Mutilated cats found
Barrie animal shelter probes vicious deaths
Posted By By Nicki Cruickshank
Posted 3 years ago
Someone is mutilating cats in Barrie.
Staff at the local branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) have investigated three mutilations in the city this past week.
“The first two were found in the area of Yonge Street and Big Bay Point Road. This one was on the opposite end of town,” said Rachel Banks, an inspector with the OSPCA.
The first was discovered in a backyard on Aug. 18, but only the bottom half of the animal was found. The top half of the second cat was found four days later in a field at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School.
The most recent cat’s top half was found Thursday night by a local resident walking the Nine Mile Portage Trail, just off Ferndale Drive North.
“The woman found the animal, but waited until morning to call us,” Banks said. “This was the messiest one we’ve seen and it was probably killed in that area.”
Banks doesn’t believe the other two halves of cats were killed in the places they were found. She said the lack of blood, fur, or severed parts, make the areas more like dumping grounds.
Banks is almost certain all three were killed by a person, not an animal.
“It certainly looks as though these animals were mutilated by a human,” Banks said. “Animals indigenous to this area will eat the intestines and head of the animal. Everything’s still here.
“Also the bone in this severed leg was cleanly cut, and there are no teeth marks,” she added.
The cat’s body found yesterday was partially skinned, and small amounts of fur were found nearby in the grass. Banks said an animal attack would have left much more hair and blood around the scene.
“We won’t know anything conclusive until the necropsy (animal autopsy) is complete. That might take a few days.” Banks said.
Two cats’ bodies will be sent to Guelph for autopsy to determine what weapons were used, and if the cats were tortured before they died.
“Cases like these are frustrating and harder to deal with because we don’t know who’s behind this or why they’re doing this,” Banks said. “We also normally deal with live cases and we can get the animal fixed up and to a new home. In this case, the animal’s dead and there’s no second chance for it.”
These cases are a shock to Barrie police, as well, and Sgt. Dave Goodbrand worries about the suspect’s next move.
“Animal cruelty is a criminal offense and it’s obviously a big concern for us,” he said. “It’s thinking about what’s the next step for whoever’s doing this.
“Some of our most serious criminals and serial killers started by mutilating animals,” he added. “You wonder what’s going on in that person’s head. Is this someone who really hates cats, or is doing this for his own enjoyment?”
Police are prepared to step into the investigation once the necropsy results are revealed.
“This particular case is going to need our further investigation,” Goodbrand said.
Contact the writer at ncruickshank@thebarrieexaminer.com
