A 45-year-old man has been charged in a weeklong animal cruelty investigation after a kitten was shot in the eye with a dart, Rowlett police said.

Residents first spotted the injured kitten, named Shadow, on August 21. Animal services and Rowlett police responded, but the kitten was skittish and kept running away, disappearing for days at a time. Rowlett Animal Services said it kept traps out consistently, making sure the kitten wouldn't be left confined in unsafe conditions.

Locals eventually rescued Shadow a week ago.

An organization called Friends of Rescued Animals paid for him to see a vet, and the dart was removed. Shadow survived surgery but lost his right eye.

"This was an event that should not have occurred," said Rowlett police Det. Cruz Hernandez. "Once Shadow the cat was in

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