€5,000 reward in hunt for cat killer as seven killed since May
Several cats killed, mutilated in Sliema and beyond
A €5,000 reward has been offered by animal rights activists to catch those behind a series of cat killings.
At least seven cats have been killed in Sliema, Gżira and Valletta since May, according to Real Animal Rights Malta. They were slammed to the ground and at least one had body parts cut off. More cats have been injured or have gone missing.
Romina Frendo, who runs Real Animal Rights Malta, believes the killings may be related to an underground marketplace for animal torture videos.
Frendo announced the €5,000 award for any information that would lead to the arrest of the killer. She said her NGO was putting up €1,000, Sliema wholesaler Mix Markt Malta was offering €3,000, and €1,000 was coming from a business that wished to remain anonymous.
“If you come across a dead cat, don’t call Wasteserv but instead call 119 or myself as soon as possible at 77550550. Take photos of the body and note if there are any CCTV cameras in the area,” Frendo said.
The activist said that while there had been no new attacks in recent days, she had received information about a cat being killed on Triq Patri Marjanu Vella in mid May, not far from the scene of the other attacks. Frendo said this would make it the earliest attack documented so far.
Last week, Times of Malta obtained CCTV footage of an attack on a black and white stray called Pupa.
The footage from June 11 showed an unknown man running around the corner onto St Charles Street at approximately 3.15am, holding a cat.
He then violently slams the animal to the ground before leaving it on the street a few metres up the road.