A Utah couple is behind bars and their 6-week-old kitten who had meth in her system is on the mend after she was found trapped in a duct-taped plastic sandwich container barely alive, according to authorities.
Police in Cottonwood Heights near Salt Lake City were called to a parking lot on Monday morning after a man and woman were found slumped over in the front seat of a vehicle. Officers on scene heard a faint “meow” coming from the car and found the cat in the triangular Tupperware-type container with only her head protruding from the narrow end, Angel Paws Veterinary Services said in a press release. The cat was rushed to the clinic where she was placed in an oxygen container where she remained overnight.
Athena, a 6-week-old Siamese kitten, was found in a duct-tape-wrapped sandwich container in Utah, barely alive. She was rushed to the Angel Paws Veterinary Services clinic and placed in an oxygen chamber, but she’s out now. Her owners were arrested for animal torture. (Angel Paws Veterinary Services)
She also was suffering from head trauma, singed fur, bruising on her temple and an injured eye in what the clinic described as “horrific abuse.” Preliminary tests showed she was positive for meth and amphetamine. Staff at the clinic named her Athena. While Athena was originally listed in critical condition, she is now out of the oxygen chamber and her status is upgraded to stable.
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Still, the Siamese kitten may lose sight in her right eye and could suffer long-term effects from drug exposure and head trauma, the clinic said. She weighs just 1.24 pounds and is receiving fluids and pain medication.
Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX identified the couple as Justin Epperson, 45, and Emily Allred, 41. They were covered in cat fur while Athena was covered in feces when cops found them in the car, which was illegally camping in the city, the station reported. Epperson and Allred are facing charges of torture of a companion animal, along with methamphetamine and fentanyl possession.
Athena, a 6-week-old Siamese kitten, was found in a duct-tape-wrapped sandwich container in Utah, barely alive. She was rushed to the Angel Paws Veterinary Services clinic and placed in an oxygen chamber, but she’s out now. Her owners were arrested for animal torture. (Angel Paws Veterinary Services)
Booking records at the Salt Lake County Jail show Epperson and Allred both bonded out of the jail on Tuesday.
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