The former owner of a feline named Bart who has become known as the Zombie Cat is suing the Humane Society to get his pet back, according to WFLA.com.

The society “was served with official Hillsborough County Court documents,” according to a statement from Nash McCutchen, marketing coordinator.

McNutcheon said a lawyer is volunteering his services to represent the society.

Bart was originally hit by a car, owner Ellis Hutson said, and then buried on the side of a road. He said a neighbor was with him at the time. Five days later, a different neighbor spotted Bart above ground, covered in open wounds and maggots but alive. (Source: FreeRepublic.com)

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay gave Bart a blood transfusion and removed an eye to save him. The executive director of the society, Sherry Silk, later said she was concerned for the cat’s well-being and would not release the cat back to Hutson.

In his lawsuit demanding the cat’s return, Hutson accuses the animal agency of keeping Bart for fundraising purposes.

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