Content warning: Animal cruelty
“Rest now, little one.”
A kitten burned by a group of young men in Cabuyao, Laguna, reportedly for clout, has died days after the cruel incident despite efforts to save its life.
Bataan Animal Welfare Society (BAWS) on Tuesday, September 1, announced that Nixie, the kitten who was burned alive for social media content, had passed away days after the incident.
Nixie was rescued by BAWS after the group learned about the incident.
He was brought to a veterinary clinic in an effort to treat his third-degree burns and other injuries sustained after being burned.
BAWS said that they brought the kitten to the veterinary clinic “almost every day” for treatment.
Nixie was last brought to the vet after his temperature dropped.
Hours later, the kitten died.
BAWS later announced Nixie’s death, mourning his passing and vowing to seek the “justice” that the kitten deserves.
“Before the world ever hurt him, there was the warmth of her body curled around his. The warmth of milk. The quiet comfort of being small, safe, and loved. In those first days of his life, warmth meant home. Then warmth betrayed him. It came to him as fire,” the organization said.
“It wrapped around his tiny body, not to keep him alive, but to make him suffer. The warmth that should have comforted became something cruel. Something that burned through his fragile skin and left wounds far deeper than the ones we could see,” BAWS added.
The organization also paid another tribute to Nixie from the perspective of the individual who cared for him following his rescue.
The caregiver said that while they had prepared themselves for the possibility of losing the kitten because of his condition, experiencing his death was still “extremely painful.”
“From the very beginning, we knew that with your tiny body and the severe burns covering almost all of you, you might only have a few days with us. Still, we hoped,” the caregiver said.
“We hoped that with every gentle touch, every treatment, and every moment you chose to eat and drink, your tiny body was choosing to fight,” they added.
The caregiver said they had hoped Nixie would “know a life beyond” what was done to him.
“But your tiny body had already carried so much. You were so small. And you were so tired,” the carer added.
The organization vowed never to forget Nixie and to seek the justice the kitten deserves.
On August 23, Nixie was allegedly doused with alcohol and then set on fire by some young men, who admitted to doing it for clout. They also claimed they were drunk at the time.
Nixie was later doused with water, but had already sustained injuries from the incident.
BAWS rescued the kitten and brought him to the veterenary clinic for medical attention. The organization also fed him recovery food and gave him water.
READ: ‘Cruelty is not content’: Animal groups condemn burning of live kitten
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) condemned the burning incident, noting that animal cruelty is prohibited under Philippine law.
The Animal Welfare Act states that it is “unlawful for any person to torture any animal” and “to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal,” among other prohibited acts.
The law also prohibits acts such as torturing, beating, or mutilating animals,
