CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Animal cruelty investigators believe three disturbing crimes involving cats in Cambridge may be connected.
One of those cats, named Gosha, did not survive. Gosha was shot with a BB gun 11 times, his hind legs were taped together, and his fur was burned by some type of chemical. He was found dead underneath a vehicle near the intersection of Hurley and Sciarappa Street.
The MSPCA said the horrific case shares “striking similarities” with two other cases of animal cruelty involving cats in the neighborhood. Those two other cats are now recovering. According to the MSPCA, one was shot with a BB gun multiple times in March and the other was burned in early May.
PREVIOUS: Reward offered after cat found bound, shot multiple times
“I think now that the third cat has happened, and everything is connected, it gets a bit scarier,” said MSPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator Nadya Moreno. “You start to worry that this could happen to other cats.”
The MSPCA has increased the reward for information leading to an animal cruelty conviction from $1,000 to $2,500. A GoFundMe started by a neighbor has also raised more than $1,300 to add to that reward.
“Please if you know something that could help us find this person please come forward,” said Francisco Rosales, owner of Gosha. “This is not normal behavior, it starts like this and then moves on to bigger targets.”
Anyone with information is urged to call the MSPCA’s law enforcement at 800-628-5808 or Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300.
The Cambridge Animal Commission encourages any cat owners in the area to keep their cats indoors.