MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — A community is demanding accountability after a stray cat was found dead inside an animal control trap attached to a storm drain following heavy rain in Rutherford County.
The situation began when Ashley Prymek spotted the stray cat near Broad Street. The cat was guarding her kittens, which were tucked inside a utility box.
"As soon as I got to the box, she was up here and protecting [her kittens] so obviously I didn’t want to scare her into the street," Prymek said.
Prymek called PAWS of Rutherford County for help.
"Within hours they called me back and set the trap and I thought all was well," Prymek explained.
Prymek said PAWS chained the humane trap inside a storm drain. She trusted the professionals and was told the trap would be monitored. However, overnight rain soaked the area. When Prymek returned Tuesday morning, she made a heartbreaking discovery.
"I came by to check, and mamma was in the humane trap... and she was gone, deceased. There was water in the bottom and kittens were still up here. I know [PAWS is] doing their best with what they have. However, this is 100% avoidable. It didn’t have to happen this way," Prymek said.
PAWS of Rutherford County acknowledged the incident in a social media post, stating an internal review found the situation was not handled according to department protocols and that appropriate disciplinary action is being taken.
In its statement, PAWS referred to the incident as the unfortunate death of an injured feral cat. Prymek disputed the severity of the cat's injuries.
"She had a little scratch on her face, it wasn’t life threatening. That’s not what did this," Prymek said.
A local rescuer is now caring for the kittens, and they are doing well. However, Prymek and other community members are focused on ensuring similar incidents do not occur.
"We need to know what’s going to change in the future to prevent this from happening," Prymek said.
Rutherford County Cat Rescue sent a formal letter to the county mayor demanding an investigation, accountability, and immediate changes to trapping policies.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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