RCMP take kitten to vet after abuse complaint at Saskatchewan music festival

CRAVEN, Sask. – Mounties in Saskatchewan say they’re investigating a complaint of animal cruelty at a country music festival involving a kitten.

An RCMP news release said the Mounties received a complaint on Saturday about an animal being abused at a campsite at the Craven Country Jamboree.

They said when they arrived, they found a kitten, and took the animal to the TM’z Veterinary Clinic in Lumsden, Sask.

Police said a man is being investigated under the Criminal Code and the Animal Protection Act, but they provided no further details about the cruelty allegations and did not immediately respond to requests for an interview on Sunday.

The clinic posted an update on Sunday saying the kitten — which staff have named “Jamboree” — had burns on her body but is doing well and is comfortable.

“She is doing very well and was so comfy on her pain medications that she was chowing down on a meal late tonight,” the post from just before 1 a.m. on Sunday stated.

“She is being treated with compassion and care at TM’z.”

The festival posted a video statement on Facebook, saying the person suspected of the alleged cruelty was evicted from the festival grounds.

The statement said the kitten will become the official mascot of the jamboree and will be adopted by someone from the festival.

A picture of the kitten, taken by festival staff and posted to Facebook, shows it drinking from a bowl.

A number of people responded to the clinic’s social media posts with outrage, and even an offer to pay for the kitten’s medical expenses.

The amount of interest in the story appeared to catch the festival’s marketing director by surprise, noting there are other cases of animal cruelty that are far worse.

“At the end of the day, it’s really surprising to me that anyone is interested based on the photo,” Kim Blevins said in a interview.

“The cat came out with singed whiskers and a little bit of hair on her head.”