Fred The Undercover Cat

Fred was born in the spring of 2005 in Brooklyn, New York. In September 2005, he was rescued by Animal Care & Control of New York City, suffering from severe pneumonia and a collapsed lung. Fred was adopted by assistant district attorney Carol Moran, as part of a foster care program run by Animal Care & Control of New York City, and was nursed back to health.

Career
In 2006, Fred was enlisted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office as an undercover secret agent, posing as a would-be patient to help the NYPD apprehend Steven Vassall, a man suspected of acting as a veterinarian without proper license or training. Working with human undercover detective Stephanie Green-Jones, Fred was bait in February, 2006, sting operation to apprehend Steven Vassall, who was charged with unauthorized veterinary practice, criminal mischief, injuring animals and petty larceny. In May 2007, Vassall pleaded guilty to the charges of fraud and practicing veterinary medicine without a licence.

In May 2006, Fred was presented with a Law Enforcement Appreciation Award. Fred was later honored in July, 2006, at “Broadway Barks 8!”, the New York City Theater District’s dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefit. He was presented with the Mayor’s Alliance Award, which is given to remarkable animals.

Following the sting operation Fred began to receive training as a therapy animal, with the purpose of becoming a teaching-animal in the district attorneys office’s “Legal Lives” program. Here, he would be taken into classrooms to help teach children how to treat and care for animals.

At home in Queens, Fred settled into an indoor life of chases and naps and sudden pounces. There was air-conditioning. There were sunbeams. Fred died on August 10, 2006 when he escaped from his home in New York and was struck and killed by a car.
Fred was 15 months old.

Resource
nytimes.com
Wikipedia.com

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