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Cat killing hardly a prank
ISSUE: Reward grows in cat killings.
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board
June 10, 2009
The reward money is startling, but so is what has been happening to dozens of cats in South Florida the past few weeks.
If
indeed a human being is responsible for the mutilation deaths of the
cats, the reward — now over $12,000 and growing — tells you just how
serious a matter this is. And hopefully, the reward helps get the
disturbing mystery solved.
This is more than just a prank. If done by humans, these appear to be gruesome, cruel killings.
The
cat deaths, some in Miami-Dade County and some in Lauderhill, involve
some cats that were gutted and skinned, and others with their bellies
sliced open. One horrified cat owner in Lauderhill, who also has a
3-year-old daughter, found one of her cats drained of blood, with her
legs lopped off. Police said the cat was sliced open as if a sharp
weapon were used.
Nope, this is not a prank at all.
Various
authorities and experts haven't ruled out the possibility that foxes
and raccoons could be responsible for some of the cat killings, and a
pack of dogs might have caused cat mutilations in Lauderhill over the
weekend. Nonetheless, the spate of attacks are horrendous enough that
some parents in Lauderhill say they are going to keep their children
and pets indoors, more difficult than usual with school now out for
summer vacation. Many people are talking about keeping their cats
indoors at night.
Psychologists and criminologists are talking
about how animal torture at times can lead to serious crimes against
humans. There is also talk that teenagers could be targeting the cats
to give them a feeling of power and bragging rights.
Let the
psychologists and criminologists debate those issues. What is obvious
to everyone, however, is that if the cat killings are the work of
sadistic humans, they need to be stopped quickly and prosecuted.
Hopefully, the reward is a step in that direction.
BOTTOM LINE: If humans are involved, crime is sadistic.