Warning: This story contains details some readers may find disturbing.
York Regional Police have issued a warning to pet owners after cats were found dead in the same Vaughan park on two occasions.
Police said on May 19, animal control officers were notified of three cats that were found dead at Belair Way Park, southwest of Weston and Langstaff roads.
On Sunday, police were notified of a fourth cat that was found dead in the same park, officers said.
“In each of the cases, the cats were found to have been killed as a result of injuries that investigators do not believe had been accidental or a result of a predatory animal,” police said in a news release.
Global News spoke to two witnesses who said they discovered the deceased cats.
Stefania Santelli said she found the first cat in mid-May when she was out walking her dog.
“Our dogs sniffed out something so we were just casually walking and we realized the gruesome scene of this dismembered cat,” she said.
“It looked dismembered as opposed to an animal tearing it … It was awful.”
Fabio Campoli, Santelli’s fiancé, was with her on that walk and told Global News he also discovered dismembered cats at the exact same location two times after the first incident.
Campoli said the cats all looked “exactly the same,” dismembered in three pieces.
Officials are urging pet owners to avoid leaving their animals unattended outdoors and said they’re trying to determine who may be responsible.
Anyone who sees signs of animal cruelty, or who may have surveillance video from the areas around the park, are asked to contact police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7493 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.