A Tampa woman is doing all she can to find the person she says is responsible for throwing two kittens out of a moving vehicle. A local non-profit is also offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest.
Rachel Sheets said she was driving down Florida Avenue on July 1 between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., when she saw a small cat fly out of the moving vehicle in front of her. This was near the intersection of Florida Avenue and Crest Avenue, heading northbound.
She told ABC Action News at first, she was not sure if the cat had jumped out or was thrown out.
"In my mind, I wanted to believe it jumped," Sheets said.
However she says the car never slowed down. Sheets said she followed the car trying to get pictures of the driver and the license plate. She continued driving northbound.
Then, Sheets said to her horror, the driver's side car window opened again.
"The person actually hanging the kitten outside the car and dropping that kitten out of the car," she said.
Sheets said the vehicle ran both kittens over with the back wheels of their car. Neither survived.
"Disbelief," Sheets said. "I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe anyone was capable of doing such a horrific crime."
Now, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay is stepping in and offering cash for information.
"If they know who threw those kittens out, that died in a horrible, horrible way, we're going to offer a reward that leads to the arrest," said Sherry Silk, Humane Society of Tampa Bay CEO.
Sheets continued to follow the car but said she eventually lost them when it turned a corner.
ABC Action News has posted a picture of the car that she took several pictures of but we have blurred the license plate number as investigators have not confirmed this is the car they are looking for.
"It's important to me that the two little kittens get justice," Sheets said.
Sheets submitted pictures and a full plate number to investigators. She has filed a report with the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Animal Cruelty investigators are also looking into the case.
"I told her, I will follow up on this," Sheets said. "I'm not letting this go."
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay has said if you have any information on who the driver may be, please contact the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center at (813) 744-5660. You can also call Tampa Police.
