Cats are being found dead in Point Douglas; animal advocates hope police can find out why

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Peggy

Winnipeg animal advocates are hoping for answers as police investigate reports of cats being found dead in the Point Douglas area.

Winnipeg police said its major crimes unit is investigating those reports during a news conference last week where police announced charges against two people in connection with a case involving the slayings of cats. A police spokesman said the crimes are unrelated.

“It’s gruesome and it’s heartbreaking,” said Point Douglas resident Kendra Halabicki, who runs a cat rescue out of her home in the area. “One of the cats that was first found, I actually had her in my home … so to find her horribly hurt and killed was heartbreaking.”

Halabicki said a handful of cats have been found dead in the area with parts of their body missing, dating back to the summer.

Halabicki said she found four of them herself, one of which “had its jaw ripped off.”

She said the deaths have left others in the area shaken.

“A lot of people in Point Douglas allow their cats to be outside,” Halabicki said. “Most of them are outside during the daytime when the people are working from home and then at night time they’re brought inside for safety.

“And now people are fighting their cats to keep them in because they’re worried that their cats are going to get injured.”

Halabicki said an owner brought a cat to a veterinarian she uses for her animal rescue with a large gash across its back

“It was horrific and the cat was alive,” she said. “Because the home owner couldn’t afford the surgery the cat needed, they had to surrender it to the Humane Society and that’s sad.”

A City of Winnipeg spokesperson said Monday “animal services has received five recent reports regarding dismembered cats in the Point Douglas area.”

Major crimes investigating: Winnipeg police

Winnipeg police said Friday a man, 40, and a woman, 55, have been charged with torturing and killing 10 cats.

Police also said they don’t believe that case is connected to the deaths of cats in Point Douglas.

“We are able to confirm that at this time there is no evidence linking the dead cats found in Point Douglas to the animal cruelty arrest mentioned in this morning’s press conference,” police spokesperson Const. Stephen Spencer said in an email Friday.

Krista Blahut said she’s grateful police are investigating the Point Douglas deaths, but also warned people to be careful about letting their cats roam around outside.

Blahut, who has also been doing animal rescue for five years, said some of the dead cats are being found with collars on them, adding feral cats are harder to catch because “they’re basically wild animals” and aren’t friendly or social.

“I just want to make sure that I really reinforce the fact that it’s not safe to have your cats outside,” said Blahut.

A woman cuddles with a cat — Kendra Halabicki says a handful of cats have been found dead in the area with parts of their body missing, dating back to the summer. (Travis Golby/CBC)

Blahut urged people who find a dead cat not to look the other way.

“If you do unfortunately come across one of these cats that look like they are intentionally harmed make sure you report it to Winnipeg Police Service because it is a crime, and report to the Humane Society as well,” she said.

Halabicki echoed that message and also urged people to call the chief veterinary office if they find a cat that “looks like it has been inhumanely treated.”

“They’ll come and investigate the cat, which is what we need to happen so we can figure out where this is mostly … happening.”