The letter, handed to Alliance MP Mrs Long by a concerned local, states the person has been ’employed by a number of residents’ in the Dundonald area to ‘sort out the cat problems’. It adds the person will put down bait resulting in ‘instant death’ of the animal, with the cat ‘not feeling a thing’.
One letter claimed the owner’s cat had already been poisoned, three weeks after it had initially disappeared.
The Alliance MP said it was a disturbing read, which would be especially chilling for cat owners in the area, and had caused serious distress.
“I have dealt with a number of constituents who have reported missing cats and to think they may have fallen prey to someone poisoning them is horrific. These are innocent animals and someone’s pet. To treat them as vermin and of no consequence is appalling and illegal.
“I recently held a major public meeting regarding a number of animal welfare issues and one which was raised consistently throughout was the need for better monitoring of cats as pets, as they have less protection in law than dogs, despite being popular and loved companion animals.
“I have sought a meeting with the police to get an update on their investigation and would ask anyone with information to come forward to prevent any further incidents.”
ENDS