PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN A strangled cat left in a cooler was found on the corner of Elva Ave. and 23rd St. SW in Lehigh. Animal Services authorities are conducting an investigation.

Lee County Domestic Animal Services is asking for the public for help in gathering any information possibly concerning the discovery of a dead cat with a rope around its neck found along the side of a street inside a cooler in Lehigh Acres near the intersection of Elva Avenue and 23rd Street SW.

Ria Brown, a spokeswoman with the Lee County Domestic Animal Services at 5600 Banner Drive in Fort Myers, said the dead cat was described as a female, gray and white domestic tabby.

After the cat had been picked up by authorities, it was determined that the cat died apparently by strangulation. It was found on Sept. 2.

According to Brown, a member of the animal services agency, an officer went to the location on Nov. 2 after notification by a motorist and found a red and white cooler with a dead cat inside.

According to the report by Animal Services, a rope was tied to the cat’s neck and the end of the rope was attached to the handle of the cooler.

The report stated that it appeared that the cat might have died by strangulation because the officer was unable to detect any other visible injuries on the cat.

According to the report, there was no microchip, no collar and no tags attached to the cat. Pictures were taken and the officer removed the cat and the cooler including the rope.

Brown who released the report with several photos said pictures of the dead cat were very gruesome in her opinion. While The Lehigh Acres Citizen has the photos, it has decided not to print them for the reasons cited by Brown.

On the following day after the cat had been found, another officer went to the scene to investigate what the report called a case of “cruelty.”

He tried making contact with a few of the residents on 24th St. SW, but had no success until he knocked on the door of a fourth home.

The officer said he met with a man who lived nearby who when asked about the incident, said he did not see anything out of the ordinary and told the officer that he has surveillance cameras at his home.

He said one of the cams was pointed toward the area where the cat was found in the cooler. He said that if there was something unusual on his surveillance tape, he would contact authorities.

The person who discovered the dead cat in the cooler was Glenn Burger, according to the report. He told officers that he was on his way to work at about 7:30 a.m. when he noticed the cooler on the side of the road.

He said that he got out of his vehicle and opened the cooler and noticed the dead cat. He said that he had contacted Lee County Domestic Animal Services (LCDAS), but the answering service told him that the office was not yet open.

He then contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and asked that someone come out to pick up the cat because this was a site where a school bus would soon stop and he didn’t want the children to see the deceased cat in such a condition.

He said the cat was covered with flies inside the cooler.

Burger said that when he returned home at around 5 p.m. that day, the cooler was still at the same spot. He said he contacted LCDAS again and that is when Officer Belchamber called him back and responded to the location.

Animal Services requests anyone with information about this incident to call (239) 533-7387, Ext. 2, or contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Lee County Domestic Animal Services accepts anonymous complaints. You can win a cash reward for your tip.