HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas sheriff said Saturday that he could not arrest and charge a veterinarian shown in a Facebook post bragging about killing a cat with a bow and arrow unless an investigation determines the picture of the dead cat is genuine. 
 
 Austin County Sheriff Jack Brandes said he was disturbed by the image that shows Kristen Lindsey holding up what she described as a dead feral tom cat. He has assigned two deputies and an investigator to the case. 
 
 "I've had people calling me from all over the country expressing their concern," Brandes said, speaking from a pasture while inspecting his cattle. "I just want everybody to know several things. We can't arrest and charge someone like that based on a picture on the internet. We have to make sure that is true and correct. 
 
 "Anybody can take a computer and alter a photograph." 
 
 The operators of the clinic where Lindsey worked in Brenham, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, said Friday she was fired after they learned of the posting earlier in the week, which has since been removed, along with her Facebook account. The posting prompted hundreds of phone calls also to the Washington Animal Clinic. 
 
 "We are absolutely appalled, shocked, upset, and disgusted by the conduct," the clinic posted on its web site. "We do not allow such conduct and we condemn it in the strongest possible manner." 
 
 Bruce Buenger told Bryan-College Station television station KBTX (http://bit.ly/1CWummO ), which first reported the story, his clinic's goal was to "try to fix our black eye and hope that people are reasonable and understand that those actions don't anyway portray what we're for here." 
 
 "We put our heart and soul into this place," he said. 
 
 A sign outside the clinic that lists its vets had her name covered with tape. 
 
 No telephone listing for Lindsey could be determined Saturday and she could not be reached for comment. 
 
 The sheriff said his office had reached out to her. 
 
 "She didn't want to talk to us at this time," he said. "She said she was going to come in with her attorney. Hopefully early next week, we get something cracking. Hopefully this girl comes in. She may. She may not." 
 
 The incident is believed to have taken place in his county, which is adjacent to Washington County, which includes Brenham. The results of the investigation would be turned over to the county district attorney, who could present the evidence to a grand jury or issue a warrant. 
 
 Depending on the nature of the charge, animal cruelty can be a misdemeanor or a state jail felony in Texas. 
 
 Brandes said while Lindsey's posting described the animal as a feral cat, he was aware of some reports that it was a lost domestic cat. 
 
 "We haven't determined that 100 percent at this time," he said. 
 
 The Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners lists Lindsey as holding a valid license since June 2012 and with no disciplinary actions. 
 
 "All these people are jumping up and down, they want action," Brandes said. "The wheels of justice turn slow. You want to be sure once you accuse and arrest someone." ||||| UPDATE: April 22 — The Austin County Sheriff's office has finished its investigation, and Texas veterinarian Kristen Lindsey's case is now with Austin County District Attorney Travis J. Koehn. 
 
 Koehn said in a news release that his “office will carefully review this matter, as we do with all investigations forwarded by law enforcement." 
 
 Lisa Tobola, a legal assistant at the DA's office, told The Huffington Post it’s possible that Lindsey could be charged with a felony, but that as of now, they “don’t really know” when the review will be completed. The case might proceed to a grand jury. 
 
 Previously... 
 
 Texas veterinarian Kristen Lindsey quickly lost her job after posting a photo of herself holding a cat that appears to have been shot with an arrow. The picture caused massive public outcry last week, but authorities are still looking into the incident. 
 
 "Right now this case is under investigation," Austin County Sheriff Jack Brandes told The Huffington Post on Monday afternoon. "That takes a little time." 
 
 Animal advocates are now calling for action against the vet, who for the past two years worked at the Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham. 
 
 The caption on the woman's Facebook post, which has since been taken down, read: "My first bow kill, lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head! Vet of the year award ... Gladly accepted." 
 
 It's thought the cat was a 6-year-old tabby named Tiger, who belonged to a neighbor and went missing Wednesday. 
 
 Warning: The following photo may be disturbing to some readers. 
 
 Cat advocacy group Alley Cat Allies has offered a $7,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. It's asking anyone with leads to call the Austin County Sheriff's Office, which, among other things, is looking into whether the gruesome photo is real or has been doctored. 
 
 "I just want everybody to know several things. We can't arrest and charge someone like that based on a picture on the internet. We have to make sure that is true and correct," Brandes told the Dallas Morning News. "Anybody can take a computer and alter a photograph." 
 
 Brandes told HuffPost he couldn't say if any tips had been called in but added "any information we can get would be extremely appreciated." He also couldn't say if the cat's body has been recovered, or when he expected the case to be referred to the prosecutor's office. 
 
 Alley Cat Allies attorney Liz Holtz said she is hopeful that someone with firsthand knowledge will come forward with information. 
 
 "The fact that a veterinarian, a profession charged with caring for animals, may have committed this crime and regardless thinks that the violent death of a cat is funny, demonstrates that animal cruelty is a serious problem and should be treated accordingly," she said. 
 
 Alley Cat Allies, in the meantime, has petitioned the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to investigate Lindsey, and, if appropriate, revoke her license. 
 
 "If the veterinarian actually committed the act depicted in the photo, she is in violation of the state cruelty code," reads the complaint, which was provided to HuffPost. "Regardless of the validity of the photo, which is presently being investigated by the Austin County Sheriff's Office, the veterinarian's actions and callous disregard for animal welfare is in violation of the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners' rules of professional conduct." 
 
 Nearly 20,000 people have signed an online petition making a similar demand. 
 
 Loris Jones, a representative for the Board, said the group is taking any complaints "very seriously" but "doesn't want to say one way or the other" if the alleged cat killing could lead to Lindsey losing her license. 
 
 The American Veterinary Medical Association said in a news release that it's pursuing its own investigation, as well. 
 
 For the time being, Holtz said the incident may at least bring more attention to crimes against animals, now considered a top-tier felony by the FBI. 
 
 "Unfortunately, we have a lot of experience with animal cruelty," Holtz said. "I believe that this case has already brought greater awareness of cruelty against cats and sparked a conversation about humane education. I hope that the conversation continues and police and prosecutors begin investing time and resources in investigating and prosecuting these types of cases." 
 
 Dr. Bruce Buenger, with the Washington Animal Clinic where Lindsey worked, issued the following statement to KBTX: "Our goal now is to go on and try to fix our black eye and hope that people are responsible and understand that those actions don't in any way portray what we are for here at the Washington Animal Clinic. We put our heart and soul into this place." 
 
 One of the many Facebook pages devoted to this case offered a suggestion for paying tribute to animals. 
 
 We've been thinking in memory of Tiger and how much we're fighting for justice for him, we could also do that for other cats and kittens in shelters still needing homes. Perhaps we could all spare a few tins of cat food or some cat toys and really make these cats days a bit more happier as they must be feeling really glum, in fact we could spare something for all animals in shelters. If you do not live near a shelter you could put down a tin of tuna for the strays that may live near you, anything helps! 
 
 Also on HuffPost: Animals In The News Animals In The News 
 
 1 of 120 Super Egg Cookie Smith shows off a normal egg and a "super egg" Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in Abilene, Texas. Cookie Smith went to collect eggs from her three laying hens on Monday afternoon, and discovered one normal egg and one "super egg" in her coop. Share this slide: 
 
 Greg Kendall-Ball, The Abilene Reporter-News / AP
– A Texas veterinarian may have angered a lot of people, but she won't be charged for allegedly killing a cat with an arrow through the head in April. The investigation into Dr. Kristen Lindsey could find no substantial evidence Lindsey committed a crime. Though she posted a photo of herself with the dead cat on Facebook, which she later deleted, the sheriff's office couldn't verify the photo—and an Austin County grand jury today "no billed" her, the county district attorney's office says, according to the Houston Chronicle. A "no-bill" finding means there's not enough proof to file charges, KHOU notes. A crowd gathered outside the courthouse today to protest the finding. "Without more information, the State lacks proof that this incident even occurred in the state of Texas," the DA says in a press release, adding that investigators also couldn't prove the cat's manner of death was cruel. (The American Veterinary Medical Association itself says a "bolt to the head," performed correctly, is a humane way to euthanize, and, as KBTX notes, the press release also points out that in some parts of the US, hunting stray cats is perfectly legal.) The sheriff's office says it was told that Lindsey was trying to protect her own pets from a "potentially rabid stray cat," but the cat she's accused of killing was reportedly a house pet named Tiger who went missing. Lindsey was fired from her job at an animal clinic after the photo went viral. As for her veterinary license, the DA notes it is "not involved" in the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners' decision on that.