Residents in West Baltimore had an eventful day on Dec. 5. Two long-legged African servals were spotted roaming the streets. The exotic cats are banned in the city of Baltimore. What's worse, neither of them had a collar or name tag.
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Nobody wants to encounter a big cat that resembles a leopard. Especially when they're walking their dog, going for a jog, or coming home from the grocery store. Unfortunately, the servals didn't know that, as they went about their day out without a care in the world.
The two cats belonged to Brandon Haw, a former Rutgers safety and a two-year NFL pro, including a season with the New York Jets.
"I see, all of a sudden, at my feet, what looked like leopard spots," Zach Cusson, a West Baltimore resident, told The Baltimore Banner. "I don't know what this thing's claws were looking like, and I didn't want to take any chances."
The two cats, which are brothers, were spotted on video as they roamed the streets. Neither of them appeared to be hunting anything. Fortunately, an animal control worker was able to corner one of them, getting a leash on it and moving it into a quarantine zone at the Maryland Zoo.
Haw found the other cat and reclaimed possession. He's since handed the big cat over to authorities.
Brandon Haw Claims the Big Cats Are Therapy Pets
According to Haw's attorney, the big cats are therapy pets for the former pro-football player. He reportedly suffered from a neurodegenerative brain disease. According to the New York Post, Haw is currently suing the NCAA.
"Mr. Haw has owned two sibling African serval cats for several years and cares deeply about them. He has treated the cats well and they have provided great comfort to him as he struggles with his disability," lawyer Gregg Bernstein told The New York Post. "Mr. Haw regrets any distress experienced by his neighbors."
Nevertheless, long-legged servals remain a banned animal. It's illegal for him to have them in his possession, regardless of his current medical problems.
As such, Haw may need to look for a smaller and legal therapy pet moving forward, and in the state of Maryland, that means a big cat that weighs less than 30 pounds.
