Mutilated cats spark alarm from authorities

Pet owners have been alerted after apparently mutilated cats have been found in St. Albert and Edmonton.

St. Albert RCMP is investigating two incidents involving dead cats that were possibly mutilated. On Aug. 22, a person found a cat in a field near Elmer S. Gish Elementary School.

Two days later, another dead cat was discovered in a park near Salisbury Avenue.

Const. Yelena Avoine said both cats were cut and their injuries do not appear to be caused by another animal. Those were the first such incidents all summer, she said.

“Those two were suspicious, so, yes, it is a concern, and that’s why we want people to know and call us if they see anything suspicious,” Avoine said Tuesday.

Edmonton police say they’re only investigating one recent case in August.

A cat was sliced from belly to spine while roaming in the area of 123rd Avenue and 82nd Street between Aug. 13 and 15. The vet who treated the cat believed the wound was intentionally caused by a human, which led the cat’s owners to file a police report.

The Edmonton Humane Society said Tuesday it is “gravely concerned” about the well-being of people’s pets, but did not have any specific detail about the attacks or how many are being investigated.

“We were shocked and dismayed to learn of these recent severe animal cruelty cases in our region,” the society’s chief executive, Miranda Jordan-Smith, said in a written statement.

“How we treat animals is a reflection of our culture, community, and humanity. It is evident to us that we must continue the work that we do in delivering humane education focused on building kindness, compassion, and empathy toward all living things.”

Since the beginning of 2015, police have responded to 43 matters involving animal abuse, but that does not mean those calls were for reports of mutilation, said spokeswoman Cheryl Sheppard.

“They could involve any of the acts described under the Criminal Code with respect to cruelty to animals,” she said in an email.

The society is reminding owners to always supervise their pets when outdoors and report animal neglect or cruelty to their animal protection officers at 780-4913517 or through its website. Cruelty concerns outside the city can be directed to the Alberta SPCA.