A Thai chef is grieving over the loss of her cat as a result of a vicious attack by a family in Brooklyn on April 4.
The incident reportedly started when a 12-year-old boy allegedly pulled the leash of “Ponzu,” who was being walked by Chanan Aksornnan and her boyfriend at McCarren Park around 5 p.m.
The couple was also walking another cat, a dog and a bird.
The boy allegedly snatched and pulled Ponzu’s leash up into the air before dropping him.
The 3-year-old cat tried to get away, but the boy allegedly stepped on his leash.
Ponzu, who had a preexisting heart condition, reportedly suffered a bloodied back.
Aksornnan confronted the boy, who then ran away to his family.
The boy’s mother started berating the couple instead of apologizing, according to ChaRee Pim, Aksornnan’s friend who recounted the incident in a Facebook post on Monday.
“You don’t blame me, you’re the one who was wrong. Why did you take a cat [for a] walk?” Pim quoted the boy’s mother as saying, according to Newsweek. “This is what you [get] when you walk you f*****g cat b***h!”
The situation quickly turned physical. In a video, individuals from the boy’s family can be seen assaulting the couple.
“They immediately began a verbal abuse which escalated into a physical assault. I got punched and kicked by three women,” Aksornnan told Greenpointers.
Aksornnan’s boyfriend suffered a broken nose from a punch and required emergency surgery.
During the altercation, Pim said their dog was harassed and the bird was punched.
The couple has since lodged a police report. Ponzu succumbed to his injuries and died in the park.
“We are traumatized, lost for words, heartbroken. Our family got physically assaulted that day and there is a pending police investigation to find and charge the perpetrators who showed no empathy for animals nor humans,” the couple wrote on Ponzu’s Instagram page, which has over 23,000 followers.
“Ponzu was one of a kind, special. We fell in love with him from the first sight,” they added. “He was gentle, caring, loving, playful, and handsome. He was curious and loved outdoors. He was well travelled. And he brought joy and smile to millions across the globe.”
The couple’s surviving pets were also “traumatized” over the incident, they said. The case has been passed to three different detectives since its filing, according to Pim.
“The incident is currently under investigation by the 94 Precinct Detective Squad,” Captain Kathleen E. Fahey, Commanding Officer of the 94th Precinct, told Greenpointers. “Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call the 94 Precinct Detective Squad, if they have not already done so.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged by the couple to contact [email protected].
Supporters are using the hashtag #JusticeForPonzu on social media to share their distress and remember the feline.
Feature Images via ChaRee Pim (left) and @ponzucoolcat (right)
