Who Is Shooting Animals With Darts in Medford? PETA Offers $5,000 Reward

For Immediate Release:
November 6, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty-to-animals charges of the person(s) responsible for reportedly shooting at least two cats, several pigeons, and a Great Blue Heron with blowgun darts along the Bear Creek Greenway.

According to the latest reports, a cat was spotted with a dart piercing a leg last week, just seven days after another cat was found similarly injured. Spent darts have apparently been found along the Greenway from Hawthorne Park to the vicinity of Highway 62 and Table Rock Road.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Medford Police Department non-emergency line at 541-776-7206.

“A cruel person is targeting these animals, leaving them wounded and frightened, and we need the public’s help to prevent more cats, birds, or other animals from suffering and dying,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is offering up to $5,000 in hopes that someone will come forward with the information needed to stop these attacks.”

Following the first reported shooting, PETA sent local TV stations its Here Kitty Kitty video spot featuring It actor Jaeden Martell, which warns that cats left outdoors can fall victim to cruel people and other dangers. PETA encourages guardians to keep cats safely indoors and provide them with toys, scratching posts, climbing structures, and other enrichment.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram