Reward increases in cat case

When someone shot a cat full of BBs and dumped the nearly dead animal into McKay Bay in the early hours of Sept. 1, pet lovers quickly raised thousands in reward money.

Now a new player has jumped into the effort to bring the cat abuser to justice.

Codye Jumping Wolf is a part-Lakota Sioux, part-time Tampa resident and former Army Ranger who owns a Montana ranch that specializes in paramilitary training.

Jumping Wolf's War Eagle Ranch, in Prey, Mont., has put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Lovey the cat's tormentors. American Indians from New Mexico and Arizona have contributed an additional $3,000, he says.

"If you know anything about Native American culture, you know we believe that you don't hurt anything created by the Creator unless it is for food purposes," Jumping Wolf said Tuesday in a phone interview from his 5,000-acre ranch.

Jumping Wolf, 66, said a bigger reward increases the chances people with information will come forward.

But Jumping Wolf's methods - to have potential informants come to him if they want the reward money - is not sitting well with the people in Tampa investigating the case.

"It is very dangerous to have somebody saying they are speaking in the name of the case and asking people to forward them information," Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan says. "If we don't do this properly, it will not hold up in the court of law."

Ryan suggests anyone with information contact her office at (813) 744-5660 or info@hillsboroughcounty.org.

There is no need for concern, Jumping Wolf says.

"We are going to be giving the information to Marti Ryan," he says. "But we want to get the proper credit."

The money raised by Jumping Wolf would bring the reward to about $12,000.

The cat has since been adopted, according to Bonnie Voiland, executive director of Frankie's Friends, which raised money to pay for Lovey's health care.

Lovey is doing well, she says, but the BBs will stay in her and she needs dental surgery.

In 1987, when Jumping Wolf was known as George Moore, he started the Tampa chapter of the Guardian Angels, which he ran until 1993. He also worked as a private investigator in the 1970s and 1980s and served two tours of duty in Vietnam as an Army Ranger.