Longmont, Colorado – A Colorado couple is mourning the loss of their beloved cat, Basil, who died in a horrific cruelty incident that is under investigation by the local police. As reported by ABC 7 News, Holly Mathews and her boyfriend, Travis, fitted their cats with GPS tracking collars because the felines enjoyed in-and-out privileges.
The cats were adopted in Norway and they enjoyed hiking, biking, and other outdoor adventures.
Holly tells the news agency:
“They kind of defied what cats do. They like hiking and biking and have this full sense of this fullness of life. Particularly with Basil,They are indoor/outdoor cats. I was never willing to take that away from them after we moved here.”
On the evening of August 27, the couple got an alert that Basil was out of her normal area. They could see that she appeared to be moving as if in a car, so they got in their own vehicle and followed.
The trail ended at a riverbed where they discovered Basil in a trash bag – her body was still warm. A necropsy revealed that Basil had been shot in the head and then discarded at the river. Her owners think they missed her killer by minutes.
Mathews said:
“So much anger and so much rage that someone did this to our family. [Basil] was my everything,”
Anyone with information is asked to reach out to Longmont PD at 303-651-8555 and reference report number #23-7880.
