A Spencerport, New York firefighter has been charged with animal cruelty following a failed attempt to rescue a cat from a tree that resulted in the animal’s death.

The incident occurred on October 3, 2025, in Spencerport, a village in Monroe County. Firefighters were dispatched to assist with a cat that had become stranded in a tree. During the response, firefighter Douglas McPherson allegedly used an water from hoseline to dislodge the cat.

According to investigators, the force of the water stream caused the cat to be knocked from the tree. Video of the incident, which later circulated publicly, shows the hose stream being directed into the tree before the cat falls to the ground.

The cat sustained significant injuries in the fall and was subsequently evaluated by a veterinarian. Due to the severity of its condition, the cat was euthanized several days later.

The case was investigated by officials from the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, who conducted interviews and reviewed video evidence over the course of several months. Authorities concluded that while there was no indication the firefighter intended to harm the animal, the method used was unjustified and resulted in unnecessary suffering.

McPherson was charged under New York Agriculture and Markets Law § 353, which prohibits torturing or injuring animals or failing to provide proper sustenance. The offense is classified as a misdemeanor, but carries a potential of up to one-year in jail. Here is the description:

§ 353. Overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance. A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and for purposes of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section 160.10 of the criminal procedure law, shall be treated as a misdemeanor defined in the penal law.

The Spencerport Fire District released a press release with the following statement:

“The Spencerport Fire District is aware that the Humane Society of Greater Rochester filed charges against a former member for an incident on October 3rd 2025. The District cooperated fully with the investigation. We have revised our standard operating guidelines and implemented additional training for all personnel to ensure appropriate tactics are used in similar situations moving forward. The District will not comment further on a pending matter and will respect the legal process.”

According to news reports, McPherson is no longer affiliated with the Spencerport Fire District.

More on the story:

• https://www.firerescue1.com/legal/n-y-ff-charged-with-torturing-injuring-animals-after-failed-cat-rescue
• https://www.whec.com/top-news/spencerport-firefighter-charged-with-animal-cruelty-after-cat-dies-from-injuries-sustained-in-fire-hose-rescue-attempt/
• https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/spencerport-firefighter-charged-following-failed-rescue-of-cat-stuck-in-tree-high-powered-hose-tactics-animal-cruelty-arrest-lollypop-farm-humane-law-enforcement
• https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-04-28/firefighter-charged-in-cats-death-after-tree-rescue-attempt