INDIANA – The cat who had been found badly burned in a Montgomery County field last week has died, according to officials with the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County.
The cat, who was nicknamed Phoenix, had actually been showing signs of recovery over the weekend, but her condition took a turn for the worse on Sunday, and officials with the Animal Welfare League stated Phoenix passed away.
“It is with a heavy heart and a lot of tears I tell you our baby girl got her wings. Fly high Phoenix,” the group noted on Facebook just after 9 p.m. Sunday.
On Saturday, the group explained that she was showing signs of improvement. Even Sunday morning, they described her as a true fighter and said she was stable.
By late Sunday night, Phoenix was in critical condition and also experiencing respiratory problems. The veterinarians were concerned that she may have had fluid in her lungs, the group posted around 8:15 p.m. Less than just one hour later, the group posted that Phoenix had passed on.
Noah Riley
A retired firefighter was the one who originally found Phoenix Wednesday night. He was at home watching TV when he saw a flame shooting up from a field. Phoenix was had been covered in gasoline and someone had put a firecracker on top of her. She was immediately taken to Purdue Animal Hospital for treatment at that time.
Thursday night, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office announced that they had arrested of 19-year-old Noah Riley in connection with the case. Riley, who faces two counts of animal cruelty, explained to the police he’d seen several social media posts about the cat and wanted to “get the issue resolved.”
We here at The Best Cat Page hope that put you away for a long time, Mr. Riley!
