The Berkeley Police, in collaboration with the Berkeley Animal Shelter, are investigating a cruelty to animals case that involved shooting five animals — a feral cat, an opossum and three raccoons — with what appears to be a type of pellet gun.

According to BPD, who issued a Nixle alert about the incident at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, on Saturday, at approximately 12:48 p.m., BPD responded to the 100 block of Seawall Drive for a report of cruelty to animals. Once there, they made contact with the city groundskeeper who reported having discovered five animals, a feral cat, an opossum and three raccoons, three of which were deceased and two which were suffering from unknown injury or illness.

The groundskeeper had taken the animals to the Berkeley Animal Shelter before the police officers arrived. One of the two remaining animals died shortly after it arrived at the shelter, and the second animal was later euthanized to keep it from suffering further.

According to BPD, the shelter vet conducted a necropsy on the animals to determine the cause of death. Initially there was some concern that the animals had been intentionally poisoned because one was found in close proximity to an animal feeder, BPD said. However scans of the animals showed that three of them had been shot with some form of pellet gun. Projectiles were still present in their bodies.

“Officers located and documented the likely locations where the animals had been shot and a canvas of the Marina was conducted for possible witnesses,” concluded the BPD alert.

The 100 block of Seawall Drive is close to Skates on the Bay restaurant and the closed Berkeley pier.

The Police Department is asking for the community’s help solving this crime. If anyone had information on the matter they are asked to call the Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5900.

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