Questionable tale - Kitten rescuer charged with animal cruelty

Winston-Salem Journal ^ | July 3, 2008 | SARAH NEWELL WILLIAMSON

[Between the Lines]

Police say evidence is that cats weren't killed as she says.

HICKORY

The woman who claims that she saved a kitten thrown from an SUV onto U.S. 321 on June 13 was charged with animal cruelty yesterday.

Hickory police arrested Heather Nicole "Nikki" Bradshaw, 31, at the police department after she went there to talk with the investigating officer.

Bradshaw was charged with three counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals, filing a false police report and resisting a public official.

"The past few weeks have torn me up," she said. The police "are just trying to find an easy way out. I can't believe they think I would do this."

On June 13, Bradshaw reported that she saw a man driving a black Cadillac Escalade drop a bag out of his vehicle on U.S. 321.

Before she could get to the bag, she said, it was run over by several vehicles. Bradshaw said that three of the calico kittens in the bag were dead.

The fourth kitten, which was cream-colored, survived. Bradshaw took it to Catawba Valley Animal Hospital to be checked out, and adopted it.

Police began investigating Bradshaw's story about two weeks ago, Officer Paul Murphy said.

"We've looked into every detail very carefully," he said. "We've checked into every tip that was called in."

Capt. Clyde Deal said that investigators began to be suspicious of Bradshaw over inconsistencies in her story.

Murphy dug up the dead kittens buried in Bradshaw's yard on Friday.

He said that the kittens were taken to the Northwestern Regional Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in Elkin to see how they died and how long they had been dead.

"The injuries weren't consistent with animals being in a sack or being struck by motor vehicles," Deal said.

He said that results from the tests also showed that the kittens had been dead for less than two weeks, although Deal declined to say how long ago they died.

Bradshaw has hired an attorney, and said she plans to fight the charges.

Dianna Deitz, the animal-services manager with the Humane Society of Catawba County, said that it was the Humane Society's suggestion that Bradshaw go public with what she said she saw on U.S. 321.

Deitz said that the Humane Society is still supporting Bradshaw.

"We will continue to support her in this until someone can give us some kind of evidence otherwise," Deitz said.

[Between the Lines]

The Humane Society says it's keeping all donations made for the kitten and that the remaining money will go to help medical treatment for other animals in the shelter.

[Viking2002]

If I found out my tax money was being spent over a sack of dead cats, I'd be at the mayor's office door with a friggin' chain saw.

[Between the Lines]

If I found out my tax money was being spent over a sack of dead cats...

CSI Hickory NC

[beaversmom]

ping

[Viking2002]

Sounds more like Mayberry Hicksville NC

[beaversmom]

Sounds like she has Munchausen’s but with animals.

[CindyDawg]

Is it just possible that she might be telling the truth and the unexplained injuries were inflicted by whoever put them in the bag?

[MARTIAL MONK]

We need Greta’s razor sharp mind to sort this out.

[primeval patriot]

I have a soft spot for animals. I love my Manx and Dachshund.

But, out here in the sticks, if one cannot take care of an animal and isn’t able to get them to a shelter or have them properly euthanized - you go and get a .22 rifle and do it yourself as humanely as possible.

[ktscarlett66]

People are charged and tried for cruelty to animals all the time. Every starvation or neglect case, every abuse, dogfighting, bait animals, etc, usually end up in court.

[ktscarlett66]

It doesn’t make sense though, that she’s the one who did it. Most people who abuse or try to kill animals don’t keep one and spend money at the vet to have it checked out and make sure it’s healthy.

[Viking2002]

That's why most municipalities employ animal control officers - they ain't just there to get a rabid raccoon out of your attic. Letting sworn officers of the peace fiddley-fart around over a sack of cat squeezin's found on the road and treat it like it was the Sharon Tate murder doesn't ingratiate me to those public servants, nor to the elected officials who are not only overseeing them, but paying them with the money that I just earned to keep a roof over my head. When a cop has to devote time on the clock to solve The Great Kitty Whodunit over making sure that the maggot I may have to shoot for breaking into my house isn't in my neighborhood that night, THE CATS FUGGIN' LOSE.

[an amused spectator]

"resisting a public official"???

Now, just WTF is that all about?

[Slings and Arrows]

I don't know who to believe on this one. The mind boggles.

[supercat]

It doesn’t make sense though, that she’s the one who did it. Most people who abuse or try to kill animals don’t keep one and spend money at the vet to have it checked out and make sure it’s healthy.

It doesn't make any sense to me either.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Bkmark. Will follow weird story.

Also, : (

[Biggirl]

Second it. Bookmarked to read more in detail later. =^..^=

[To Hell With Poverty]

Someone needs to post the “WTF?!” LOLcat.

[Fawn]

Not a cat lover huh? I’ll bet if it was a sack of puppies you wouldn’t be that upset. I wonder why they are going through all this trouble though......must be more to the story.

[Fawn]

In today's world, this is not impossible. There is a way to get them to a shelter or have them properly euthanized. primeval eh?

[primeval patriot]

I was speaking of low income rural areas.

Perhaps one doesn’t have transportation, or friends and relatives to help. Or the money to pay a vet.

Feral cats are a problem - people dump kittens all the time.

They carry rabies and fight with other cats.

[pabianice]

The HSUSA is one of the most viciously anti-gun and anti-hunting groups in the world. Not.one.red.cent of mine.

[Holicheese]

"We need Greta’s razor sharp mind to sort this out." You mean Clutch Cargo? She is a tool!

[MARTIAL MONK]

A tool? Naw. She’s a garden implement used for weeding.

[Holicheese]

nicely put!

[allmendream]

Even for a kitten a .22 is a nonlethal round. Don't ask me how I know. Use a larger caliber.