Kristen Lindsey Latest News: District Attorney Considering Felony Charge for Animal Cruelty
The case of Kristen Lindsey, the Texas veterinarian who allegedly killed a cat using a bow and arrow and posted a gruesome photo of it on Facebook, is now with the Austin Country District Attorney's office for review and further investigation. The Austin County Sheriff's Office has concluded their investigation on the matter and has turned over the results to the District Attorney's office, according to reports.
District Attorney Travis J. Koehn said in a news release that his "office will carefully review this matter, as we do with all investigations forwarded by law enforcement." The office of the DA, however, could not say when the review will be finished, but a legal assistant working for the DA's office said that a felony charge may be considered. Animal cruelty is considered by the FBI as a "top-tier felony."
Prior to reaching the DA's office, the investigation on the case was prompted by a Facebook post on April 17 by Dr. Lindsey, with a photo of her holding an arrow that had a dead cat on its end.
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The photo was accompanied by a caption: "My first bow kill, lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head! Vet of the year award… Gladly accepted."
The post went viral and the local police department received numerous calls about the incident. An animal rescue group said that cat was not a feral cat and was believed to be Tiger, an orange tabby who had been missing.
Lindsey had been working with the Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham for two years, the Huffington Post reported. The clinic immediately fired her, and it was also reported that the clinic received over 500 calls about the incident.
During the course of the investigation, Alley Cat Allies, an advocacy group, offered a $7,500 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for killing the cat.
A report in KBTX also says that the Sheriff's Office has confirmed that they are in touch with Lindsey, who had said that she will come in with her attorney. It was also reported that they are set to interview the veterinarian early in the week.
