Harry was a sweet gray tabby cat who just "showed up" in Mary Ann Stanley's yard one day, and she and her husband, Greg Vogel, took him in. Today, the couple is offering a $1,000 reward to find out who shot and killed their beloved pet.

Harry died after Savannah Veterinary Emergency Clinic's Dr. Debbie Barrett tried to save him but was unsuccessful.

"He had been shot with a .22-caliber rifle," Stanley said. "Whoever did it shot to kill. The bullet creased his jaw, plowed a furrow down the side of his neck, shattered his right shoulder and lodged under his arm."

The cat crawled home, to the place where he had showed up years earlier, injured then as well.

"Harry was about 9 months old when he showed up in our yard in the spring of 2011," Stanley said. "Timid, injured and hungry, the small gray tabby would dart in for quick bites of the food my husband offered. As he gained confidence, he spent time on the porch, getting to know our old Maine Coon cat, who eventually accepted him as his buddy. In a few months, he became mostly a house cat, beloved by everyone."

But weeks ago, the friendly kitty was gone.

"We rushed him to his vet, (Statesboro Bulloch Regional Veterinary Hospital's) Dr. Billy Nessmith, who helped us immensely and then referred him to an emergency facility in Savannah where a cat blood transfusion was available if needed," Stanley said. "The vets there worked on him, and his condition stabilized. They were hopeful he could have surgery the next day to remove the bullet and work on his shoulder. The prognosis was good. But the next morning, we got the call. He had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

"Harry should have had many happy years ahead with us, and Tiger (the Maine Coon) is still searching for her friend," she said.

Hurt and angry, Stanley and Vogel tried to learn who could have done such a thing to their pet. They researched animal abuse laws and spoke to local authorities. Now, they are offering the $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Tips may be submitted to Bulloch County Humane Enforcement Officer Jamie Boyett at (912) 489-1664.

"We are trying to come to terms with the fact that we can't bring Harry back, but at least doing this might help prevent someone else's pain," Stanley said.

Boyett said the case remains open into Harry's death, but so far, there have been no true leads.

If the cat "was destroying property" and someone shot him to protect that property, the shooting would be within the law, Boyett said. However, "if somebody shot him just for fun, it would be animal cruelty."

For that, penalties could vary from fines to prosecution and a sheriff's investigation, he said.

According to website law.justia.com, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated states someone found guilty of animal cruelty a first time can plead first offender status, but a second offense could mean a year in jail, $10,000 fine or both. Aggravated cruelty to animals is when a person "knowingly and maliciously causes death or physical harm to an animal by rendering a part of such animal's body useless or by seriously disfiguring such animal," and can mean up to five years in prison, $15,000 fine or both, according to the website.

According to Georgia law, someone found guilty of animal cruelty for the first time can plead first-offender status, but a second offense could mean a year in jail, a $10,000 fine or both. Aggravated cruelty to animals is when a person "knowingly and maliciously causes death or physical harm to an animal by rendering a part of such animal's body useless or by seriously disfiguring such animal" and is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $15,000 fine or both (Official Code of Georgia Annotated §16-12-4).

Harry's tale

After Stanley and Vogel took the shy kitten into their home in 2011, he soon became a part of the family.

"Over the years, Harry grew into a 15-pound giant but remained gentle and sweet-tempered," Stanley said. "He liked to spend a few hours in the yard some days, looking at birds, but far too heavy to catch one or even climb a tree."

When Stanley got home each day after teaching at Metter High School, Harry was a welcome sight.

"He would be so happy to see me that he would drop and roll on the ground when I stepped from the car," she said. "He would then run behind me to the door to come in for the night and eat his supper. Afterward he would play with Tiger, an abandoned kitten I rescued at the high school, and settle down to have his tummy rubbed and go to sleep in my husband's arms."

Some may not understand how a pet can become so entangled in one's heart, but Harry was more than just a cat to Vogel and Stanley.

"Harry even became a celebrity of sorts when he entered the high school pet pageant to help raise money for the Metter Animal Shelter," Stanley said. "Everybody loved Harry - until the night of Saturday, Feb. 20," when he didn't come home. "We searched and called all night, agonizing about coyotes and snakes. We didn't think about snakes that walk on two legs."

The next morning, Vogel found Harry, bleeding and in shock, lying under the couple's vehicle.

"Now we are trying to get past the pain and grief and get justice for Harry. No one else should have to go through this," Stanley said. "There is a cold-blooded killer in our community. Harry never ventured far from the house, and he was obviously a well-fed, well-groomed pet cat, not a nuisance animal."

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.