Cat Named Xena Recovering After Blow Dart Attack as Three Are Charged in Erin
A stray cat now called Xena is recovering in a body cast after a blow dart struck dangerously close to her spine and aorta in Erin, Tennessee. Police say three people have been charged in a case that a local rescue says also left several cats dead and many others harmed.
How Xena was found
One surviving cat has become the center of a deeply upsetting case in Houston County. Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue said a volunteer found Xena staggering after she had been shot with a blow dart near a gas station in Erin. The volunteer also found several dead cats that had been shot the same way.
Kim Dutzek, the rescue’s cat foster coordinator, said she first learned about the injured cat through comments and photos shared in a Houston County Facebook community forum, along with a message sent to the rescue’s Facebook Messenger account. She followed up with the person who contacted the group and said the rescue would take care of the veterinary bill.
A newer member of the rescue’s cat team, Tracy, then drove to Erin on a Sunday morning to look for the cat. Dutzek said food was placed inside a carrier, and the cat walked in within minutes. From there, Xena was taken to Nashville Vet Specialists for emergency care.
A miss measured in millimeters
Xena’s injury was grave in a very specific way. Dutzek said the surgeon explained that if the dart had landed one millimeter higher, it would have severed Xena’s spine. One millimeter lower, and it would have severed her aorta.
Xena underwent surgery and remains in a body cast while she recovers. Dutzek said the cat is not yet urinating on her own because of what the rescue calls cast paralysis, and she is receiving medication intended to help her relax. The rescue says it hopes she makes a full recovery and is not left paralyzed.
The financial side is steep, too. The rescue said the estimate for Xena’s care was between $10,000 and $13,000, and it is asking for donations to help cover the cost.
Dutzek said the rescue was told that at least 25 cats were harmed in the wider case, and that nine were still unaccounted for at the time of the interview. For a group that has seen a lot, she said this still stands out. Dutzek has worked with the Middle Tennessee nonprofit for more than 10 years and has served as foster coordinator since August 2016. She described this as one of the worst cases she has handled.
She also said the rescue has been dealing with an exhausting stream of emergencies. According to Dutzek, the group now sees an emergency visit almost every weekend. She pointed to other recent cases, including starved puppies found at a park. She also said the rescue has heard from owners who said they could not afford care for their animals.
The charges, and what the rescue is asking from the community
Erin police said Darlene Hooper was arrested on September 8 and charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, all Class E felonies, along with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Two juveniles were also charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, with those cases moving through Houston County Juvenile Court.
Papa’s BBQ said all three people charged had worked on its staff, but said none of them are currently affiliated with or employed by the restaurant. The business said it did not know what was taking place and asked the community not to blame employees who had nothing to do with it.
For the rescue, Xena’s survival story is only part of the picture. Dutzek said this is the worst year she has seen in a decade of doing the work. Along with donations for Xena and other cruelty cases, Proverbs 12:10 is asking people to consider fostering and helping neighbors get cats spayed. In the rescue’s view, that kind of practical help matters, especially when so many animals are still depending on someone to step in.
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