The family went to the police and they released an appeal asking the public for help in finding who had killed the animal, described as “a grey short-haired cat.” A member of the public came forward with the description of a young male they’d seen carrying a duffel bag into the park and later leaving without it.
Owen Sound police issued a press release Sunday detailing what took place after they’d notified the public about the dead cat and asked for information.
“In their media release…the police did not mention the body of the cat had been found in a duffel bag,” the press release noted. “The investigating officer was able to follow up on that information and identify a possible suspect.”
Once a suspect was identified his description was given to the public and subsequently a 17-year-old boy gave himself up. He came to the police station accompanied by his parents, police said, and admitted he murdered the cat. He’s been charged with animal cruelty and released into the custody of his parents until his first court appearance later this month.
One of the conditions of his release stipulates that he is not to have care or control of an animal or a bird. The police said they do not believe there is any further danger to the cat population in the city. His name has not been made public because he is a juvenile.
Police did not say how the cat died but said it had “suffered obvious trauma.”
