Philadelphia police searching for two suspects that unleashed dogs on family cat in vicious attack

Police are on the hunt for two Philadelphia dog owners who were captured on surveillance video Tuesday willfully unleashing their dogs who both then assaulted a nearby cat.

The two men appeared to encourage the brutality, and only intervened when a man appeared on the porch where the attack took place to interject.

Buddy the cat is a 7-year-old stray that a family decided to take in. Both men are now wanted on felony charges for engaging in animal fighting and cruelty, which includes a sentencing of up to 7 years in prison.

Two people who were walking their dogs on Granite Street in Philadelphia and saw Buddy the cat hanging out on a nearby porch. Both of them casually let their dogs go, who then proceeded to maul the cat graphically enough that CBS Philly had to blur the scene.

Both men passively watch on as their dogs continue to thrash Buddy around. It’s only when a man steps out of the house to intervene, does one of the attackers begin to pull the leashes back.

Local reporter Jan Carabeo said you can hear the dog owners encouraging the attack while it was happening. "Good boy! Good boy!" one of the suspects shouted.

Buddy had to be rushed to an "emergency vet overnight for continuous care," per NBC Philadelphia in describing the aftermath of Tuesday’s assault.

The Pennsylvania SPCA branch assessed the damage to Buddy the cat. While his back wasn’t broken, the injuries that are being described as "life-threatening" will require multiple surgeries to mend. The current plan for veterinarians is to first stabilize the cat, then go in and fix his wounds.

"It was a prolonged attack. It took a number of minutes and it was completely unnecessary. None of this had to happen," said Nicole Wilson, director of humane law enforcement and shelter operations.

"There’s extensive damage to his hind abdominal region so we’re going to have to really try and sew him back together and hope for the best," Wilson added.

"This act of cruelty is especially heinous for its apparent intentional nature. An innocent animal simply sitting on a porch may lose its life for absolutely no reason. Animals are beloved members of our family, and should be treated as such," PSPCA CEO Julie Klim told Philly Voice.

The PSPCA has set up a donation page on their website, and also accepts Venmo (@pspca) donations, all of which will go towards Buddy’s medical care. For tips about the suspects in the case, they have a law enforcement line at (866)-601-7722.