Ogden Police investigating after video shows man hosing down caged cat as ‘punishment’

Jonathon Sharp
·2 min read
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OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Ogden police confirmed to ABC4.com on Tuesday that an animal abuse investigation is underway in connection to a video showing a man spraying a caged feral cat with a high-powered hose as a form of “punishment.”

Lt. Will Farr said that the department is “absolutely taking the case seriously,” as what’s depicted in the video could meet the state’s definition of animal cruelty, specifically because the animal was caged and could potentially have harmed itself trying to escape.

Outrage in Ogden after video shows man hosing down caged cat as ‘punishment’

The video of the man spraying the cat recently circulated on a popular Ogden-area Facebook page. In the video, the man can be seen spraying a cat with a high-powered hose at close range while it was locked in a cage and unable to escape.

The man, which ABC4.com is not naming since he’s not been charged with any crime, said in the video that the cat had been showing up at his house for the last six months and had attacked his own cat.

“It’s time he took his punishment,” the man says before spraying the caged animal.

What happened to the cat after the hose-spraying is unknown. Likewise, it’s unclear if the animal was hurt or released.

While the original video was taken down, it’s since been shared on social media by concerned locals. On Sunday, a petition was created calling for an investigation into the alleged abuse. So far, it’s garnered more than 700 signatures.

Juli Ulvestad, the director of the Humane Society of Utah’s Pet Resource Center, told ABC4 on Monday that it was concerning to see someone gleefully punishing a cat.

“It’s not a humane deterrent to a free-roaming cat coming around your property, and it’s not effective,” she said.

Ulvestad mentioned a similar case in Florida, where a Daytona man was charged with animal cruelty earlier this year after he allegedly sprayed a caged cat with a high-pressure hose.

Under Utah law, animal cruelty applies to cases when a person injures an animal intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence. If committed intentionally, the crime is punishable with jail time and fines up to $2,500.

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