Southwest
Cat in Texas weighing 26 pounds is placed on diet after animal rescuers step in
A hefty feline weighing 26 pounds is now on the road to recovery.
The black house cat, Tanglewood, was in great need of care, so he was brought to Austin Pets Alive, an animal shelter in Austin, Texas, with lifesaving programs designed to save animals at risk of being euthanized.
Luis Sanchez, director of public relations at Austin Pets Alive, told Fox News Digital via email that Tanglewood is now in foster care with the shelter’s cat adoption manager.
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“We are still monitoring him for seizures while we work to determine the cause, but we are focusing on his neurological symptoms and his broken front leg,” said Sanchez.
“After he starts feeling better, we will be his cheerleaders to get him on a weight loss plan and get him down a few pounds,” he added.
Tanglewood weighs 26 pounds and is in foster care thanks to an animal shelter in Austin, Texas. (Austin Pets Alive)
A domestic cat should weigh about 8 to 10 pounds, depending on the breed, according to the ASPCA.
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Tanglewood was adopted eight months ago but then was returned to Austin Pets Alive in rough shape.
The ASPCA says obesity is a very common problem in pets and can be detrimental to an animal’s health. Tanglewood at 26 pounds is shown here. (Austin Pets Alive)
“He had a fractured leg when we picked him up, and then … over the course of a couple of days, he started developing some neurological symptoms that resulted in seizures,” Allie Dono, the cat specialty populations coordinator at Austin Pets Alive, told FOX 7 Austin.
“One of the seizures was so intense that he ended up fracturing his jaw, so we had to put a jaw wire in.”
The ASPCA notes that obesity is a very common problem in pets and can be detrimental to a cat or dog’s health.
An overweight pet has many added stresses upon its body and is at an increased risk of diabetes, liver problems and joint pain, according to the ASPCA.
Tanglewood is currently in a foster home. Animal rescuers in Austin, Texas, hope he will find a permanent family. (Austin Pets Alive)
Tanglewood will need a dedicated adopter who will make sure he sticks to his new diet plan.
“We are grateful to our team for stepping in quickly and we are looking for an adoptive home for this lovable and friendly chonk,” Sanchez said.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
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A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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