Six slain cats found, police investigating

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City police are searching for a suspect after six cats believed to have been intentionally killed were found in bags or lying in the open on a path under a bridge near CentrePoint Canada Way earlier this month.

Police received three separate reports of dead cats under Summit Road bridge Monday, Saturday and on Dec. 8.

The cats appeared to have been victims of animal cruelty and the three incidents are likely connected, Const. Dani McKinnon said Tuesday.

“These circumstances are obviously, clearly untoward. There’s something surreptitious about them, there’s clear signs of foul play in all of the scenarios that have been reported,” she said.

“I think citizens know the difference between an unfortunate set of circumstances versus true animal cruelty, criminal intent.”

The reports were made by people who spotted the cats in broad daylight, she said. Some were identifiable and Animal Services has either connected with or attempted to contact their owners.

Earlier this year, cat owners in the Point Douglas neighbourhood were cautioned to keep their pets indoors after a rash of slain felines were found in the area. Police said Tuesday they have not been able to establish whether the recent incidents are related to the ones in that neighbourhood.

In October, Irene Lima, 55, and Chad Kabecz, 40, were arrested and face charges that include multiple counts of animal cruelty and bestiality after the couple allegedly created and distributed content of animals being tortured and killed.

To see so many cases of violence against animals being investigated in a year is unusual, McKinnon said.

“I think it’s rare that we would typically report on so many animal stories,” she said.

“I can’t remember in the last four years that I’ve worked in the (public information) office writing ‘animal cruelty’ as the title (of a press release) so many times.”

Police are recommending owners familiarize themselves on city pet bylaws.

“People do let their cats roam. They shouldn’t roam freely,” McKinnon said.

“I suppose if you are a cat owner, right now, now may be a time to be perhaps more vigilant and not let your cat roam around, as these three accounts are extremely disturbing.”

Near the bridge where the cats were found, Lisa Glass-Wiebe lives with two cats of her own. She keeps them inside, and said most pet owners in the neighbourhood do, as well.

“It’s not that kind of place,” the 81-year-old said. “I’m really surprised.”

She wondered aloud whether whoever was responsible came from outside of the community.

“How can they be so cowardly, picking on little animals?” she said.

Police ask anyone with information about the recent incidents to call major crimes unit investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Malak Abas
Reporter

Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak.

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