hope for the best,” she added.
Gillian Kocher of the PSPCA told CBS that “due to the overwhelming outpouring of support and shares that happened of the video, which unfortunately was very graphic and horrific, but it did lead to the identification of these suspects”.
