UPDATE: March 25, 5:20 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said that a 17-year-old and a 12-year-old have been placed in custody in the case of a pair of dogs that were encouraged to attack a cat that remains in critical condition Friday afternoon.
A parent accompanied the two suspects Friday as they surrendered.
Officials say the teen and child were walking on Granite Street in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday morning with two dogs when they let the dogs loose, and repeatedly shouted “good boy” as they attacked Buddy.
The PSPCA also said charges filed include felony animal fighting, felony aggravated animal cruelty, and a conspiracy charge. None of these charges qualify for the two suspects to be tried as adults, according to the PSPCA.
The organization said Buddy's prognosis is hopeful.
Original story below
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Humane Law Enforcement program of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is following several promising leads in identifying the people caught on camera allegedly encouraging their dogs to brutally attack a cat in the Frankford neighborhood of the city.
In the meantime, Buddy the cat remains in critical condition at the PSPCA clinic in Hunting Park, and donations continue to come in for his medical needs.
Gillian Kocher with the PSPCA says the enforcement team is looking for two people seen on video encouraging their dogs to attack the cat, which had been minding its business on the porch of a home on the 1600 block of Granite Street near the Frankford Transportation Center.
“The Pennsylvania SPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement has been asking the public to come forward if they have recognized any of these individuals who are involved. We are following several promising leads right now and we are hopeful that we will have some information that we will be able to release in the coming days,” she said.
"We have had a public outpouring, both from those who are looking to identify the individuals in question, as well from those donating to Buddy’s care."
Kocher says donations have been coming in from as far away as the U.K.
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Buddy’s owner had to surrender him to the PSPCA because of the high cost of medical care needed. The cat sustained life-threatening injuries, including several puncture wounds to his abdomen, when the two dogs attacked him.
Exclusive video from the PSPCA shows Buddy hooked up to devices monitoring his vital functions. He has been popping his head up from time to time, but mostly he is resting while veterinary staff work to keep him stable.
The two people in question can be seen in images shared on the PSPCA Twitter account.
"The individuals on this video appear to think this was funny, since they were seen smiling and laughing," said Nicole Wilson, director of Humane Law Enforcement program.
"It is absolutely cruel what happened to this cat, and it was absolutely preventable."
Anyone with information about this case, including the two people involved, is being asked to contact PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement at 866-601-7722 or to email cruelty@pspca.com.