Painter Vik Djupvik and the others in the organization Potespor were actually looking for a goose with an injured foot, but suddenly they saw something loose lying and bobbing in the sea. It turned out to be the remains of a cat, which was missing both entrails, skin and fur. The dead cat only had a bladder, intestines and muscles. – Something inhumane had been done. It is brutal, and we have confirmed that there are people who have done it, says Djupvik. Swipe to see unloaded image. The image has been leaked by news. Photo: Private This cat was found in 2023. Photo: Private – Several cases The cat that was found now is by no means the first. From 2020 until now, they have found a total of five cats who are probably exposed to severe abuse by humans. Four of the five cats have been skinned, and three of them have been found in the sea. – The find would have looked different if it had been animals that had taken the cats. Then there would have been remnants of skin and fur. But this is different, says Djupvik. Malene Vik Djupvik is involved in an animal welfare organization for Vestnes and Rauma. Photo: Private – Clearly tortured All the cats have been examined by veterinarians at the animal clinic Nebb og Klør at Skodje in Ålesund. In two of the cases, the vets examined the dead cats. In the other three cases, the veterinarians have studied the image. Daily manager Sheryl Shepard has no doubt that the cats have been mistreated by humans. Veterinarian Sheryl Lynn Spencer at the Nebb og Klør animal clinic is certain that humans have mistreated the cats that have been found dead in Vestnes. Photo: Dag Olsen / Nebb og Klør – We are sure that it is a human being behind this. The cats are clearly tortured. There are clean cut surfaces. The damage is completely different than if it had been done by, for example, a dog or a fox. – It couldn’t have been our animals that did this? – No, no. Here, it is humans who are behind it. It hurts me inside when I see this. But unfortunately there are people who are able to do this. We hope we can find out who is behind it. – Fur twisted like a sweater Djupvik says that the case that has made the biggest impression is from 2022. This finding bore the mark of one or more perpetrators having put in the effort to twist the skin with fur inside out. – It was inside out like a sweater. It is no small matter, because someone has physically taken a cat and turned it upside down. Someone has chosen to skin a pet. Swipe to see unloaded image. The image has been leaked by news. Photo: Private This cat was found in 2022. Photo: Private Has dropped the cases Cecilie Utstumo, who is a police prosecutor in the Møre og Romsdal police district, says that they have received police reports on several of the cases, but not yet on the last case that should have happened in August. – The cases that have been reported to the police have been dismissed due to a lack of information about the perpetrator or because of the state of the evidence, she says. But she says that people must get in touch if they have information. – The police can decide to take up the cases if new information comes to light. – How serious is it if humans have done this? – Violence against animals is punishable and something the police take seriously. There is a penalty of a fine or imprisonment of up to three years, so if it turns out that this is what has happened, then it is something the police take seriously, she says. Heartbreaking It is not until now that Djupvik and the others in the organization have chosen to come out with how serious they think the matter is. – It is heartbreaking. And it is scary to know that a person or persons have such a cold heart that they can do something like this to an animal, she says and continued: – It is so brutal. We fear there may be more cases than we have found. We have come to a point where people need to know how brutal it is. It’s not just a dead cat, it’s someone who has chosen to adopt a pet. Here, the members of the organization Potespor have found a cat that has been skinned. The discovery was made in Vestnes municipality in Møre og Romsdal. Photo: Potespor – What do they hope will come out of this? – We hope someone dares to speak up. If they know something or have seen something, it can be important, says Malene Vik Djupvik. Published 28.08.2024, at 13.24
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Suspect extreme cat abuse: – It was twisted like a sweater
