Vermont police seek suspect in cat hanging

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Burlington police are offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for killing a cat by hanging it from a tree in a city park.

A person walking through Starr Farm Park came across an adult cat that was hung from a tree earlier this month, Burlington Police Department Deputy Chief Shawn Burke said Wednesday.

The cat, Tiki, who spent time outdoors and indoors and lived as a pet in Burlington, was found Nov. 1 in the New North End park. He was hanging by his neck from a wire attached to a tree limb, Burke said.

Police say detectives are seeking any information about the incident and are hoping to locate a suspect. An individual responsible for killing the feline most likely would face a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to three years for conviction on a first offense, Burke said.

"This cat was horrifically killed," Burke said.

The Burlington Police Department posted on its Twitter account Wednesday morning a photo of the cat and a description of the crime.

"He had a loving family," the police department stated in its tweet.

Chief Brandon del Pozo wrote on Facebook that people need answers.

"There are people in our city who know who did this depraved thing," the chief posted. "The police need to know too, as does his loving family."

Police urge those with information about the incident to contact Officer Ethan Czyzewski at 540-2327.

Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurraySMC.