The Hawaii Police Department has initiated an animal cruelty investigation following reports from a pet owner who believes his cat fell victim to sexual assault. Jeremia Cohen, the concerned pet owner, noticed unusual behavior in his cat, Mochi, prompting him to seek veterinary assistance and subsequently report the incident to law enforcement.
For a period of two weeks, Cohen tirelessly searched for Mochi, and upon her return, he observed disturbing signs indicating something was amiss. “She smells strange, been acting weird, she can’t really walk,” expressed Cohen.
Seeking immediate professional evaluation, Cohen took Mochi to Aina Hou Animal Hospital, where veterinarians provided insights that aligned with Cohen’s suspicions. “She examined her for maybe 15, 20, 30 minutes. Came back out and without blatantly saying it was ‘this’, there is a clear indication of forced trauma, blunt force trauma,” Cohen revealed.
The veterinarian’s report, further substantiated the claim that the injuries were not inflicted by another animal, ruling out the possibility of an attack by a dog or any other creature.
Sgt. Chris Kim from the Honolulu Pet CrimeStoppers, acknowledging the rarity of such cases, advised pet owners to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their animals. “Safeguard your pets, keeping it within the home, or on a proper leash, for instance, a dog that’s going to be chained up outside. But we also want people to register their pets, have it microchipped, have a collar on it with home type of identifying tag on it, in case it gets lost,” Kim emphasized.
Kim clarified that sexual assault of an animal is considered a misdemeanor for the first offense and escalates to a class C felony for subsequent offenses.
Regarding Mochi’s condition, Cohen reported a slight improvement, noting that she is eating and walking. However, lingering issues persist, prompting him to schedule a follow-up vet visit in the near future.
The Hawaii Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this incident to come forward and assist in their ongoing investigation. The community is urged to remain vigilant in safeguarding their pets and to promptly report any suspicious activities involving animals to the authorities.
