Now suspected in mutilated cat case: dogs.

Authorities now say that two recent cat mutilations in the Largo area were not the result of cruelty to animals, as some suspected. Sheriff's detectives said in a Friday news release that they showed photos of one of the dead animals to Pinellas County Animal Control and were told "the cats were likely killed by dogs." They also found no evidence that a cutting instrument had been used.

The first animal was discovered dead on March 13 when the owner returned home at 5 p.m. to find part of the animal in the yard. She buried the remains before reporting it to deputies. The second animal was found April 4 by a resident walking his dog. Deputies were unable to find the owner.

Earlier, WTSP-TV reported that three cats had been mutilated in the Del Prado subdivision plus three more in an adjoining neighborhood, where two rabbits have met a similar fate in the past month. "It's not like my cat got run over. It's not like some random kid with a new BB gun just doing target practice. This is someone who intentionally cut our cat in half,'' said Kelly Paradise, whose cat, Oscar, was killed last weekend.

Comments

[Tim]

Wow !! I'm not a "cat person" but that's pretty "F"ed up...

[Don]

It starts with little animals and eventually will lead to the killing of people. This idiot needs to be caught and put into some kind of mental institution.

[cutter]

perhaps they are using them for spaghetti sauce

[mm]

Please come to my neighborhood ( The Lakes) and try that $h**! I would love to find you sick bast#@d.

[Duke]

That's interesting. Cats are very quick and extremely difficult to catch or corner. Was the perpetrator shooting the cats with a pellet or BB gun first?

[RU Kidding Me]

Where is the Del Prado subdivision? the article above says St. Pete, but WTSP byline is Largo...

[James Bayly]

The cats are most likely roaming and scratching peoples car or other similar damage and someone is angry. Don't get me wrong it does not justify that cruelty but I am just giving a reason.

[Jerry]

Not to say that this is the answer but predators will sometimes take the head of an animal. I have seen this happen on trails in the woods. Is there an owl in the area?

[Tom Scherberger, tampabay.com deputy metro editor]

RU, thanks for pointing that out, we fixed it.

[Not The Marlboro Man]

The sign of a declining society is the way they treat the environment, wildlife and people around them. Our society has had it too good for too long with too many freedoms with too little consequences for our putrid judgement.

[bob]

Hye James, you are an idiot. Maybe all birds should be killed as well since they may take a crap on your car.

[J]

at least they werent dogs

[Bob]

If someone did this to one of my animals, I would burn their house down.

[Gumbo]

Just have to point out that I've never seen a cat scratch a car. Honestly, there is no excuse for cruelty to any creature. This person needs to be found and evaluated.

[Dave]

Since when does a cat scratch a car? If I'm a police officer, I'm calling James Bayly up for questioning. What a strange statement to make online.

[Jessica]

Almost all serial killers start off killing animals (and usually in a grotesque way). Its probably a kid/teen and probably is on his way to being a high profile criminal.

[Simon]

Clearly James Bayly raises suspicion.

[Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Media-Alert Message]

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Media-Alert Message
Re: Media Inquiries Regarding Cat Deaths in Largo

This morning we have had numerous media inquiries regarding the death of two cats in the unincorporated area of Largo. Speculation that the cats were intentionally killed and dismembered by a human being has been ruled out in both cases. Detectives have determined that both animals were likely killed by a dog, or dogs that were unsupervised in the neighborhood.

The first incident was reported on Thursday, March 13, 2008. According to deputies the owner of the cat had let the animal out at about noon. When she returned home around 5:00 p.m., the pet owner found part of the cat in her yard. The woman buried the remains before reporting her discovery to deputies.

The second case was reported on Friday, April 4, 2008 after a resident who had been walking his dog just before midnight discovered the dismembered remains of a cat in a neighbor’s yard. Deputies responded to investigate but they were unable to identify the cat’s owner.

Both incidents were documented as possible acts of animal cruelty by the responding patrol deputies, and both cases were then referred to our Investigative Operations Bureau for follow-up. Detectives assigned to the cases tell me that as part of the investigation they consulted with officials from Pinellas County Animal Control. Animal Control Officials were shown photographs documenting the injuries sustained by the second cat, and it was determined that the cats were likely killed by dogs.

Detectives have found no evidence that a knife or other cutting instrument had been used to kill the animals, and there is no evidence to support a theory of human involvement. Furthermore, detectives say the remains were discovered in a manner consistent with a dog attack rather than an attack by a wild animal.

I hope this message has sufficiently answers all questions about these investigations for everyone who has called.

[p]

I do not want to say anything, but is there a chinese resturaunt around that neighborhood.

[Andrea]

I have 5 indoor only cats (they are all rescues). Please remember to keep your pets indoors. That is the only way to keep them safe from harm by humans, cars, or other animals. My cats were once outdoor cats and they now want nothing to do with the outdoors because they now live in a clean, safe, and loving environment. Cats or any other domestic animal are not disposable.

[Lee Ann]

Well this is tragic,there is a "leash law" in Pinellas that applies to dogs as well as cats.

PLEASE PUT A LEASH ON YOUR CAT OR DOG AND DO NOT LET YOUR PETS ROAM FREE.

Loose pets are a real problem in some neighborhoods,causing bites and auto accidents trying to avoid the loose pets.

[Joe]

HA, All you tree huggers! What do you say now that the thing harming your precious "natural" world is, well, nature itself. The kindest fate any wild animal could hope for is to be killed by a human, so called natural death in the whild is far more barbaric.

[Monkeyface Jones]

Joe, we're all animals. Which I guess in your logic means it's totally cool for me to kill you.

[Cheryl]

This is a very troubling story. As a cat lover and care giver, I wouldn't trust the PCAC as far as I could throw them. Welch Agnew, their director of veterinary services(!) does not support Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) programs for feral cats because they are not native to Florida (link below). Is he kidding? How 1960’s of you Welch.

Extensive research supports TNR as the only humane way to control the feral cat populations.Google it. Pinellas ordinance that requires people keep cats indoors is ridiculous. How do you police that? My cats are and always will be indoor cats but I still see cats roaming my St. Pete neighborhood. Some of these cats have homes others are just feral. In a year, we’ll have the same problem Tarpon Springs is trying to deal with.

From the SP Times: http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/01/Northpinellas/Attention_turns_to_st.shtml

[Brian]

Cheryl, are you an idiot or what?? Trap, Neuter, and RE-ABANDON is not the answer. Outdoor cats (feral or not) have half the lifespan of indoor cats and are often tragically killed or suffer from disease until their death. Also, what about the THOUSANDS of native species killed by free roaming cats that are not killed for food but just for sport (Cats kill just to kill and often do not eat their prey). Allowing people to trap, neuter, and re-abandon is cruel and everyone particpating in such cruelty should be thrown in jail. By offering idiots like you the opportunity to dress in prison orange for your cruelty would definitely help "police" the situation.