Kitten found in Boardman, severely abused with BB gun

Austintown

Plans for Emily and Eric Dvorovy’s movie date quickly changed after making a pit stop at Target, where they found a BB-riddled kitten in the parking lot.

Emily Dvorovy, 28, said she and her husband, 30, both of Austintown, left the house Friday evening intending to see a movie but stopped at the Target in Boardman first. As they were pulling into a parking spot they spotted a white kitten scurrying under cars.

“When we got out of the car I could hear her crying, and it was so sad,” she said. “We grabbed her as she was going between cars ... You could tell she was beat up a little bit.”

Dvorovy said the white kitten, which is about eight weeks old, has several visible round wounds, some still open.

“Her fur was matted, and she had this one wound on her face that was just dripping blood,” she said. “We had to take her home with us; we couldn’t leave her.”

The couple took the kitten to Austintown Veterinary Clinic, where technician Elisha Rock said the BBs were discovered.

The BBs were spread out along the length of the kitten’s body, with several on her back and belly area. Rock said one BB entered at the kitten’s neck and floated down toward her throat, making breathing difficult.

“We’ve seen BBs on X-rays before, but nothing this severe,” she said. “It’s just cruel.”

Linda Plant, the clinic’s office manager, said, “She’s going to be OK.. When it comes time to spay her, the doctor will remove most of the BBs that are superficial."

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.