Ohio man upset that police shot his injured cat

NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man is questioning a police officer’s decision to fatally shoot the family cat after it was struck by a car last month.

Jeffery Pisula says the sound from the street woke him around 1 a.m. on April 15. He says Ralphie the cat was 20 feet from their front door in Newark in central Ohio and the officer should have tried to contact them.

Pisula says the department should change its policy so a veterinarian makes the call on whether to put an animal down.

Police tell WBNS-TV of Columbus that officers usually shoot an injured animal as a last resort. Sgt. Scott Snow says animal control couldn’t be called because no one was working at that hour.

He says Newark police have a great regard for animals.