Photo: Empty swing placed in the garden / Shutterstock
The BC SPCA is performing a necropsy on a cat after it was found dead on a swing in Maple Ridge.
The deceased feline was discovered in Cook Park on Friday, October 26 with zap traps around its legs and neck. Someone called the SPCA's provincial call centre, and they collected the body of the animal.
Vancouver Is Awesome spoke to Lorie Chortyk, general manager, community relations, BC SPCA, who explained that there are a great deal of unknown factors to the story.
"We've taken the cat for a necropsy, but right now it is too early to speculate on how it may have died," she said. "While it had zap traps on it when it was found, it may have been dead before they were put on."
As a result, they need to determine whether the zap traps were the cause of death, or if someone put them on afterwards.
"We are performing the necropsy to determine the cause of death, and then we will be able to disclose a full statement."
Chortyk also reinforced the care that residents should take on Halloween with their pets. Sadly, animals are often harmed by firecrackers or fireworks, or frightened by loud groups and noises. Moreover, there are more incidents of harm to animals around this time of year, as some people perform "pranks" on them.
https://twitter.com/VancouverPD/status/1057661427941625857
If you see an animal in distress, please contact the authorities. Further, if you have any information regarding the case in question, please contact the SPCA.
To report an animal in distress (including wildlife), please call the BC SPCA Provincial Call Centre at 1 (855) 6BC SPCA (1-855-622-7722). The call centre is open seven days per week; Mon to Fri: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sat & Sun: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If this is an animal emergency outside of these hours, please contact your local police department or RCMP.
