Fort Hood: Cat shooting unfortunate, but legal Posted On: Friday, Jul. 3 2009 05:30 AM By Victor O'Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

A Fort Hood policy against feral animals justified the shooting of a 1-year-old tabby cat by an installation game warden April 28.

The cat, "Yellow 2," left his owner's Maxdale Road property and roamed several feet onto Fort Hood, where a game warden shot him.

Fort Hood's installation pest management plan allows game wardens to kill suspected feral animals to prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies and to protect endangered species, said Chuck Medley, acting director of emergency services.

"They carry diseases and are a nuisance around units when training because they (the units) have food," Medley said. "We have several endangered species on Fort Hood and, in fact, the feral cats and dogs are the biggest threats."

A natural feral animal population is made worse by people who abandon animals on post. Abandoned animals revert to their survival instincts.

A Fort Hood investigation revealed that the cat was on post without a collar. The lack of a collar gave the game warden, whose identity was withheld, reason to shoot the cat.

The game warden said he saw Yellow 2 sneak through grass as if he was hunting. He decided Yellow 2 was feral because there was no collar or a nearby owner.

He fired one round at the cat from a distance, but the cat fell into heavy brush where he couldn't be seen, an investigation report stated. The game warden assumed Yellow 2 would die, but he did not.

His owner, Herman Wright, watched the shooting from his workshop. He rescued his cat and brought him to a veterinarian.

More than eight weeks later, Yellow 2 walks with a limp and has pins in his leg.

The reasons given did not assuage Wright's anger. He filed a claim with the Army asking for $5,000 to recoup bills and the damage to Yellow 2's health.

"I felt I couldn't put a price on my cat," said Belinda Robertson, Wright's partner. "My cat is still limping. I think he's going to stay crippled."

Regardless of the situation, Wright believes his cat should not have been shot and the Army is responsible. The claim could take as long as six months to be approved or denied.

The shooting prompted new policies that required game wardens to call in when they shoot animals. Wardens must also identify the animals as best they can before they leave the scene, Medley said.

"We just wanted to strengthen the policy a little bit more to make sure we didn't have another unfortunate incident like that," Medley said. "We want to make sure we're doing the right thing."

Contact Victor O'Brien at vobrien@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7468.