This updated version has a few more details and states that hero
kitty is wearing a badge now.  LOL!

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Paw and Order: Kitten Helps Bust Vet Scam
By TOM HAYS, Associated Press Writer

He came from the streets of Brooklyn, a cool customer on four legs,
the perfect bait for a sting on a fake veterinarian.

Meet Fred, undercover kitten.

Authorities on Wednesday introduced the 8-month-old former stray cat
that posed as a would-be patient while police investigated a college
student accused of treating pets without a license.

At a news conference, Fred sported a tiny badge on his collar as he
posed for photos with owner Carol Moran, a prosecutor.

"He's pretty easygoing, a real Brooklyn guy," Moran said.

Fred shared the spotlight with Burt the Boston terrier, an alleged
victim of Steven Vassall, 28, who was arrested last week and
released on $2,500 bail.

Burt's owner, Raymond Reid, contacted authorities after the dog
survived a botched operation. In hindsight, he said, he should have
been suspicious of a veterinarian who only made house calls and
treated animals at an undisclosed location.

Vassall "seemed like a genuinely nice guy," Reid said. "I'm glad
they caught him, but at the same time I feel sorry for him."

Last week, an investigator posing as Fred's owner summoned Vassall
to an apartment rigged with a hidden camera. Authorities played a
videotape at the news conference showing the defendant saying the
kitten could be neutered for $135.

Vassall was arrested as he left the apartment carrying Fred in a box
and cash for the operation. Investigators later recovered a price
list for vaccinations and other procedures, including surgeries.

It was unclear how long Vassall -- a college student who once worked
as a laboratory assistant in a vet's office -- allegedly scammed pet
owners before Fred helped put him out of business.

Joyce Clemmons of the nonprofit Animal Care and Control, which
rescued Fred, predicted the kitten had a future in law enforcement.

"He's going to be the detective for the animal world," she said.