Manitoba hints measures to protect pets in works after animal cruelty cases

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This article was published 13/03/2025 (210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 24-year-old man accused of killing cats and dumping them under a Winnipeg bridge has been formally charged amid signs that new provincial measures to protect pets are on the way.

Randy Jensen is charged with three counts of killing or injuring an animal, court records showed Thursday. The charges are scheduled to be on a provincial court docket for the first time Tuesday.

Jensen has no other pending charges and no prior convictions, court records showed.

He was released on an undertaking after the Winnipeg Police Service’s major crimes unit arrested him at his home Jan. 10.

At the time, police said three killings were confirmed after residents found dead cats under the Summit Road bridge, near CentrePoint Canada Way, in December.

Some of the cats were in a bag or on a path under the bridge, after being lured or acquired via social media, police said.

“They were tortured, and they were killed, and it’s absolutely reprehensible,” spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said at a Jan. 14 news conference.

The case, along with other recent allegations of animal cruelty, prompted calls for the Manitoba government to introduce new regulations to address online sales and giveaways of cats, dogs and other pets.

The province indicated new measures are planned, but wouldn’t reveal details.

“Animal abuse is unacceptable, and our government is in discussions right now regarding initiatives to protect domestic animals in our province,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.

“Discussions with domestic breeder and animal welfare organizations such as the Winnipeg Humane Society have been productive, and we look forward to further discussions as well as advancing these initiatives to protect domestic animals in our province.”

The Winnipeg Humane Society has also lobbied the province for stronger regulations on animal breeders.

“We had positive and productive meetings with the province,” said Krista Boryskavich, the organization’s animal advocacy lawyer. “We’re very hopeful, very optimistic we’ll see some positive change on those issues in 2025.”

Advocates told the Free Press online sales or giveaways often come with no checks and balances. They said some people turn to the internet when a shelter or rescue cannot accept an animal because it is full.

Shelters and rescues are currently “overflowing” with cats and kittens, said Krista Blahut, founder of Cat Action Team Winnipeg.

Recent animal cruelty cases generated awareness about the danger of cats being outside, and the risks of giving away pets via the internet, she said.

Some animal cruelty cases go unreported or undiscovered, Blahut noted. She has seen fewer social media posts offering a cat or cats for free.

“Even when someone does post looking for, or giving away a free cat, the comments immediately get flooded with people warning of the dangers of giving away animals, and how unsafe it is, because of all these cases of animal abuse,” Blahut said.

A City of Winnipeg bylaw prohibits owners from allowing their cats to roam outside.

People who are looking to adopt or rehome a pet should work with a reputable shelter or rescue organization, advocates said.

The cases also renewed pleas for owners to spay or neuter their pets. Advocates said overpopulation puts cats at risk of abuse. Studies have demonstrated a link between animal abuse and human violence.

Winnipeg began allowing the trap, neuter and return of feral cats last year.

Some advocates lobbied the city to set up a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, alongside Winnipeg Humane Society programs that receive public funding, to help reduce the stray cat population and costs associated with it.

Some Canadian cities, including Toronto, run clinics. In Winnipeg, some independent groups or people pay out of their own pocket to spay or neuter feral cats.

“We need changes at every level of government,” said Claudia Allen, director of Winnipeg Lost Cat Assistance. “We really need a multi-pronged approach, but we also have to be inclusive because there are so many independent rescues that are doing great work.”

In a separate case, Irene Lima, 55, and Chad Kabecz, 40, were arrested in October, after police say videos and photos showing the torture and killing of animals were shared on the dark web for a paying audience.

Lima and Kabecz are charged with dozens of offences, including accessing child pornography, bestiality and killing or injuring animals.

Some advocates, including Allen, called on federal lawmakers to amend the Criminal Code to include a section that addresses the creation, distribution and profit from animal cruelty videos, which are sold on the dark web. She cited a law that exists in the U.S.

Blahut said she feels “the tides are changing” when it comes to how seriously animal abuse is taken compared with the past. She thanked Winnipeg police for the arrests and spreading awareness, and expressed hope the courts will deliver serious consequences to people convicted of killing or injuring animals.

“It’s our job to provide a voice for the voiceless, which in this instance is the animals, as well as the community that is impacted.”–Krista Boryskavich

The allegations in recent animal cruelty cases have not been proven in court.

The Winnipeg Humane Society and Humane Canada, an umbrella organization, have discussed the possibility of presenting victim impact statements if a case reaches the sentencing stage, Boryskavich said.

“It’s our job to provide a voice for the voiceless, which in this instance is the animals, as well as the community that is impacted,” she said.

The police service major crimes unit launched a separate investigation last year into reports of cat deaths in Point Douglas. A spokesperson said there does not appear to be new information about the incidents.

“If new information was to come forward, investigators would look into it,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

— with files from Erik Pindera

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca