Woman cited after dragging cat on leash at Myrtle Beach’s Coastal Grand Mall
A woman dragged a cat by a leash at Coastal Grand Mall and now faces a criminal citation, according to a police report.
On Monday, Myrtle Beach police went to Coastal Grand Mall after two people reported the incident. When officers arrived, the woman—identified as Hayley Thompson, 27—told them she was training the cat to walk on a leash, according to a police report. Thompson then picked up the cat and said nothing was around the animal’s neck and dropped the cat on a table.
An officer picked up the 3- or 4-month-old cat and noticed the animal was lethargic and dehydrated, the report states.
The officer told Thompson she was too rough with the cat, the report states. He also said people saw her drag the cat, which Thompson denied.
Thompson told the officer she didn’t have money for veterinary care, according to the report. The officer told Thompson he did not believe she could care for the kitten. At that point, Thompson became emotional and difficult to talk with, the report states.
The officer took the cat to the Grand Strand Humane Society and told Thompson if she got medical care for the cat, they could revisit her ownership of the animal, the report states.
The next day, police met Thompson at the humane society and again told her the cat needed medical care. Thompson disagreed and became difficult to talk to, according to the report. Officers told her she could take the issue to court for animal mistreatment, which Thompson accepted.
It was then officers cited her for mistreatment of animals.
