How could anyone do this?

A few weeks ago, a got a new foster kitty. Her name is Brenda, but I call her Mama Bear (because I'm also fostering her son). Here's an pic of the 2 of them (Mama Bear on the left, Bruno on the right):

When I got Mama Bear, one of the heads of our rescue, Res-Q-Pets, let me know that she had a limp and a swollen paw that had been injured prior to her being rescued a couple months earlier. She has been to the vet and had her wounds treated and the vet said it looked like something had been wrapped around her paw real tight (like string, wire, or a rubberband). So, we were waiting to see how it healed.

Fast forward about a week, I get home after being away overnight, I pick Mama Bear up and notice something on her nearly black little paw. I could hardly believe my eyes when I realized that she had a rubberband coming out of her paw!!! Well, I immediately was furious and emailed Lisa and asked her what we needed to do. Within a couple days, Mama Bear was taken to the vet, sedated, and the vet removed an ENTIRE RUBBERBAND from inside her paw. It had been wrapped around her paw several times, evidence that it was done by a person and not just something she had tripped into. Here's a pic of her paw after removal of the rubberband.

So, my question is, who in the world would possibly do this to a helpless creature?!? You have to understand, Mama Bear is one of the sweetest cats I've ever had the pleasure to care for. I just really don't understand what goes through a person's mind to think they even have the right to hurt another creature, especially those that are smaller. Do they not realize that God's put His creatures in our care?

Anyways, Mama Bear is only ~1-1/2 years old and spent who knows how long on the streets of Trenton in one of the worst neighborhoods, yet her demeanor is still so gentle and loving. I had a greater part in her rescue than I have with other of my fosters and I feel a great sense of joy to know that I've helped in even the smallest of ways. Now, 2 weeks past her little surgery, Mama Bear has virtually NO limp, her paw is normal size, and she now stands correctly on it. There is evidence of some permanent damage in that she doesn't put out her claws on that paw and it seems to be a little bit twisted, but none of that seems to ever bother her and she no longer seems to have any pain or discomfort. With that, I think this is a true success story!!!

Oh, and there is someone at my work who is thinking of adopting her so double bonus if that all works out!!!