A cat named Spots was recovering in an Inland Empire animal hospital on Sunday after a graphic video of the cat being thrown was posted to the internet over the weekend.
Police in Ontario, California, are investigating the case of animal abuse.
The graphic video lasts less than 10 seconds. A young man first lifts the cat with both hands, then flings it high into the air. The cat can then be seen hitting the ground, clearly in pain.
The video posted to social media on Friday has gone viral. Officers with the Ontario Police Department went door to door in the neighborhood where they believe the incident happened after calls poured into the police station, sparking outrage from people not only in the Southern California city, but around the country.
One woman from Canada tweeted that she was unable to watch the video.
"So sick that people would go so low to abuse animals," she wrote.
The Ontario Police Department tweeted that they were investigating the animal cruelty video.
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"We have located the cat & owner. The cat has leg fracture but is going to be ok," the department wrote on Twitter.
The cat’s owner Perla and her mother told NBC4 they refuse to watch the video because it’s too upsetting. Neighbors say the perpetrator lives in the area.
"I just want him to know he hurt a victim that can’t defend itself," she said.
Spots is a stray she found four months ago. After being rushed to an emergency clinic, it was determined that Spots suffered a broken leg.
The cat now has a cast on one leg and wrapping on her other front leg. The vet says irregular blood tests suggests she suffered internal injuries as well. She'll stay at the animal hospital so that vets can monitor her progress.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
