OGDEN, Utah — Ogden police have launched an animal abuse investigation following a video that shows a man spraying a caged feral cat with a high-powered hose as “punishment.”
Lt. Will Farr confirmed the investigation to ABC4, stating that the case is being taken “absolutely seriously.” The video, which circulated on a popular Ogden-area Facebook page, shows the man spraying the cat at close range while it was locked in a cage and unable to escape, raising concerns of animal cruelty.
In the video, the man, whose identity ABC4 is withholding as he has not been charged, claims the cat had been attacking his own cat for six months. “It’s time he took his punishment,” he says before spraying the animal. The fate of the cat after the incident remains unknown.
The video, though initially removed, has been shared widely by concerned locals. A petition calling for an investigation has gathered over 700 signatures.
Juli Ulvestad, director of the Humane Society of Utah’s Pet Resource Center, expressed concern over the man’s actions, stating that it is neither humane nor effective as a deterrent. Ulvestad cited a similar case in Florida where a man was charged with animal cruelty for a similar act.
Under Utah law, intentional animal cruelty is punishable by jail time and fines up to $2,500.
