Prosecute Veteranian who killed her neighbor's cat with bow and arrow (PETITION)

Animal Legal Defense Fund
February 16, 2017


In April, 2015, Kristen Lindsey, a Texas veterinarian, shot and killed a cat with a bow and arrow.
Her action came to light when she posted a photo of herself on Facebook, grinning as she dangled the still-impaled cat by the shaft of the arrow.
In the caption she bragged: "My first bow kill, lol..The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head.
Vet of the Year Award...gladly accepted."

Vet of the Year?
Hardly...In a blog post before the killing, Lindsey wrote that her current interests include:
"killing things or trying to kill things (animals, a full glass of whiskey, hangovers etc.&quot

The photo provoked international outrage, especially when it came out that the cat, an orange tabby named Tiger belonged to Lindsey's neighbors but had gone missing.

Reaction to Lindsey's act was swift...Her employer, Washington Animal Clinic, fired her.
Her alma mater, Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Studies, "decried the grotesque actions and comments contained in Lindsey's post."

A grand jury investigated the killing but, in June 2015, found there was "insufficient proof" to charge Lindsey with animal cruelty.
The Austin County District Attorney's office then closed the case, claiming it could not confirm where the cat was killed, whether the cat had an owner, and whether the cat was killed "in a cruel manner."


Now, new information has come to light that confirms that Lindsey's actions were criminal cruelty and opens the door to prosecution:

- Lindsay acknowledged in a signed affidavit ..that the killing occurred on her property in Austin County, Texas.

- Although the District Attorney's office cited American Veterinary Association (AVMA) guidelines for humane killing in it's finding that Lindsey may not have killed the cat "in a cruel manner," the AVMA released a statement rebutting the DA's analysis.

- Lindsey claimed the cat she killed was feral...Texas Penal Code Section 42.0929(a)(2) includes feral cats under it's definition of protected "animals"
Texas Penal Code Section 42.0929(a)(2) prohibits killing an animal "without the owner's effective consent."
If the cat was feral, there was no way to get the "effective consent" of a nonexistent owner.
But Lindsey's neighbors, who were out of town when the killing occurred, identified the cat in the photo as their cat "Tiger," based on his distinctive markings.
Also, "Tiger" had been a patient at the Washington Animal Clinic - Lindsey's former employer.
In either case, Lindsey lacked an "owners effective consent."


Given this new information, Animal Legal Defense Fund wrote the Austin County's District Attorney's office requesting that it reopen the case

Don't let this cruel, sadistic deed go unpunished, please sign the petition to prosecute Kristen Lindsey:
http://aldf.org/cases-campaigns/features/aldf-fights-to-bring-kristen-lindsey-to-justice/


For information about Animal Legal Defense Fund, go to:
http://aldf.org/