Junction City residents searching for answers after several cats are shot with BB guns
BOYLE COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Community members in Junction City are turning to social media for answers after several cats have been shot with a BB gun over the past two years.
Amanda Wilburn, who cares for about 20 of her own cats and looks after other neighborhood animals, treats the pets like her children. She said the issue came to mind again this week after she saw a Facebook post showing another cat shot by a pellet gun.
“Whether if you’re an animal or an adult, no matter what, you still have a purpose to live a great life,” Wilburn said.
The cats, Wilburn said, are harmless, even though they might hiss or scratch.
“It’s worth it,” Wilburn’s step-daughter added.
Recently, she noticed several of her pets going missing. One of her cats, Popeye, eventually returned home with circular scars, leading her to fear he was also shot by a pellet gun.
“Eventually those were oozing out with infection and pus,” Wilburn said.
If caught, the person responsible could face jail time for animal cruelty. Under Ethan’s Law, the crime is considered a Class D felony.
Animal advocate Jeff Callaway played an instrumental role in getting that legislation filed. He said he thought Junction City would finally see accountability in 2024.
“These are vulnerable creatures, it’s pretty sickening that, that you want to incur torture or abuse on an, on a defenseless animal that can’t fight back,” Callaway said.
“There was an individual that was arrested for shooting cats with a BB gun, and when they went to his home to arrest him, they found two dead cats. That case kind of went through the judicial system, the charges just ended up getting dropped,” Callaway said.
Callaway says the situation needs to be stopped now. Or else it could spiral out of control.
“The people that commit a violent crime against a human have started with animals,” Callaway said.
“If you didn’t get punished for it before, what’s stopping you from doing it again?” Callaway said.
Wilburn is now left questioning why someone would want to hurt the cats she considers family.
“Just don’t understand the whole situation of the cruelty whenever it comes to shooting any animal at all,” Wilburn said.
