The national ‘Faces we must never Forget’ Facebook page has put together this collage of the two cats killed in Gordon in May and six cats which have gone missing in the suburb in the past six months.
A national Facebook page dedicated to remembering cats and dogs who have been victims of cruelty has thrown the spotlight on the recent killings of two cats in Gordon and revealed that six other cats have gone missing in the suburb in the last six months.
‘The Faces we must never Forget’ page last week compiled a photo collage of the two dead cats and six missing cats, urging ‘anyone who knows anything’ about the dead or missing cats to report it to the RSPCA and the police.
Meanwhile, the RSPCA ACT has stepped up its investigation into the incidents with plans to actively engage with the community. Team members will visit two local shopping centres over the next three days to ask people in person whether they have any information about what happened.
“RIP Marley and Suzette killed by a cruel and heartless human likely living in the suburb of Gordon ACT. Sadly more victims of the apparent increasing evil living in our society,” stated ‘The Faces we must never Forget’ Facebook page.
Sydnee Cooke from Gordon with her affectionate cat Marley in happier days. Marley was killed in early May after someone broke into her mesh enclosure and attacked her. Photo: Supplied.
“In that same suburb in the last six months, six more cats have disappeared – Oscar, Merlin, Willow, Simba, Oscar and Hugh are missing from Gordon ACT.
“To have your loved cat cruelly killed intentionally by some evil blight on society is a pain and heartbreak we hope no-one else in Gordon has to experience. Knowing your loved cat is missing and possibly another victim of this cruelty is another heartbreaking pain.”
Since posting last week, the Facebook page has been informed that two of the missing cats have been located but they have discovered that two more cats have gone missing in Gordon.
“Hugh has been reunited and Simba was found deceased, believed to have been hit by a car, but unless a vet had seen him it is possible blunt force trauma could have been responsible,” a spokesperson for the Facebook page told Region Media.
“We have now discovered another two cats are missing from Gordon as well – Ghost and King.”
In May, Region Media reported on the deliberate killing of two cats in Gordon in less than a week. Alana Esmerian found her cat Suzette dead in her front yard due to “blunt force trauma” on May 8, only six days after fellow Gordon resident Sydnee Cooke found her cat Marley had died in pain after someone broke into her mesh enclosure and “aggressively attacked her”.
Six days after Marley was killed, Alana Esmerian found her cat Suzette (pictured) dead on her front lawn from “blunt force trauma”. Photos: Facebook (Alana Esmerian).
Suzette’s death also occurred in the same Gordon Street, Lewis Luxton Avenue, in which “some sick bastard” had shortly before thrown dog treats laced with fish hooks into the backyard of dog owner James Roberts – who luckily discovered them before they did harm.
The ‘Faces we must never Forget’ page asserts that someone must know something about the incidents and also the missing cats and is urging people to get in touch with the RSPCA or the police if they do.
Information on the Facebook page about the six missing cats in Gordon was compiled from other relevant pages including the Canberra Lost Pet Database and the stated hope is that the cats will be “safely reunited with their families or at least are found so that their owners may have closure”.
At the time of the cat deaths in May, RSPCA ACT CEO Michelle Robertson told Region Media she was “extremely saddened and disappointed” to hear of the senseless attacks and that the RSPCA’s Inspectorate team were collecting evidence in the area.
The RSPCA has been investigating the incidents over the past two months and is now “stepping up our efforts to engage with the public and increase opportunity for people to engage with us, to raise concerns or provide information”.
“RSPCA ACT is calling on support from the public as it continues to investigate the recent reports of animal cruelty in the Tuggeranong and the surrounding area,” Ms Robertson told Region Media today (July 8).
“RSPCA’s team members will be located at central areas in an effort to make it easier for the public to come forward with any information about the recent reports or simply to stop and chat about responsible pet ownership.
“We will be out at Tuggeranong South Point between 12:30 and 2:30 on Tuesday the 9th of July and Lanyon Marketplace between 9:30 and 11:30 on Thursday the 11th of July.”
However, Ms Robertson stressed that the RSPCA does not want to create any panic for people living in these areas.
“This initiative is not due to any increased threats or identified risks but rather our desire to engage with the community,” Ms Robertson said.
“We are aiming to speak to people who may have information which helps our investigations and to provide opportunity for people to bring previously unreported matters to our attention.
“Any information supplied can be kept confidential if required and any snippet of information may be the piece in the puzzle necessary to achieve a successful prosecution in the future.”
Anyone with information is also invited to get in touch with the RSPCA ACT’s Inspectorate team by emailing inspectorate@rspca-act.org.au or calling the Shelter on 6287 8100.
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