According to The Seattle Times, Tracy A. Clark, the man convicted of brutally “gutting” Scat, a therapy cat at White Center’s Cross Church, was sentenced Friday to nine months in jail, as well as undergo alcohol treatment.

As we reported April 21st, Clark, 47, was arrested by King County Sheriff’s officers on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly severely injured the animal with a box cutter knife.

Another resident was awakened by Clark around 1am on Monday, April 20th, who told him that he had “gutted the cat.” The resident thought the suspect was intoxicated, and both men ended up going to bed.

The next afternoon the church pastor found the severely-injured cat in the parking lot.

According to court documents, Clark claims that the cat “attacked him” first, forcing him to defend himself. He said he grabbed the cat by the throat, threw it against the wall and then stabbed it with his own knife.

Scatt spent ten days at the South Seattle Veterinary Hospital and is still recovering.

Read the full story here.

Tracy Clark, the man accused of “gutting” Scatt, a therapy cat at White Center’s Cross Church, plead “Not Guilty” to a first degree animal cruelty charge Wednesday morning at King County Superior Court.

Clark allegedly attacked Scatt, the church’s therapy cat for the last eight years, on Sunday April 19th, resulting in multiple injuries including a “collar-bone to tail” knife wound.

According to KOMO News, Clark told deputies the cat attacked him first, forcing him to defend himself. He admitted that he grabbed the cat by the throat, threw it against a wall and then stabbed it with his own knife.

Clark, 47, claimed that he’d enrolled in rehabilitation at the church, which offers a full-time residential discipleship program for distressed men.

According to the report, another church resident told police that Clark awoke him late that night and said he had “gutted the cat.”

Scatt is still recovering after being treated for 10 days at South Seattle Veterinary Hospital. He was near death when admitted.

Clark is currently in custody with a $50,000 bail, and he faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• “Scatt” The Therapy Cat Doing Well, Attacker’s Arraignment Date Set For May 6th
• Update On “Scatt” The Cat’s Injuries
• Man Arrested In White Center For “Gutting” Cross Church’s Cat “Scat”

Two updates on “Scatt,” the seriously-injured therapy cat attacked by a man with a box cutter on Sunday, April 19th at White Center’s Cross Church:

1. Scatt was released from South Seattle Vet Hospital on Tuesday, April 28th, he’s doing well, and has been reunited with his keepers at the church. Jennifer, the Pastor’s wife, was quoted as saying:
   

   “Scatt is home and doing well… He is “perched” near a window, where he can see out and have the sunshine on his stitches.
   

   He has had antibiotics, pain meds and warm packs -doing great- he also is eating and drinking a lot…. AMEN!”

2. Tracy Clark, the man charged with attacking the cat, will be arraigned at 8:30am on Wednesday, May 6th at the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle. Folks at Pasadao’s Safe Haven website have posted the following statement:

Prosecutor didn’t buy the perp’s story – “I was attacked by the cat! It was self-defense!”Pasado’s Safe Haven is pleased to announce that Tracy Clark has been charged with 1st Degree Animal Cruelty. We’re thrilled that the felony animal cruelty law we helped pass in 1994 is being put to use.

HELP US SEEK JUSTICE FOR SCATT!

Please join us at date and location below. We’ll have banners and you are welcome to bring your own sign, but please make sure the language/images are respectful and appropriate to the occasion and don’t cause distraction.

Over the last few days, Pasado’s Safe Haven’s cruelty investigator, Angel L., and Pasado’s Operations Exec, Brendan B., have been tracking the case, and so have TV & newspaper reporters. Many have written to us and one comment, in particular, really rang true:


“This guy is ridiculous. To say the cat attacked him is ridiculous. I thought it was ludicrous in court yesterday that he was acting like he’s part victim! Give me a break, this guy is such a loser! I hope you get some donations for Scatt’s care, I put a link on our site to your site!”

If you’d like to help DONATE HERE (don’t forget to ask your employer to match your donation).

Here’s the latest from Pasado’s Safe Haven on “Scatt,” the severely injured cat we reported on Tuesday that was the victim of a man who “gutted” it with a box cutter; the man, 47, was arrested in White Center Sunday on animal cruelty charges.

According to Pasado, “Scatt” endured surgery to close an 8” gaping wound; peritonitis (infection of the pericardial region in the gut area) could be present so blood work was sent to a lab. Scatt is eating, alert, and standing, despite being in pain – what a trooper!

Here’s more from their website, including a way you can donate to help this poor feline:

It was a call that will leave us with nightmares; but our pain is no where near to what “Scatt” endured.

The good news? We believe he will recover.

“A cat,” the sheriff’s deputy told us, panic in his voice, “has been hurt so horribly, I can’t even look at the wounds.”

The veteran deputy who had investigated murders, now faced an animal cruelty case of untold horror. “Scatt”, he told us, was a therapy cat who resided at a church, just south of Seattle, Washington. He spent the last decade helping those who were trying to turn their lives around. In the end, one of those very people turned on him.

BROKEN RIBS – 8” KNIFE WOUND – PERFORATED LUNG –

It is a story of profound sadness, but thanks to those who acted quickly, Scatt may survive.

“Scatt” was a homeless cat who found his way to the doorstep of The Cross Church in South Seattle. The people there named him Scatt, for when they first told him to find his way home, he simply wouldn’t leave. And it was a good thing – he found kindness, and a forever home in the arms of the church staff and volunteers.

Over the last ten years, he became a “therapy cat” for humans who too were homeless, and like Scatt, down on their luck. He provided unconditional love to those who had nothing, and would curl up in the laps of complete strangers, purring.

Today, one of the very rehabilitation clients he helped, viciously attacked Scatt, nearly gutting him.

PERP ARRESTED!
According to The Cross Church’s Rehabilitation Director (who was “Scatt’s boss” during therapeutic sessions with the homeless or indigent) the perpetrator admitted to attacking Scatt. Sheriff’s deputies quickly arrested the man and booked him on First Degree Felony Animal Cruelty charges – punishable up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine. The man, they learned, had multiple outstanding warrants against him.

Pasado’s Safe Haven teams up with veterinarians
It’s great news to know that the coward who allegedly attacked this innocent being, is in a jail cell. The courts will take care of him. But now, we need to take care of Scatt.

We need your help to support the life-saving care needed for Scatt, who is in the care of an excellent veterinary team at a south Seattle veterinary hospital. Scatt has already endured surgery to close the 8” “collarbone to tail” wound that was inflicted with a knife. His prognosis is “guarded”, the vets told us, and “optimistic”. We have every paw crossed that this little guy will make it.

Will you help? Any amount would be so appreciated. Please donate here.

No adoption – Scatt’s church “family” wants him back – they adore him!
In addition to paying for Scatt’s medical bills, we asked if he needed long-term care at Pasado’s Safe Haven, and even an adoptive home. “No, we love him!” we were told. His family, for the last ten years, wants him back. And although we’d love to be able to wrap our arms around him and help him into his future, we know that the church, and the humans there, are his family. We’re just glad we can make him whole by helping with the medical bills. Thanks to you.

Please check pasadosafehaven.org frequently. We’ll be posting updates and photos often. And thank you for this little being, who most likely walked up to the man who hurt him, thinking he was his friend.

PLEASE DONATE HERE, and keep hoping that that “optimistic” prognosis comes true.

If you experience any problems with our donation form please contact us at 360.793.9393.

When writing fiction, oftentimes writers resort to having to depict a bad guy as being “really bad” by showing him hurting an animal; this is often referred to as the “kicking the dog” scene, and it’s intended to make audiences hate the antagonist.

However, in this true story, the bad guy is so bad that we won’t have to resort to writing that scene – he already lived it out, and is now paying for it:

King County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 47-year old man in White Center Sunday on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly severely injured a church’s cat with a box cutter knife.

The incident occurred at Cross Church, located at 1320 SW 102nd in White Center (map below).

The church operates a live-in recovery program, and the male suspect was one of its residents.

Another resident was awakened by the suspect about 1am Sunday morning. The suspect said he had “gutted the cat.” The resident thought the suspect was intoxicated, and both men ended up going to bed.

The next morning the suspect moved out.

That afternoon the church pastor found the church’s cat, “Scat” in the parking lot. He had serious cuts and puncture wounds, including a seven-inch cut, and possibly three broken ribs as well.

Sheriff’s deputies tracked down the suspect Sunday afternoon. He was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Animal Cruelty. He told the arresting deputy the cat “attacked” him.

Scat is at a local veterinary hospital and it is unknown if he will survive his injuries. He is around 10 years old.

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