Saw this couple minutes ago. I feel so sorry for the owners. Don't even want to think about what their poor pets went through
SNARL statement:
Further to our statement this morning, we would like to add the following:
The cats who have been decapitated have had their heads removed in exactly the same manner and place each time. Where we have recovered both head and body, the same small part is missing from each.
We find it difficult to understand how foxes can replicate this perfectly across a range of victims across a vast geographical area.
What has also not been explained is why we have no cases in Scotland or Wales, Devon, East Anglia, Suffolk, Rutland, etc given that we have rescue and lost and found contacts there who would notify us if bodies were found.
In Sussex, there was a case where a rabbit was killed and his body displayed in the same manner as the cats and rabbits and foxes we have attended in other areas. His injuries were a match to these other victims. His liver was placed at the bottom of the garden on a raised stone next to the shed, with a trail of fur leading to it. The next night, the owner’s locked catflap was kicked in and the victim’s collar placed on the stone his liver had been. That’s not foxes.
In West Wickham, a cat’s collar was returned five months after the cat was killed. That’s not foxes.
In Watford, a rabbit was killed and six months later, his head was returned to his garden and found by his owner. It was pristine and looked like it had just happened. That’s not foxes.
Early on in the investigation, two years ago, a headless cat was found near his home in Morland Road, Addiscombe. The cat’s head was found in Dalmally Road, upright, in the centre of the garden. The body was missing the same, small piece we had already noted on other victims.
All four of these victims had injuries identical to those seen elsewhere. If foxes are responsible for the others, then how have they managed all of this? If foxes are responsible for all of the others but not the ones mentioned above, how is it that the injuries are identical?
Finally, we decided to visibly monitor an area where there had been a spate of attacks over an extended period. In the 10 months since that started, there have been no further incidents in that area. There have however been attacks just outside that area.
For all of these reasons, we have taken a collective decision this afternoon to continue with the investigation. We now have the skills within our extended team to cover most of what police would be doing anyway.
The police have stated today that they have never had a full time officer assigned to the case, so we are wondering now how much time has actually been spent trying to solve this.
That said, we also know of some exceptional police work done at the start of this case and would like to thank the officers who worked on it.
Finally, our thoughts are with owners tonight who have been confronted by this news without any prior warning. We have tried to get hold of as many of you as possible but if we haven’t been yet our apologies, we have been inundated and are doing our best under very difficult circumstances.