Family: Pet trapped, killed

An Alvin family was devastated to learn their beloved cat, Cleo, was trapped and then killed.

They said their neighbor baited and trapped the cat and then workers at animal control killed it.

"It's the worst heartache you could feel," said Michael Pack, the cat's owner.

The family has been devastated for days.  Their pain comes after they said, their cat was unfairly euthanized after animal control officers found her in a neighbor's back yard.

"She was just part of the family.  We all loved her," Pack said.

Pack said he let Cleo out of the house to use the bathroom.  Somehow, she ended up across the street.

"Our neighbor across the street caught her in a live trap, sent her off to animal control," Lori Pack said.

That neighbor told police he got the trap after he found dozens of dead birds in his back yard and wanted to nab the animal he thought was killing them.

Instead, Cleo got trapped, and the neighbor told police when he tried to free her, she lunged at him and was aggressive, so he called animal control.

"We got there at 5:30 p.m. that same day.  He wouldn't let me go in because he knew I couldn't handle it," Lori Pack said.  "So, he went in and came back out and sure enough, it was her.  She was dead, bagged and in the freezer."

That upset the Pack family, who cited Alvin City Ordinance Chapter 14-13, which clearly states the city is required to hold an animal for 72 hours before euthanizing them.  So now, the Pack family wants answers.

"More needs to be done.  I don't want anyone else to go home and have to tell their family this," Michael Pack said.

"After reviewing it, if it's an issue that we have to address, we need to take whatever steps are necessary to make sure it doesn't happen again," Alvin Police Chief Mike Merkel said.

But that's not enough for the Pack family.

"I would like to see the woman who actually put Cleo down lose her license, and not be able to touch another animal again," Lori Pack said.

The police chief noted when animal control picked Cleo up, she had no name tag or collar, which is against the law.

The Pack family that should have cost them a fee, not Cleo's life.