A resident of Can Picafort is searching for the driver who hit his cat 'Coco' last Wednesday and left without providing assistance. The animal died hours later at the veterinary clinic.
Last Wednesday, around half past eight in the morning, a driver travelling through a street in Can Picafort, in the municipality of Santa Margalida, hit a cat and fled without stopping. The animal, a feline named 'Coco' just over a year old, was found by a neighbour bleeding and with serious injuries under a parked car.
His owner, Jose Gonzales, recounts that he had let the cat out as he did every morning. "I spent 20 minutes in the shower and when I came out, my neighbour was calling me desperately. She had found 'Coquito' bleeding under the car. He wasn't moving. His jaw was broken and he had a swollen injury on his coccyx, with his legs paralysed," he explains with deep sadness.
Emergency admission and death at the clinic
Jose quickly took the animal to a veterinary clinic, where professionals tried to save its life. However, 'Coco' had a perforated lung, an injury that proved incompatible with life. During the night of admission, the cat could not hold on any longer and died. "They couldn't feed him and had to put him on an IV. I couldn't stop crying," recalls the visibly affected owner.
The veterinarian confirmed that the impact had been violent: in addition to the fractured jaw, the animal had a blow to the coccyx that paralysed its hind legs. The lack of immediate attention worsened the situation, according to the clinical report.
The owner asks for public collaboration and awareness
After the death of his pet, Jose has decided to make his story public to locate the driver who fled. "I hope this reaches the person who hit my cat. It would have cost you nothing to stop and let the little cat cross. You were going at a speed you shouldn't have on a street where you should go 20 or less. Think if it were a child or an elderly person. You had no qualms about at least getting out of your car and notifying us," he wrote on social media.
The neighbour from Can Picafort has tried to gather evidence on his own, but there are no cameras in the area that could have captured the moment of the accident. Therefore, he asks anyone who may have seen something to contact him. "I made a post on social media to raise awareness. I wish the person who hit him had gone slower or had notified me of what happened; maybe I would have had time to save him, to stop the bleeding," he adds.
Jose also reflects on his own responsibility: "I think I could have done better and that maybe I was careless when I was outside, but he was happy with those little moments outside." The case has generated numerous reactions of solidarity on social media, where many neighbours have offered their support and shared the post to help spread the request.
A reminder about pet safety
The accident involving 'Coco' has reopened the debate about the safety of domestic animals in the streets of urban areas in Mallorca. In Can Picafort, a tourist area with narrow streets and moderate traffic, the maximum speed limit is 20 km/h, a limit that, according to Jose, the driver did not respect. The Can Picafort Neighbourhood Association has shown its support for the family and has reminded the importance of reporting such incidents to prevent them from going unpunished.
From the Santa Margalida Town Hall, municipal sources have indicated that, although there is no record of a formal complaint, they are willing to cooperate with the Local Police if evidence is provided. Meanwhile, Jose continues to seek answers: "I just want to know exactly what happened that morning. Maybe then I can have a little peace," he concludes.
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