This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

A convicted felon has been arrested again in Mississippi, this time for allegedly killing two neighborhood cats with a pellet gun. Join us in seeking the maximum penalties in this case under Mississippi's recently updated animal cruelty law.

On January 21, 2022, Samuel Allen Hardee Jr. was arrested on suspicion of taking the lives of two neighborhood cats in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The first cat was reported to have been killed and placed on the doorstep of a neighbor. Within the week a second cat was reported to have been killed. The Ridgeland Police Department and the department's Division of Animal Control responded. After the first cat was taken for examination and was determined to have been shot. Chief John Neal said, “Through the investigation and with the help of citizens in the area, Hardee was identified as a suspect.”

Of cruelty to animals, Chief Neal added, “Animal abuse and cruelty is often a precursor to other serious violent crimes, so swift and harsh prosecution of these types of cases will hopefully prevent future acts by defendants.”

The authorities searched Hardee's home and discovered evidence that will be used in his prosecution.

In 2020, the state legislature strengthened the Mississippi Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law to address incidents like this, thanks to efforts led by Sen. Angela Hill who has been a champion of animal companion protection legislation.

The new law now makes aggravated animal cruelty a first-offense felony, and charges can be filed for each dog and cat who is harmed per incident.

Hardee remained in custody at the Madison County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond pending an initial appearance before a Ridgeland Municipal Court Judge on March 1, 2022.

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.