shocking crime has taken hold of a French seaside resort in the region ofSaint-Pierre-la-Mer. A huge number of local cats have died after being poisoned by an unknown culprit. In the past few weeks, nearly 200 cats have lost their lives, according to the SPA's estimations (the equivalent of the ASPCA in the USA and the RSPCA in the UK).A large number among them were found in agony, fighting as hard as they could to cling on to life. A resident, who sadly lost their cat, recalls how the animals were “vomiting something blue, meowing and slowly dying.”
Source: La Dépêche
The residents of this seaside town have started to suspect foul play and confused and angry, theyare beginning to accuse each other. Residents expressed their distress to the French journalLa Dépêche du Midi.Éliane, one of the inhabitants explains her anger:
There's a moron killing cats. When we find the culprit, they'll have to face the consequences. Cats are dying on my terrace and in my garden and I can't cope anymore. I love cats, it's heartbreaking.
Geneviève, another resident, explains how the atmosphere in the town has become tense:
The atmosphere is horrible, nobody trusts anybody anymore. We're all scared that a child will eat the poison because we just know nothing about it.
Source: La Dépêche
The French channel France 3 Occitanie recently received the first results of autopsies conducted on some of the cats whohad died. They revealed the presence of lead, cannabis and engine coolant in their stomachs, all of which are extremely toxic when ingested.While it is primarily stray cats that have been affected by this ordeal, a number of household cats have also fallen victim to this cruel crime. The local authorities have opened an inquiry to find the culprit, but tensions in the community are rising and becoming extremely fraught. André Ruiz, deputy mayor of security explains:
Everyone is suspicious. People have begun to accuse each other. This needs to stop.
The inquiry is making progress to find the person responsible for these horrible deaths, but in the meantime, owners are becoming extremely vigilant to protect their beloved feline companions the best that they can.
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