Sadly, there have been recent reports of stray cats being killed in various places across Brooklyn and beyond. This includes our own community, at 86th Street and 16th Avenue, where the bodies of seven deceased cats were discovered just days ago under the deck of a house.
As an animal lover, who has owned cats through most of my life, I am horrified by this outrageous turn of events, as are many of our neighbors who care for and watch out for the feline population in their neck of the woods.
While it hasn’t yet been confirmed, many of the neighbors who are involved believe that, in the case of the 86th Street cat colony that was decimated, some unknown individual has been poisoning their food. This hypothesis is supported by the condition of the cats; when found, the dead animals were seen to have been bleeding from their nose and mouth, which would occur had they ingested rat poison.
This has to stop. Not only is it cruel and inhumane, but it is illegal. Under federal statutes and under a state law that I sponsored, it a crime to abuse, kill or otherwise harm animals, whether pets or strays.
Currently, the 62nd Precinct is investigating the deaths of the cats at 86th Street and 16th Avenue. Additionally, the NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad is on the case. Necropsies, to determine the cats’ cause of death, are underway.
My fervent hope is that their efforts will lead to the identification of the person or people behind this horrific turn of events and that the perpetrator or perpetrators will be brought to justice.
But, it’s not just a matter of seeking appropriate punishment for crimes against animals that previously were committed. As a community, we must also work toward preventing such crimes from occurring in the future.
Area residents can help by reporting instances of animal cruelty that they have observed to 911 if it is occurring as the report is taking place, or to 311, if it’s not currently taking place. Alternatively, if it’s not an immediate emergency, residents can call my office at 718-236-1598 to report incidents of animal abuse.
Very simply, situations like the one that transpired at 86th Street and 16th Avenue cannot be allowed to occur. I hope all my neighbors will join me in making our community once again a safe place for these creatures, who did not choose to be born on the street and want nothing more than to live their lives in peace, as we all do.
