Police: Hudson Valley Woman Lit Cat on Fire Which Set Home Ablaze

A Hudson Valley woman is facing animal cruelty and arson charges after a home was completely destroyed in what police believe was a cruel attempt to torture a cat.

There are some stories that make you realize just how disturbed human beings can be. If the accusations currently being brought against a Poughkeepsie woman turn out to be true, this is certainly one of those stories that test your faith in the human race.

City of Poughkeepsie police are shedding new light on a massive fire that destroyed a home on White Street last month. On the evening of March 30, the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department responded to the blaze to find flames leaping from several windows on the second floor. Luckily, it was determined that everyone inside was able to escape unharmed.  Firetrucks were brought in and first responders were able to extinguish the massive fire, but it was left uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage. Utilities were unhooked from the home and the residents were forced to relocate.

While investigating the fire, crime scene technicians and detectives determined that the source of the blaze was suspicious. In the weeks following, a disturbing story emerged that sounds almost too gruesome to be true.

According to investigators, one of the residents of the home allegedly set a cat on fire, which then caused the second floor to go up in flames. Jeanette N. Wright has been accused of igniting the cat that triggered the house fire. Police were able to uncover the remains of the cat before charging Wright with the unspeakable crimes.

It's unclear why police believe Wright decided to set the cat on fire, but it's certain that the cat suffered terribly. One can imagine that the cat panicked, running around the home and setting it on fire while trying to extinguish itself.

Police have charged the 34-year-old Poughkeepsie woman with Arson in the second degree and Aggravated Animal Cruelty, both felonies.