GARDEN CITY -- Garden City Police are investigating an extreme case of animal cruelty after a cat’s severed tail was found Sunday in the family’s mailbox along with a cruel note, apparently written by the perpetrator.

The Idaho Humane Society is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the crime.

The victimized cat is named Ali and lived with a family in the 200 block of E. 44th Street in Garden City.  She is a three-year-old and dark grey.  Ali has not been recovered.

"I’ve been trying to figure out how someone could torture something so small," said Meesha Dillard, Ali’s owner.

Dillard is searching for answers after her mother found the tail of the family cat in their mailbox.

They made the gruesome discovery yesterday, along with a vulgar handwritten note.

The Idaho Humane Society received word of the incident and took immediate action. 

"We see a lot of animal neglect on a day-to-day basis here at the Humane Society, but acts of malicious cruelty, torture of animals, that we don't see as much of," said Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, Idaho Humane Society.

Rosenthal says there is a close link between violence towards animals and violent crimes perpetrated against humans.

The Dillard family has five other cats they are now keeping indoors.

They tell us they're scared by the incident and are afraid for their other animals.

Garden City Police are investigating this case and say they have a few leads, but they have not identified a suspect or made any arrests.

Animal abuse is a misdemeanor in Idaho and carries with it a possible $5,000 fine and up to six months in prison.