Thursday, 4:30 PM
Cat found burned to death in East Boston
By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff
Boston Police and fire officials are investigating the burning death of a cat today in East Boston.
"It's just a shocking case of cruelty to a defenseless animal," said Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.
At 8 a.m., police and fire officials received a report of a burning cat on Princeton Street in East Boston. They found the animal on the sidewalk, outside a three-story house where a first-floor window had been broken.
Law enforcement officers with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are also investigating.
Police are searching for suspects and arson investigators have interviewed residents of the home and are seeking a motive, MacDonald said.
Animal cruelty is punishable by up to five years in prison, said Officer Jamie Kenneally, spokesman for the Boston Police Department.
