A possible act of animal cruelty was discovered near Libby when, on Jan. 7 at 3:30 p.m., a Forest Service Officer found a cat-carrier box riddled with holes from a birdshot shot from a shotgun. The cat, an orange shorthair with a shortened tail, was found frozen and shot a few feet away, according to Cory Cromer of Animal Control.

On the Sheldon Mountain Trailhead, the site of which the cat was found was allegedly littered with beer cans. Cromer said that the shooter was possibly an owner trying to put down their cat, since it appears that the cat had a lump on it’s back that could possibly have been a tumor. In the state of Montana, it’s legal for owners to put down their own pets. However, Cromer said that the fact that they shot the cat with a birdshot, the smallest shot for a shotgun, and how the cat was left at the scene, makes this an act of animal cruelty.

When Cromer looked into the incident, he thought he had a lead with the unique-look of the cat carrier, but, unfortunately, many people in the area have the same cat carrier from a local clinic, who give them away.

A $250 award has been offered by the Flathead Spay and Neuter Clinic, a non-profit neuter clinic out of Columbia Falls. Cromer said that he’s also been contacted by individuals separate from the clinic who have wanted to add funds to the award as well.