A 25-year-old Tacoma woman is accused of starving to death two kittens she abandoned in her apartment for more than a month.
Pierce County prosecutors have charged Rachel Dudley with two counts of first-degree animal cruelty.
According to charging papers:
The apartment assistant manager entered Dudley’s apartment in the 3500 block of South Orchard Street on March 28 to do an occupancy check and found two kittens. The manager said Dudley had not been home for “quite some time,” so she called Dudley, who said she would come home to care for the animals.
On April 6, the manager went inside the apartment to check on the fire extinguisher and found one of the kittens dead. The other kitten was still alive, so the manager fed it and gave it water until animal control officers arrived.
The surviving kitten was emaciated with its back, rib and hips bones protruding.
After being taken to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, veterinarians found the kitten was extremely dehydrated and starved. It was euthanized two days later.
Officials said “the kitten likely suffered a slow, painful and debilitating death.”
Dudley told officers she was last at her apartment in early March and that a bad breakup with her boyfriend prevented her from thinking about her pets.
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com