Angelina Martinez, who was arrested for failure to provide veterinary care for her severely injured cat in Watsonville, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge for animal neglect, Santa Cruz County Animal Services announced.

“We are thrilled with the amount of time and energy the district attorney put into this case to ensure justice was served for this cat,” said Todd Stosuy, supervising animal control manager for Santa Cruz County Animal Services. “Sadly this outcome could have been prevented if the owner had taken the cat to the vet. It is important for animals to receive veterinary care at the first sign of injury or illness.”

Martinez was arrested on Feb. 5 for failure to provide veterinary care for her severely injured cat, the animal shelter reported. The cat had a very large open mass that covered half her face. Martinez pled guilty to the charge in court after prosecutors showed pictures of the festering wound and the condition of the cat, according to a shelter news release. Martinez was placed on court probation for 24 months and ordered not to have any more cats. She also will have to pay restitution for board and vet fees to Animal Services who tried to save the cat. The cat was eventually euthanized because the tumor had entered the cat’s brain and was causing the cat tremendous pain.

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(Published in 5/14/08 edition)

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