When someone does something really cruel to an animal, some folks instantly think, "uh oh, here we go, it starts with a cat but moves on to people to get the bigger jollies." Sometimes it escalates, sometimes it doesn't.

Earlier this year, in Kennewick, a number of cats was discovered in various forms of dismemberment/decapitation which was eventually ruled to be the work of coyotes, a revelation that seemed to the befuddle some residents, while other Kennewickians outright scoffed at the explanation.

This latest incident, complete with photographs of the victim, Harry the cat, as reported by keprtv.com, was not quite as gruesome, but capturing someone's pet and then torturing it by slathering a bunch of black goo on it, is definitely a human-backed endeavor, because the black substance that was covering over half of Harry's body was, according to the veterinarian where the feline was taken, black spray-paint.

The family of the cat lives in the vicinity of 40th Avenue and South Olympia St. and is understandably very upset, especially the younger children, who can't understand why someone would do this to their beloved pet. We are all wondering the same thing, kids.

I've had dogs, cats and fish as pets during my time on the planet, and I can't quite grasp what joy it brings someone to watch another creature suffer.

The vet bill for the family stands at $200, but is likely to rise, they say they will probably file a police report, and they would like to remain anonymous at this time. If you know anything about this stupidity, please call (509) 628-0333.

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