The Canyon Police Department has arrested a local man following a series of incidents involving cats being targeted with blow darts.
The case began on October 17, 2025, when Animal Control was notified about a cat with a head injury near 4th Avenue (SH-217) and 5th Street. Officers responded promptly but were unable to locate the animal, which had fled the scene.
On October 20, a citizen reported that the injured cat had been found in the same area. Animal Control discovered the cat with a blow dart embedded several inches into its skull. The injury was determined to be unrecoverable, and the cat did not survive. That day, CPD shared information about the incident on Facebook, asking the public for assistance with the investigation.
On October 22, CPD Animal Control received additional information from the public about two other instances in which cats had been shot with blow darts. Combining these tips with their investigation, officers identified 19-year-old Landon Hasenkemp as the suspect.
Hasenkemp was arrested for animal cruelty involving the killing or serious injury of a non-livestock animal and was booked into the Randall County Sheriff’s Office Jail.
