PEARLAND, Texas – Cheryl Combs of Pearland is hurt, saddened and angered at the death of her beloved cat Meeskers.
“Somebody decided on a holiday weekend to play the boss and to do something cruel and to kill my cat,” she said.
Despite being what most pet advocates would consider a very responsible owner, Combs was notified Saturday that her 2 1/2-year-old cat was euthanized this past weekend at the Pearland Animal Control and Adoption Center.
“What gave you the right to euthanize my cat without knowing that the cat was neutered, and he had a tattoo in his ear, and he had been chipped?” Combs asked. “I did everything I’m supposed to do. How is it that you killed my cat?”
Pearland police said the cat was trapped by a neighbor and brought to the shelter on Nov. 26. Investigators said the animal control officer was “unable to safely handle the cat” and a microchip scan was never performed, even though “shelter protocol mandates” that it be done by two people.
However, they said “this did not happen” and it is “evident that policies and procedures were not followed.”
Despite Pearland police launching an investigation, Cheryl Combs has a number of questions for the shelter.
“If you euthanized him how did you do that, if you couldn’t sedate him?" she asked. "And if you sedated him why couldn’t you scan him, and see that he belonged to somebody?”
Combs said she is considering her options, but she doesn’t want this to happen to any other pet or their family.
“Somebody needs to be accountable for this,” she said. “At the minimum, whoever made this decision needs to be fired. Period. End of story.”