Oak Harbor man arrested for animal cruelty after bringing two dead cats to vet clinic
Mar 27, 2026, 6:56 AM
An activated Oak Harbor Police Department vehicle in front of the station. (Photo courtesy of the Oak Harbor Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Oak Harbor Police Department)
An Oak Harbor resident has been accused of animal cruelty after a veterinary clinic reported that two of his cats died under “suspicious circumstances.”
The suspect brought two 10-month-old cats to Best Friends Veterinary Clinic after he said he found them injured and unresponsive. The cats belonged to his girlfriend, and after she left for work in the morning, he heard a crash and the sound of the cats “squealing, gagging, and struggling.”
An animal control officer with the Island County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cats’ death, finding both cats “had rolled pieces of a foil cat toy lodged in their throats.” Best Friends Veterinary Clinic then conducted a necropsy (a pet autopsy).
“The veterinarian conducting the examination noted blood in the cat’s abdominal cavity, as well as fractures and lacerations to the liver, hemorrhages on the hearts, spleens, kidneys, lungs, and brains, all indicators of blunt force trauma,” the Oak Harbor Police Department stated. “There were also signs of asphyxiation. The doctor described that the injuries to the liver would have had to been done by high velocity or high force and directed at the abdomen, causing significant and severe damage.”
The necropsy determined the cause of death for both cats was “blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.”
The suspect was arrested on March 26 after the sheriff’s office got the necropsy report from the veterinary office. He was booked into Island County Jail for two counts of first-degree animal cruelty.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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