Eric Erickson returned to find his cat injured by a crossbow, and his neighbor admitted to shooting him, allegedly in defense of her own cats.
A woman has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly using a crossbow on her neighbor's cat.
The Iosco County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to a call regarding animal cruelty on July 16, a day after Eric Erickson came home from a work trip.
Upon Erickson's return, he discovered that his cat, Oliver, had been shot in the neck by a bolt from a crossbow.
Taylor Rose Shipman, Erickson’s neighbor, allegedly said she shot the pet in defense of her own cats, according to the sheriff.
The 23-year-old woman allegedly admitted to shooting the cat on July 11, officials said. Oliver ran off and it took him four days to get back home, according to WMEN.
Oliver spent three days in the Tawas Animal Hospital, and is recovering, according to MLive.
Shortly after Erickson's pet went to the hospital, the Iosco County Humane Society created a fundraiser to cover medical bills that raised more than $2,000 to cover his hospital stay and follow-up care, according to the local outlet.
Shipman allegedly admitted to shooting the cat with the crossbow when authorities questioned neighbors about the situation, and the sheriff's office issued a warrant for Shipman's arrest.
Shipman turned herself in and was charged with a third-degree felony count of animal cruelty, and has since been released on a $10,000 bond, according to a Facebook post from the Iosco Sheriff’s Office.
