Multiple kittens injured, 2 dead in disturbing string of animal abuse cases in Calgary
WARNING: Details in this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers
The Calgary Humane Society is investigating after a dead kitten was found in the southwest community of Kingsland on Monday.
Peace officers found the feline zip-tied to a fence.
A necropsy determined the animal suffered blunt force trauma to its head and abdomen.
The Calgary Humane Society says the disturbing discovery is the most recent in a series of "similar events" in the areas of Sandy Beach and Kingsland this summer.
Officials say eight kittens in total, all in the range of six to eight weeks old, have been found in public spaces in "various states of distress" since May 30. Of those, two are dead.
"In several of these cases, kittens’ paws have been bound and they have been covered in a tar-like substance," said the humane society.
Brad Nichols, director of enforcement at Calgary Humane Society, says it's incredibly concerning to see an isolated incident of this nature, let alone half a dozen.
"Given the link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, this concern transcends animal welfare," he said.
Photos show three of six kittens that the Calgary Humane Society says were found in public spaces in "various states of distress" since May 30, 2024. (Calgary Humane Society handout) Anyone who has more information about where the kittens came from or who is responsible for the violence against them is asked to call the humane society at 403-205-4455, or to submit a report online at CalgaryHumane.ca.
The humane society is also using the incident as a reminder for the public to keep their cats inside.
"There is a bylaw prohibiting cats from running at large, but this may serve as a worst-case scenario on the risks posed to roaming cats, which would also include traffic, predation and disease," said a news release.
The Calgary Police Service is assisting the humane society in its investigation.
"We can confirm no one is in custody," police said in a statement. "The Humane Society enforces the Animal Protection Act of Alberta and police become involved if there is evidence to support criminal charges."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau to announce temporary GST relief on select items heading into holidays
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a two-month GST relief on select items heading into holidays to address affordability issues, sources confirm to CTV News.
'Ding-dong-ditch' prank leads to kidnapping, assault charges for Que. couple
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
Border agency detained dozens of 'forced labour' cargo shipments. Now it's being sued
Canada's border agency says it has detained about 50 shipments of cargo over suspicions they were products of forced labour under rules introduced in 2020 — but only one was eventually determined to be in breach of the ban.
DEVELOPING International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
2 boys drowned and a deception that gripped the nation: Why the Susan Smith case is still intensely felt 30 years later
Inside Susan Smith’s car pulled from the bottom of a South Carolina lake in 1994 were the bodies of her two young boys, still strapped in their car seats, along with her wedding dress and photo album. Here's how the case unfolded.
REVIEW 'Gladiator II' review: Come see a man fight a monkey; stay for Denzel's devious villain
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says the follow-up to Best Picture Oscar winner 'Gladiator' is long on spectacle, but short on soul.
Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
'It changed my life': Montreal-area woman learning how to walk after being hit by stray bullet
A 24-year-old woman is learning how to walk again after being shot while lying in her bed in Repentigny, Que.