In early July, a witness watched a driver throw a cat from a moving vehicle on US Highway 101 near Sequim, Washington. The car was traveling at about 55 mph.
Two months later, the cat has been adopted.
His name is Rhodes. He was found with a concussion, worn-down paw pads and road rash. A veterinarian, a volunteer trapper, two neighbors and a no-kill rescue organization worked together to get him there.
How Rhodes Was Found
The witness contacted Marion Wagner, lead trapper with Spay to Save, who reached volunteer humane trapper Joe Carter.
They searched the area where the cat was thrown. No luck. They posted on Nextdoor.
A neighbor named Barbara Thompson later spotted a cat matching the description on the nearby Olympic Discovery Trail. Another neighbor, Catharine Swartzbacker, helped husband and wife Jerrin Fiorini and Dr. Rachel Wiesen search for him.
Fiorini said they had not seen the July 10 follow-up post until July 19.
The couple set up a live trap on July 20. They checked it every four hours. Chicken did not work. Beef did. Rhodes was caught on July 24 and taken to Hadlock Veterinary Clinic, where Wiesen works.
What the Injuries Looked Like
The concussion had caused swelling on his head. His paw pads were worn down from moving across rough ground. He had road rash.
“It was quite a recuperative period,” said Danette Grady, executive director of Peninsula Friends of Animals. “He was in a very painful state. It’s a miracle nothing was broken.”
An Angel Fund at Hadlock Veterinary Clinic, supported by donations and handmade item sales, covered his initial medical costs. Four people who read about Rhodes online also offered to contribute.
The Recovery
Rhodes spent his recovery at Peninsula Friends of Animals, a cageless no-kill nonprofit, in a small playroom with volunteer care and attention.
He is now adopted.
“He could not be more of an example of being trusting again,” Grady said. “After all this boy has been through, he is so quick to want love and have attention from people. It’s amazing the resiliency he’s had to come back from this.”
That resilience is not unique to Rhodes. Zoe, a community cat who lost a leg after being shot in West Palm Beach, showed the same thing. Animals that survive serious injury and find their way to care often come back more willing to trust than you would expect.
Fiorini put it plainly: “The sickest of people brings out the best of others.”
Why Nobody Has Been Charged
A witness saw it happen. No arrest has been made and no suspect has been identified.
What happened to Rhodes would constitute animal cruelty under Washington state law, which classifies intentional acts that cause pain, suffering or death to an animal as a Class C felony. Throwing a cat from a vehicle at highway speed fits that description.
But without a plate number, a name or additional witnesses, law enforcement has very little to work from. The witness account is the only record.
This is not unusual. The gap between what happened and what can be proven shows up in animal cruelty cases regularly. In Kentucky last month, a dog killed a community cat on a leash while its owner watched, and the maximum charge available was a $500 nuisance fine.
What Grady Said About the Bigger Picture
Grady said PFOA regularly takes in cases like Rhodes. This is not rare.
Fiorini mentioned something that is easy to miss in a story with a good ending. As the cost of living rises, he said he has heard more stories about people facing difficult choices between paying bills, feeding animals or making other hard decisions.
That context does not excuse what happened to Rhodes. It does explain why rescues that operate on donations and volunteer labor are under sustained pressure, and why a cat like Rhodes ends up needing an Angel Fund just to survive what someone did to him.
Why This Matters
Rhodes is a good outcome in a story that easily could have gone the other way. The trail between July 10 and July 19 went cold. The trap sat empty for four days before the beef worked.
PFOA is currently full, according to Peninsula Daily News. The organization accepts donations for specialized care and welcomes volunteers.
Grady’s line is the right place to end this.
“It’s not an ending. It’s a whole new beginning with him.”
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. No arrests have been made. Contact local law enforcement for guidance on reporting animal cruelty.