Man charged with animal abuse, accused of biting cat’s ears off
Bunny the cat is recovering from traumatic injuries after a Kentucky man allegedly bit off her ears, sparking outrage in the community.
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (WTVQ)- A 22-year-old man from Kentucky, Zachary Rollins, is facing charges of animal torture for biting off the ears of a cat named Bunny. The horrific incident has left the two-year-old cat with severe injuries, and the community is rallying behind her recovery.
Bunny undergoes surgery for injuries
Bunny was brought to Sheabel Veterinary Hospital on Saturday night with severe injuries, including missing ear tips and multiple fractures. Dr. Michelle Jude, Medical Director at Sheabel, explained the severity of Bunny’s condition: “When she came in, she had teeth marks and was missing the tips of both ears. She had two broken legs as well,” Jude said. “We’ve been working to get her healthy again, and our orthopedic surgeon will be repairing her broken leg today.”
In addition to the broken legs, Bunny was also found to be pregnant. “We spayed her, she was a few weeks pregnant, and with two broken legs, it wouldn’t be easy to carry babies. So we decided to spay her,” Dr. Jude explained.
Charges against Rollins and prior incidents
Rollins, who is charged with the torture of a dog or cat, is also implicated in a separate incident involving the deaths of two other cats in April. In a Facebook post, Hope for All Pets Inc., the animal rescue group assisting Bunny, stated that those cats were “killed by strangulation and or suffocation.”
Hope for All Pets Inc. described this case as unique and disturbing. “We’ve never seen a case like this before,” the rescue organization wrote in a Facebook post. “The trauma inflicted on Bunny is pure abuse, and it’s deeply troubling for us.”
The road to recovery and community support
Despite the severe trauma Bunny has endured, she has shown remarkable resilience. Dr. Jude described her as “the best cat” who has been sweet, purring, and eating since the surgery. Bunny’s recovery will be a long one, with an estimated $3,500 in medical costs for the surgery and care.
The veterinary team and Hope for All Pets Inc. are asking for community support to help cover the cost of Bunny’s recovery. Donations can be made through the rescue’s Facebook page, where updates on Bunny’s condition are also posted.
While animal neglect cases are not uncommon, Dr. Jude noted that cases of pure trauma or torture, such as Bunny’s, are rare. “We see random rescues come in with injuries, and we often wonder what happened, but a lot of times we don’t know. In this case, we know what happened, and it’s just terrible,” Jude said.
