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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Second woman faces charges over cat-beating incident

By: Alexandra Paul

Posted: 08/3/2012 12:59 PM

A second woman, 22, has turned herself in to police and faces charges in connection with an incident two weeks ago in which a kitten was beaten with baseball bat so badly it had to be euthanized.

A 23-year-old woman was arrested the same day of the attack, July 17, and faces animal cruelty charges with the death of the pet.

The cat case was one of a string of animal cruelty incidents in the days leading up to a decision by the Winnipeg Police Service and Crime Stoppers to announce it was joining forces with a fledging non-profit service, called Paw Tipsters, to combat animal cruelty.

The details reported were that two women suspects had gone to a house in the 500 block of Pritchard Avenue in the North End around 12:30 a.m. that night because one of them had a dispute with the woman who lived there.

The one with hard feelings is alleged to have armed herself with a baseball bat and struck a three-month-old kitten that belonged to the resident who fled inside to the safety of the house.

The second suspect is alleged to have used the same bat to break a window in the home, after the bat had been used on the cat.

Police announced the arrest of one woman the very next morning. The second woman was charged this week.

Meanwhile. the partnership with Paw Tipsters is intended to shut the door on puppy mills and dog fighting, along with incidents of animal cruelty.

Tips to Crime Stoppers that lead to arrests or animal seizures are eligible for up to $2,000 reward under the partnership.

Police released the name of the second suspect charged as Delia Ashley Clarke, 22, of Winnipeg. She faces charges of mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. She was detained in custody, police reported.