GoldenAfternoon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2002
- Messages
- 533
This article was on the front page of my newspaper this morning:
Two charged with setting fire to cat
Pair allegedly trapped stray, doused it with gasoline
UXBRIDGE A 42-year-old Northbridge man and a 15-year-old boy were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals yesterday after a weeklong investigation in connection with a cat that was doused with gasoline and set on fire several weeks ago.
Allan Bessette, of 96 Church Ave., Northbridge, was arraigned in Uxbridge District Court. He was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail on the charge of cruelty to animals. However, he had several other outstanding matters, according to a court official, and was subsequently ordered held without bail. Mr. Bessette is being held at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston. The boy was released to the custody of his mother until his arraignment in Milford Juvenile Court at a later date.
Northbridge Police Officer Lisa M. Lasala and Detective Sgt. Shawn P. Heney received information about possible suspects in this case last week. A joint investigation between Uxbridge and Northbridge police departments began and resulted in numerous interviews being conducted. Those interviews revealed that a man and a boy had told several residents of the Rockdale section of Northbridge about their involvement in the burning of the cat.
Police said the pair had been trapping cats that they believed to be strays in the neighborhood. Several cats were believed to be released around the West Hill Dam area in Northbridge and Uxbridge. Police allege that on or about May 22, the pair trapped this particular cat in a Havahart live animal catch trap and took it to the lookout rock area on Quaker Street in Northbridge. The pair allegedly doused the cat with gasoline while he was still in the trap and set him on fire. Police said the cat was released from the trap and ran underneath Mr. Bessettes truck. The pair then threw rocks at the cat, police said, in an attempt to get it from underneath the truck because Mr. Bessette was afraid the cat would set the truck on fire. The cat reportedly ran off into the woods and was later found by a couple in Uxbridge.
As part of their investigation, police recovered a trap with burn and singe marks on it. After interviewing the suspects, Northbridge police made the arrests yesterday.
Patricia A. and Karl D. Chapin were on a Sunday drive home May 22 when they discovered a cat sitting on the side of Hartford Avenue East near West Hill Dam park. They said the cat was shaking violently, injured and severely burned, and are convinced that it is the cat allegedly burned by Mr. Bessette and the boy.
Mr. Chapin immediately called the Uxbridge police and then went home to retrieve his deep-sea fishing net. It took over an hour and a lot of patience, but he eventually captured the cat. The couple rushed the cat to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, and accepted full financial responsibility for the cat. The cat, which Mrs. Chapin named Phoenix, is still undergoing major medical treatment for burns that covered almost all of his body, with the exception of his face and paws. Even his ears suffered burns.
Upon learning of the arrests yesterday, Mr. Chapin said, Im in heaven. He decided to attend the arraignment in Uxbridge District Court because I wanted to see what this man looked like. This was nasty what he did. And its an absolute outrage here in this town. People are furious, they couldnt believe it, he said.
Phoenix, a tiger cat estimated to be at least 2 years old, has had several major operations and blood transfusions. Mr. Chapin said Phoenix underwent another major surgery yesterday. The surgery was to try to determine if Phoenixs right leg would have to be amputated. The leg is apparently fine, but the area above and behind the leg may be infected.
Amputee or not, hes going to be fine, Mr. Chapin said. I also lost my front paw. Mr. Chapin explained that he lost his right arm in Vietnam as a result of a grenade. Mr. Chapin said Phoenix will be well cared for when they are able to take him home. They always say that people look like their animals.
Phoenix is making other strides toward recovery. In addition to having an appetite, Phoenixs rear quarter is pretty well healed and showing signs of new skin and hair. Even his whiskers are starting to grow back.
After the initial story ran in the Telegram & Gazette several weeks ago, so much interest was generated in the cats plight that the Chapins established a fund at UniBank in Uxbridge to accept donations for the cats medical costs.
People from coast to coast and Canada have sent checks to the fund.
People have been so generous, Mr. Chapin said. A $25 check from Canton, Ohio, rolled in today.
Mr. Chapin, despite losing his job a couple of months ago, took financial responsibility for Phoenix the night he took him to Tufts. If the couple had refused to take custody of the cat, they were told he would have to be put down. Mr. Chapin said its going to be close, but there have been enough contributions to cover costs so far. He estimates the medical bill could run as high as $10,000.
The Chapins have been to the hospital every day to visit Phoenix since hes been there. Mr. Chapin said they might skip last night because Phoenix was recovering from surgery.
This cats got a tenacity to live, Mr. Chapin said.
Two charged with setting fire to cat
Pair allegedly trapped stray, doused it with gasoline
UXBRIDGE A 42-year-old Northbridge man and a 15-year-old boy were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals yesterday after a weeklong investigation in connection with a cat that was doused with gasoline and set on fire several weeks ago.
Allan Bessette, of 96 Church Ave., Northbridge, was arraigned in Uxbridge District Court. He was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail on the charge of cruelty to animals. However, he had several other outstanding matters, according to a court official, and was subsequently ordered held without bail. Mr. Bessette is being held at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston. The boy was released to the custody of his mother until his arraignment in Milford Juvenile Court at a later date.
Northbridge Police Officer Lisa M. Lasala and Detective Sgt. Shawn P. Heney received information about possible suspects in this case last week. A joint investigation between Uxbridge and Northbridge police departments began and resulted in numerous interviews being conducted. Those interviews revealed that a man and a boy had told several residents of the Rockdale section of Northbridge about their involvement in the burning of the cat.
Police said the pair had been trapping cats that they believed to be strays in the neighborhood. Several cats were believed to be released around the West Hill Dam area in Northbridge and Uxbridge. Police allege that on or about May 22, the pair trapped this particular cat in a Havahart live animal catch trap and took it to the lookout rock area on Quaker Street in Northbridge. The pair allegedly doused the cat with gasoline while he was still in the trap and set him on fire. Police said the cat was released from the trap and ran underneath Mr. Bessettes truck. The pair then threw rocks at the cat, police said, in an attempt to get it from underneath the truck because Mr. Bessette was afraid the cat would set the truck on fire. The cat reportedly ran off into the woods and was later found by a couple in Uxbridge.
As part of their investigation, police recovered a trap with burn and singe marks on it. After interviewing the suspects, Northbridge police made the arrests yesterday.
Patricia A. and Karl D. Chapin were on a Sunday drive home May 22 when they discovered a cat sitting on the side of Hartford Avenue East near West Hill Dam park. They said the cat was shaking violently, injured and severely burned, and are convinced that it is the cat allegedly burned by Mr. Bessette and the boy.
Mr. Chapin immediately called the Uxbridge police and then went home to retrieve his deep-sea fishing net. It took over an hour and a lot of patience, but he eventually captured the cat. The couple rushed the cat to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, and accepted full financial responsibility for the cat. The cat, which Mrs. Chapin named Phoenix, is still undergoing major medical treatment for burns that covered almost all of his body, with the exception of his face and paws. Even his ears suffered burns.
Upon learning of the arrests yesterday, Mr. Chapin said, Im in heaven. He decided to attend the arraignment in Uxbridge District Court because I wanted to see what this man looked like. This was nasty what he did. And its an absolute outrage here in this town. People are furious, they couldnt believe it, he said.
Phoenix, a tiger cat estimated to be at least 2 years old, has had several major operations and blood transfusions. Mr. Chapin said Phoenix underwent another major surgery yesterday. The surgery was to try to determine if Phoenixs right leg would have to be amputated. The leg is apparently fine, but the area above and behind the leg may be infected.
Amputee or not, hes going to be fine, Mr. Chapin said. I also lost my front paw. Mr. Chapin explained that he lost his right arm in Vietnam as a result of a grenade. Mr. Chapin said Phoenix will be well cared for when they are able to take him home. They always say that people look like their animals.
Phoenix is making other strides toward recovery. In addition to having an appetite, Phoenixs rear quarter is pretty well healed and showing signs of new skin and hair. Even his whiskers are starting to grow back.
After the initial story ran in the Telegram & Gazette several weeks ago, so much interest was generated in the cats plight that the Chapins established a fund at UniBank in Uxbridge to accept donations for the cats medical costs.
People from coast to coast and Canada have sent checks to the fund.
People have been so generous, Mr. Chapin said. A $25 check from Canton, Ohio, rolled in today.
Mr. Chapin, despite losing his job a couple of months ago, took financial responsibility for Phoenix the night he took him to Tufts. If the couple had refused to take custody of the cat, they were told he would have to be put down. Mr. Chapin said its going to be close, but there have been enough contributions to cover costs so far. He estimates the medical bill could run as high as $10,000.
The Chapins have been to the hospital every day to visit Phoenix since hes been there. Mr. Chapin said they might skip last night because Phoenix was recovering from surgery.
This cats got a tenacity to live, Mr. Chapin said.
