A man was arrested shortly after the release of a video that allegedly showed him taking an injured cat out of a trash bag and tossing it into a dumpster in Orange County, authorities said.
The cat was left there for 15 hours and discovered mere minutes before the dumpster was scheduled to be emptied, according to a news release from the city of Mission Viejo.
The city shared surveillance camera footage of the incident Wednesday. A few hours later a woman came forward to identify the animal as her cat, BooBoo, and the man as her roommate.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrested the man later that day on suspicion of felony animal cruelty, according to the city. As of Thursday, BooBoo remained at a veterinary hospital and was being treated for extensive injuries.
The suspect’s name has not been released.
Mission Viejo Animal Services Director Brynn Lavison said she was deeply grateful for the Sheriff’s Department’s assistance and moved by the outpouring of public concern for BooBoo’s welfare.
“Many of you have donated to her care; others have inquired about her adoption status; and most have expressed their disdain for animal abuse,” she said in a statement. “We feel proud to be part of a pet-loving community that truly cares about the animals who share our lives.”
The cat was left in a dumpster near the 25000 block of Cabot Road in Laguna Hills around 7:20 p.m. Monday, according to Mission Viejo officials.
On Tuesday, city Animal Services received a report about the injured cat and took it to an animal hospital for evaluation and treatment. Officials pledged they would “ensure that BooBoo is healthy,” and “eventually reunite with her loving owner.”
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