4 days ago
Cat found decapitated in Welling alley with injuries suspected to be human inflicted
A family cat has been found decapitated in a Welling alleyway after what the owner says a vet described as a deliberate act caused by a person.
Bob, a black and white cat, went missing on the night of Wednesday, May 21. Two days later, his body was found in an alleyway behind the A2 and off Wellan Close.
His owner, Kayleigh Staunton, told the News Shopper: 'I saw a post on social medica and automatically thought, oh my gosh, this could be our Bob.
'I walked around the area and he was just there with literally no head, just his body.'
At first, she thought a fox might be responsible but according to Kayleigh, neighbours who discovered the body had already contacted police, believing the injuries looked intentional.
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She then took Bob to Vets Now in Sidcup where staff allegedly confirmed that the injuries could have been intentional.
Kayleigh said: 'She said this looks like somebody has strangulated him and then decapitated his head. It was just awful. Absolutely awful.'
Following the discovery, Kayleigh said the Vet's contacted South London Animal Investigation Network (SLAIN), a group that helps raise awareness of suspected animal cruelty cases.
She said SLAIN created and distributed leaflets in the area and began asking for CCTV footage between 12pm on May 21 and 8pm on May 23.
The leaflet says the injuries appear to be 'human related' and asks people to report anything unusual.
Kayleigh said this wasn't an isolated case in her area.
She said that shortly after Bob's death, she saw on Facebook that another cat had been found decapitated nearby.
A few days later she said her mother heard from a neighbour that a fox had also been found dead under similar circumstances.
Bob was nearly eight years old and well loved by the family – he will be dearly missed.
She said: 'We got him when he was a kitten… He was a black and white cat. He came along with another cat that we still have called Bella.
'He was an outdoor cat, but he was very much part of the family.'
Kayleigh said Bella and Bob usually went outside together, and that Bella's behaviour changed after Bob disappeared.
She said: 'She kept coming back, meowing on her own. And that's when we suspected something was wrong.'
She said her family now feels uneasy and is being more cautious with their other pets.
She said: 'We are a little bit worried because some serial killers start off with animals, and some people might take that as an exaggeration… but you never know.
Kayleigh said she hopes speaking out will help others stay alert.
She said: 'I want to basically make others aware and keep their cats indoors at night, if they can.'
Anyone with CCTV footage or information is asked to contact SLAIN on 07957 830490.
