A Brandon, Man. man arrested this week after police say dead kittens and rabbits were found at his home has previously been charged with animal cruelty.
The 28-year-old was arrested Tuesday after police say they were tipped off that he was in possession of animals, despite being prohibited from having any as a condition of his prior release.
Investigators say the carcasses of 16 dead kittens and rabbits were found at the man’s home when officers went to follow up on the tip. Two living kittens were also found and taken safely to a local vet clinic, police said Wednesday.
Brandon police say the same man was charged with injuring or endangering an animal in June following an investigation by animal control officers.
In a release at the time of his first arrest, investigators alleged the suspect “was responsible for acquiring and injuring domesticated animals, mostly felines.”
Following his first arrest, the accused was released on what were described at the time as “appropriate police imposed conditions.”
Brandon police spokesperson Sgt. Kirby Sararas said this week the suspect made his first court appearance in August and the initial case remains before the courts.
She said the latest charges stem from an investigation launched after police got word the same suspect has since been acquiring kittens being offered online.
“In this particular case, several individuals had given him cats, many people advertise that they have cats for sale, or to give away,” Sararas said.
“Two people happened to get talking and discovered that they had each recently given him cats, thought it was concerning, and then alerted the chief veterinary officer, who were aware that he was not to be in possession of any animals.
“They alerted police because they found out that people had given him kittens.”
Sararas wasn’t able to get into details about the latest allegations, telling Global News investigators are waiting on necropsy results.
“We’re waiting for those results to learn exactly how the animals died, but police have reason to believe that he intentionally killed them,” she said.
Meanwhile, the man is facing 16 counts of animal cruelty and 18 counts of failing to comply with an undertaking in connection to the latest charges.
— with files from Sam Thompson