- May 4, 2024
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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagler Humane Society are working together to find a person who shot a cat.
Sunshine Maddy, a 2-year-old domestic shorthair, was fatally shot in the head June 26 by an unknown person. She was shot on Spanish Oaks Court in a gated community in Palm Coast.
The shooter could face charges of animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, as well as fines.
Diane Voigt, president of the board of directors for the Humane Society, said the cat was very trusting. She said that Sunshine Maddy, who was adopted in November 2012 from the shelter, most likely approached the person who shot her without any fear.
The unidentified person used a BB gun to shoot the cat. The bullet entered through the top of her head and exited through her jaw.
The cat was taken to the Flagler Animal Hospital, where she was later put to sleep due to the severity of her injuries.
Upon being scanned for a microchip, her owners were contacted. The cat’s owners, Aaron and Judy Ross, were out of town at the time of their cat’s death.
Judy Ross said Sunshine Maddy was an indoor and outdoor cat, and she has caretakers to watch her pets when she is out of town. If her cats need to enter the home, there are entrances for them to access.
“We have taken precautions,” Ross said. “(Our) cats have the freedom to come and go. It had to do with someone being cruel and violent to an animal.”
Ross, who has one other cat, said that she tried putting up fliers in order to get information about the culprit. She said that her cat was shot near a neighbor’s house.
“Something has to be done,” she said.
The investigation began almost immediately after the cat died. Voigt said that she is not aware of any other cases in which a pet was shot like Sunshine Maddy was, and she is saddened at the situation.
“It is an evil person who would shoot a defenseless cat,” she said.
Voigt emphasized that pets should remain in their owners’ homes. She said that other animals or people can do them harm if they are not watched while outside.
“It is not unusual for animals (that) are outside and unattended to be hurt,” she said. “Evil people are out there.”
Voigt said the investigation consists of interviewing, following leads and reviewing some surveillance video.
Anyone with information about the shooting should contact the Flagler Humane Society at 445-1188 or the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 437-4116.
