Montreal, May 28, 2015 – On May 16th, a deceased male kitten who had been severely mutilated was brought to the Montreal SPCA. The Montreal SPCA veterinary team determined that the two-month old kitten, named Abel by our staff, suffered severe traumatic injuries, specifically a deep cut from his chin to his shoulder, which entirely cut sectioned a front limb and slit open his throat.
The Montreal SPCA is extremely disturbed by this case, particularly as its inspection department has received a number of other complaints regarding ill-treatment of cats, namely poisoning, in the very same area.
Abel, as well as other cats suspected of having been victims of cruelty, were found on Croissant Belcourt, in Laval. Due to the graphic nature of Abel’s injuries, we have included a photo of what Abel would have looked like prior to the gruesome incident in order to help identify him.
The Montreal SPCA’s inspection department has opened a criminal investigation into this case and is seeking the public’s help in order to identify and apprehend the person responsible for hurting cats in this area. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact our inspection department at inspection@spca.com or (514) 735-2711 extension 2230. All tips are treated confidentially.
Further, the Montreal SPCA is advising pet owners in the area to keep their pets indoors, and supervised when outdoors.
In the recent months, the Montreal SPCA has reached out to the public to ask for assistance in a number of our ongoing investigations. “We are grateful for the additional information that has been provided to us which has assisted us in obtaining important leads in a number of our cases” said Sophie Gaillard, Lawyer and Campaigns Manager for the Montreal SPCA’s Animal Advocacy Department. “We hope that we can also count on the public’s assistance with Abel’s case”, she adds. Animal cruelty is a serious criminal offence and the perpetrator of this act could face up to five years in prison.
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Media Relations Coordinator, Montreal SPCA, 514-226-3932, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA
Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first humane society in Canada and our mission is to:
- protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation;
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being;
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all living beings.
For many years, the Montreal SPCA has been working hard with municipal, provincial and federal governments to improve animal protection laws. In 2014, our inspection service investigated 1,217 new complaints and conducted the inspection of 3,012 animals, all species combined. A total of 101 animals were seized as a result of these investigations and several criminal and penal charges were laid.
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
