A serious case of animal cruelty has prompted the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society to ask for the public's help in finding the person responsible.
Executive Director Melanie Coulter says a one-year-old cat was found with a plastic zip tie around its tail, causing a serious wound.
The cat, now named Marcie, will undergo surgery to have its tail amputated next week. Marcie is currently on antibiotics and pain medication in preparation for the surgery. Officials anticipate the cat will make a full recovery.
It's unclear why anyone would use a zip tie on an animal's tail. "The part that is disturbing is that there's no way that this is just an accident. This was deliberately placed on her tail for whatever reason," says Coulter. "We don't know whether there was bleeding, so someone was trying to stop it -- that would be the most optimistic explanation or it was just some kind of joke."
Marcie was found in Amherstburg on Saturday, but the humane society believes the incident happened prior to January 14. Anyone with information is asked to call the Windsor-Essex Humane Society or anonymously Crime Stoppers.
Coulter says the charge of causing distress to an animal carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $60,000 fine.