NYC shop cat mauled by pit bulls as owner 'cheered'

NEW YORK - An animal rescue group is calling for justice after a Washington Heights bodega cat was killed by two pit bulls last Friday, July 4.

Freddy the bodega cat

What we know:

Freddy the bodega cat, who lived in Michelle's Flowers in Washington Heights, was mauled by the two dogs at around 9 p.m. Friday night, according to members of the volunteer rescue group Cat Collective NY.

The pit bulls' owner and bystanders not only watched, but cheered as the dogs attacked the cat, according to the animal rescue group.

A volunteer rescuer with Cat Collective NY called for help after coming across Freddy's body, FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman reports.

"One of our other volunteers from the Bronx offered to go out in the middle of the night and dispose of the remains with respect," a member of the animal rescue group told Gorman.

Reward being offered

What you can do:

The group is also offering a reward of $200 for the identities of either the pit bulls' female owner or the bystanders.

"She deliberately set these dogs upon the cat, so we would like to be able to ascertain her identity, so that we can prevent her from doing this again."

The well-being of the pit bulls is also paramount to the group, who told Gorman that the dogs should no longer be in the care of their owner.

Penny's Law

Dig deeper:

Penny's Law, proposed legislation sponsored by State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, seeks to hold pet owners criminally accountable for negligent handling of aggressive dogs and for leaving the scene of an animal attack.

The law seeks to address the lack of investigation into dog attacks, as dogs are currently considered "property" under New York state laws. The idea was proposed by the owners of 10-year-old Penny the chihuahua, who was attacked by a pit bull earlier this year.