BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A six-week-old kitten in Gonzales is receiving care after being deliberately injured with fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Jonathan Henriques, director of Rescue Alliance in Gonzales, said the kitten was tied up and targeted with Roman candles by a group of teens on Weber City Road. “This is animal abuse at its finest,” Henriques said. Henriques responded to a call from a concerned neighbor at dusk on Dec. 31. Upon arriving, he saw several teens shooting Roman candles at the kitten, which was tied on a leash to prevent escape. The kitten suffered a severe eye injury as a result. Florida girl, 10, killed by ‘celebratory gunfire’ on New Year’s Day: ‘Devastating’ “It’s bad enough that we think the baby isn’t going to be able to salvage the eye,” Henriques said. Henriques said the teens fled the scene as he approached and believes they may live in the surrounding neighborhood. “The kids don’t understand this is actual animal cruelty,” Henriques added. Henriques took the injured kitten to a veterinarian for treatment. The Rescue Alliance is now working to raise funds to cover medical costs, which may include removing the damaged eye. “We need donations to cover the vet costs,” Henriques said. Rescue Alliance is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations can be made through their website at animalrecovery.org. Latest News Selena's killer, Yolanda Saldívar, files for parole, begins review process Baton Rouge's top-rated Italian restaurants, per Yelp Kitten injured deliberately in Gonzales with fireworks, needs eye surgery Congress has a big agenda St. Helena Parish deputies search for suspect in Pine Grove burglary, 2 arrested