

Chris Kitching and Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





York Regional Police officers and animal welfare officials are investigating a disturbing case of animal cruelty in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Police said at least six severed cat heads have been found in public places within a one-kilometre area of Tenth Line and Main Street between Aug. 12 and Sept. 13.

“The concerning thing to York Regional Police and what should be concerning to the citizens of Stouffville is the link to all these events,” Const. Andy Pattenden said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “They all occurred in a relatively short distance.

“All the areas where the heads were located are residential areas. It’s not a rural environment. It’s where people would see or be seen.”

In one of the incidents, a homeowner found her cat’s head outside her home. Another head was found outside a school.

Pattenden said the heads were positioned so that it appeared they had been placed rather than dropped or moved around by a vehicle. He also said there were no blood marks that would indicate an attack by another animal.

“In each of the incidents it appears at this time that it was intentional dismemberment,” Pattenden said.

He said nothing more than the head of the each animal was found in all of the cases but one, in which two legs were found alongside a head.

None of the torsos have been located.

Aside from the one head found by the animal’s owner, it’s not yet clear if the cats were domesticated animals that belonged to someone, or if they were feral.

Pattenden said that while it appears that the heads were meant to be seen, the message or the motive remain unclear.

Speaking at the news conference, Brad Dewar of the OSPCA said that while incidents of animal cruelty are not unheard of in Ontario, this case is cause for concern.

“This particular case is a little bit more concerning because of the number of animals that have been located within such a short period of time and the manner in which they have been found,” Dewar said.

Police and the OSPCA are advising pet owners to keep their animals indoors while the investigation is underway and to be vigilant for anything suspicious in the area.

“Our investigation really depends on the citizens of Whitchurch-Stouffville to come forward and provide us with the information that they may have seen something or heard something and their vigilance from now on,” Pattenden said.

Pattenden urged anyone who may have seen or heard something suspicious over the last few weeks to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

In particular, area pet owners are asked to contact Georgina Animal Control if a pet has gone missing recently.

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