CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Washington County family is angry and heartbroken after its cat, Elmo, was shot and killed by a police officer.

It happened on Saturday after the cat wandered away from its Cecil Township home.

A Cecil Township police officer received a call about a rabid cat in the area. The officer later found a cat that, he said, had no tags and appeared to be a stray. The officer thought the cat may have been injured. The cat was Elmo.

Elmo was taken into a wooded area and shot. The officer filled out a firearm report and said he felt bad about having to shoot it.

Elmo was a purebred Persian that was 10 years old.

The cat's owner Roger Oldaker and his son had been looking for Elmo since Friday night. A neighbor shared the horrible news with him that his cat had been shot.

Oldaker is shocked and angry. He told Channel 11 this about his beloved Elmo, "He was not injured. He just didn't know where to run. Another cat ran away, and the policeman said if my cat would have run, he would have let him go."

The Cecil Township police chief said the 25-year veteran officer did not do anything wrong and stands behind his decision.

On Monday afternoon, the Oldaker family met with police. The Oldakers are asking the department to come up with a written policy on how to handle cats that doesn't involve shooting them.