AN animal protection group has called an intruder’s drowning of a pet cat in bleach “absolutely disgusting”.
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Police are on the hunt for a bearded, thin man in his 20s, with blonde, scruffy long hair, after a Cobram woman found her cat Puss Puss dead in her laundry sink on Wednesday.
Australia Animal Protection Society welfare co-ordinator Sue Thompson said she was “gobsmacked” when she heard about the incident.
“This is just dreadful,” she said.
“I’m horrified he would target a family pet.”
Ms Thompson questioned the offender’s mental state, saying if he could do that he was capable of doing anything.
“People who hurt animals move on and hurt others,” she said.
Although Ms Thompson saw abused and neglected animals every day, she’d never seen a case such as this.
“To do that, he wanted the cat to suffer,” she said.
“Someone who does that is sick and they shouldn’t be on the streets.”
Albury RSPCA branch president Arthur Frauenfelder described the case as “absolutely despicable”.
“It was obviously premeditated to seek harm to this defenceless animal,” he said.
“The family will be quite traumatised.”
Mr Frauenfelder said people should be cautious, but not paranoid.
On Thursday, police arrested a man in relation to the incident, but he became aggressive and refused to co-operate.
It is alleged he punched one of the detectives in the face.
A scuffle followed, with the man sustaining minor injuries.
He was later interviewed and released, charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest.
The man will appear at the Cobram Magistrates Court on September 3.
Cobram police dectective Sgt Marcus Boyd said they were gathering evidence at the scene and speaking to witnesses and people known to the suspect.
“We’re throwing all our resources into solving this crime because history tells us that a person capable of hurting a defenceless animal may be capable of other things,” he said.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.