THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S. OFFERS REWARD FOR INFORMATION IN AUSTIN CAT MUTILATION CASES
Police Believe Perpetrators Responsible For At Least 10 Cat Killings In Austin Area
DALLAS (August 14, 2001) -The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for mutilating and killing at least 10 cats, but possibly more, in the Austin, Texas area from March through July. Neighbors in the Anderson Mill Estates community, where some of the cats have been abducted, have pooled about $4,000 for the reward fund as well.
The cats apparently all suffered similar trauma, having been found cut in half or dismembered in pieces. At least one of the cats was missing organs. In at least five of the cases, one part of the cat's body had been returned to the owner's property soon after the killing. In all of the cases, the cats had been let outdoors for a relatively short period of
time before they turned up dead. A veterinarian who examined one of the cat corpses said he believes the killing had been done "deliberately and traumatically, most probably with a moderately sharp knife or perhaps a serrated knife."
Jef Hale, program coordinator for The HSUS Southwest Regional Office in Dallas, noted the violent nature of these crimes and the possibility for the perpetrator(s) to graduate to other types of crime.
"To kill a defenseless animal in such a deliberate and cruel manner is the act of a profoundly disturbed person," Hale said. "Whoever is responsible for these crimes may have very real psychological problems and could be a danger not only to animals, but also to people in the community. We encourage anyone with information about these crimes to contact the
authorities."
Under Texas law, the perpetrator(s) in this case face Class-A penalties for animal cruelty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine for each offense. Governor Rick Perry recently signed anti-cruelty legislation that increases the penalties to felony status for cruelty toward companion animals such as cats and dogs, but that law does not go into effect until
September 1.
The Travis County Sheriff's office and Austin Police Department are investigating the incidents. Anyone with information about these cases can call Deputy Jimmy Quick, Travis County Sheriff's Office at 512-473-9721 or Officer Roy Erwin, Austin Police Department at 512-708-6022. |
