Cat beaten to death with piece of wood
Geelong, VIC (AU)Date: Jun 28, 2005
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased
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An RSPCA inspector believes a man used a lump of wood to kill a cat while it was trapped in a rubbish skip at a Geelong workplace.
RSPCA inspector Jason Nichols said an employee at Geelong's Timbertruss Belmont factory yesterday confessed to having killed the cat. The animal was later dumped beside a road.
Mr Nichols is investigating the incident and will await findings from a veterinary examination before deciding whether to press charges under the Cruelty to Animals Act.
``He's confessed to killing the cat but that doesn't necessarily mean he committed any offence,'' Mr Nichols said.
``That's why we need to continue inquiries to ascertain whether it was killed humanely.
``Killing the animal is not of itself an offence, it's the manner in which you go about it and whether actions can be deemed to be reasonable.''
Aggravated cruelty to animal offences which result in serious disabity or death carry penalties of up to 12 months in jail or a $12,000 fine.
Mr Nichols interviewed several people who watched the incident about 10pm on June 28, 2005.
``There was a group of people who witnessed the incident and one person actually involved in killing the animal, I believe with a lump of wood,'' Mr Nichols said.
``I think there's a variety of opinions as to whether what happened was appropriate.''
He said the cat had a head injury which probably caused its death and was consistent with the accounts of witnesses.
The inspector said the cat did not have a collar and veterinary investigation would reveal if it was microchipped.
``It has been suggested that it was feral, that's all I know,'' Mr Nichols said.
Police attended the Timbertruss site yesterday but left investigations with the RSPCA.
Mr Nichols said Timbertruss staff and management had co-operated fully during questioning.
He had advised them on ways to deal with problem cats and advised people against taking actions which might have serious repercussions.
Timbertruss managing director Gary Bowkett was upset when he heard of the incident and immediately launched an internal inquiry. He said the company would co-operate fully during RSPCA investigations and would not tolerate animal cruelty in the workplace.
Mr Nichols warned that if people taking this sort of action didn't kill the cat on the first blow they left themselves open to prosecution ``and it causes the animal to suffer.''
The community is pretty sick and tired of this sort of attitude to cats.'' References | Geelong Info - June 30, 2005 |
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