The owner of a pit bull dog is in jail after the dog savaged a 12-year-old cat in the 1200 block of Madera Avenue in the Belle Haven neighborhood at about 1:40 p.m. Thursday, February 9. The severely injured cat was later euthanized by the Peninsula Humane Society.
Police arrested and booked Anthony Makoni, 19, of East Palo Alto on charges of felony animal cruelty, said Officer Eric Dias of the Menlo Park police department. The dog is in the custody of the Humane Society.
While responding to another call on Madera Avenue, Officer Dias said he noticed two men standing on the sidewalk, one with a leashed pit bull, the other holding a leash with no dog. Both men were observing a second pit bull in a driveway with a large cat in its mouth that it was “violently shaking,” Officer Dias said.
Both men “had big smiles on their faces,” and Officer Dias concluded that the attack was intentional, he said in a report.
The officer ordered Mr. Makoni to stop the attack, but it took several attempts before he managed to pull the cat free, Officer Dias said. Once free, the cat cried loudly and began to convulse and shake violently, police said. Both of its front legs appeared to be broken.
The cat’s owner — an 18-year-old girl — and her mother were grief-stricken and said their goodbyes at the Humane Society before it was put to sleep, police said.
