An abuse call for a kitten resulted in the responding officer fostering to adopt the animal.
Erie Police Department Officer Joseph Martin responded to an animal abuse call Aug. 23 in the area of East 17th and Parade streets.
The call was from a person who said she witnessed a kitten being tossed around like a ball by a group of kids thought to be around 7 or 8 years old.
The caller retrieved the kitten and waited until officers arrived.
“We took the cat and checked the area and the kids were long gone,” Martin said. “We checked the area for 15 to 20 minutes. We didn’t know how badly injured the cat was, so we got it to the A.N.N.A. Shelter right away.”
When the kitten arrived at the A.N.N.A. Shelter, Executive Director Ruth Thompson said it had to be taken to triage immediately because the animal was unresponsive and in shock.
“I’m not a veterinarian, but there was blood coming from the nose,” Thompson said. “Obviously there was some trauma. We sent him out to Dr. Sarah Ziggler who was able to triage him.”