Yesterday, we received photographs of a mutilated cat - clearly a well-fed and cared for family pet - which was found hanging from a road sign on Tuesday in a Tauranga suburb.
The pictures were graphic and horrific.
The animal had had its legs and tail chopped off, and a nail had
been driven through its head.
The question was: Should we show these photographs to our readers in order to hit home with the unimaginable cruelty of the act? Would the shock of facing the grisly images cause readers to become angry enough to find the culprit, to take a stand against the abuse of innocent animals, perhaps to donate to the SPCA who work tirelessly to do good in the face of such depravity?
In the end, we decided the answer was no. The pictures were so ghastly that they would upset and offend all those who saw them. (Even those who write to us frequently complaining that cats are pests and need to be controlled. Even cat-haters would surely not wish to see such brutality inflicted on an innocent creature.)
We decided that just describing the incident should be enough to spark outrage.
Certainly the dedicated people at the Tauranga SPCA are feeling that outrage. So angry and concerned are they that they have personally gathered funds for a reward leading to the apprehension of the killer.
At a time when we have been reading sickening court reports of the despicable abuse of little Nia Glassie, who died after a life of horror and persecution, this incident is a reminder that the torturers of children and animals are of the same breed.
To inflict misery on the vulnerable requires an extremely disturbed mindset.
Those found guilty of Nia's murder should be punished to the fullest extent of the law - and those found responsible for the death of a defenceless pet should also be treated extremely seriously, and should receive psychological help before they move on to turn their violence against humans.
Editor, Laura Franklin
