Dallas News Blog

I'm sure its just a young, burgeoning, local serial killer simply refining his craft in order to start hittin' the Big Time.

Lee, I'm surprised that you haven't connected the dots. George Bush moves to Dallas; shortly thereafter, cats start getting killed, not far from where he lives. Q.E.D.

Have the authorities ruled out suicide?

this is so sad and i wonder if michael vick being so welcomed back into the nfl sends a message to kids..that harming innocent animals is okay.

i live in this area and is has become a drop off place for unwanted pit bull puppies. one is laying next to me now.

All of this is really beyond me. I don't know what to say other than I hope they catch these people. I try to teach my children that the world is a good place and then they witness this in our neighborhood. I hope we all work together to get this people off the streets and away from our families, children and pets.

Anon, this stuff happens all the time. There are "kooks" everywhere. I'd rather the police spent money and manpower on the "kooks" who break into my neighborhood homes than some high schooler with too much Shiner in their system.

toots says....fuck me

jack says....i don't have time today

Yes indeed "Toots"..fuck you...

Oh, and, er, sadism. How much Shiner does it take to make you revel in another creature's agony?

This is obviously not just about finding someone who strangled, sawed in half, and then displayed 2 cats on the front yards of a quiet neighborhood. It's about finding the disturbed person who did this, who is destined to escalate the violence to include people. I'm glad the police are taking this seriously and are going to catch this person. I'm sure it's going to save someone's life, and that's a bit more than just caring about cats.

People want to live and invest in a community where they feel safe. Someone going around and killing innocent animals does not create that kind of enviornment. Quick and effective police response is a major selling point for many of the suburban communities that compete with Dallas for development and tax revenue. Personally, I think anyone who hurts an innocent animals should be strung up on the nearest tree. But clearly this is an issue that can impact everyone. How about a reward to catch the bastard?

I ditto Amy's sentiments towards Toots. This is a felony folks!! I want the criminal off the streets, and far far away from near my neighborhood. For all we know, this is the same person/s that kicked in the front doors of those houses in northwest dallas a month ago!! That happened in my neighborhood, and 3 months ago people did break into my house and stole things. We pay money for police to take crazies off the street. And for all of you who don't think it can lead to serial killing, go google it.

I don't know where Toots went to high school but where I come from high schoolers with too much Shiner in their system go to Taco Bell, listen to Pat Green then come home and pass out, maybe Toots is from New York- get a rope!

Neil:

No the owners don't "bare" any responsibility. I park my car outside too. Do I "bare" responsibility if it gets broken into? Or how about "She wore a short skirt your honor. She was practically asking for it".

Geez.

There is a reward. A neighbor is offering $500 for the capture and arrest of whoever did this horrible crime. This happened on the street right behind my house. Though the police have stated that they do not believe this to be gang related, it sure looks that way to me. That or a total sicko.

Sid Nancy is right, to argue that killing cats leads to serial killers is a slippery slope argument. We hear slippery slope arguments advocated often--gay marriage is a slippery slope to animal/human marriage...

Funny thing, Slippery slope arguments are a logical fallacy. That means they are a common error in reasoning that often lead to false conclusions. In logic and epistemology relying on a logical fallacy utterly discredits the argument.

I know that hasn't stopped people from invoking such arguments, but intelligent informed people should avoid such fallacies.

Mutilating cats is wrong enough, let's punish that, otherwise arguing the death penalty or lynching as some have argued is silly or worse, akin to Minority Report type charges for what a crime may lead to in the future.

I understand the visceral reaction many of you have here and you're just venting that, just don't delude yourself into thinking you've made a logically sound point. You're free to vent, just don't expect to be taken seriously.

And we won't take you seriously either

Psychiatric intervention. Psychological intervention would involve invading his brain telepathically or something.

So tell me, Scott, you really think this crime doesn't warrant an intervention rather than mere punishment? The court should treat it essentially as it would a smash-and-grab?

Tsk tsk. And from an intelligent informed person, no less.

Seriously Jack,

What the hell does killing cats have to do with NFL? Vick never killed cats. In fact, he is a felines' biggest hero. All cats are now Philadelphia Eagles fans right now and if they had opposable thumbs they would be holding up "Vick # 1" signs. I suppose your going to blame Vick for using pigskin footballs too.

P.S. If this is a juvenile or teenage boy, as I frankly suspect strongly, I'm not interested in seeing him punished at all. I'm interested in seeing him get mandatory counseling, maybe perform (supervised!) community service at an animal shelter, something like that.

I just received this press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPCA of Texas Offers $5,000 Reward in the Case of Mutilated Cats Found in Northwest Dallas

(DALLAS, TX); August 28, 2009ùThe SPCA of Texas is offering $5,000 as a reward to any individual who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) who has allegedly mutilated and killed cats in Northwest Dallas. Two of the cats were found cleanly severed in half.

Anyone with information should contact Senior Corporal Kimberly Crawford with the Dallas Police Department at 214-670-6037.

"There is a well-documented link between animal cruelty and human violence." said SPCA of Texas President James Bias. "Helping the Dallas Police Department bring these individuals to justice will help stop the cycle of abuse."

The SPCA of Texas points out that animal cruelty is often an early warning sign of violent tendencies that will be acted out against people. Childhood cruelty to animals has been linked to later antisocial and aggressive behavior in several retrospective studies.

The SPCA of Texas is committed to stopping this cycle through maintaining an active Rescue & Investigations team that responds to reports of abuse and neglect in fourteen North Texas counties, through lobbying the Texas legislature to strengthen animal cruelty laws, by encouraging the community to get involved in their local and state government to advocate for animals and by encouraging individuals to report all suspected animal cruelty to their local law enforcement agency and the SPCA of Texas. To report suspected cruelty or abuse to the SPCA of Texas, call 214-742-SPCA (7722) or visit www.spca.org/abuse.

The SPCA of Texas will do everything in its power to assist law enforcement as they work with prosecutors to take this specific case as far as possible under state law and bring this individual(s) to justice.

The SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. The SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare agency in North Texas with two shelters and two spay/neuter clinics located in Dallas and McKinney, and serves as an active resource center providing an array of programs and services that bring people and animals together to enrich each others' lives. A comprehensive animal welfare agency, the SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other humane organization.

Straw-man anyone? Here we go with the anger, name calling, and baseless accusations that come from Toots being cornered in a dumb-ass argument like a 4 year old. Toots, 1)Spread cheeks 2) Slowly remove head from ass.

The cats on Wilonsky's street, I think, are the ones that make UNFAIR PARK, where Wilonsky is EDITOR. Why don't you tell us all again how code enforcement is more important than investigating felonies.

And when you are taking about a chicken's head, you need to say "its head".

Are the police going to have to investigate EVERY felony now?

"My grandmother would take a chicken and snap it's head off in front of her children......she was no mass murderer."

Is that perhaps because someone is going to EAT the chicken? It's called 'killing a meal'. Your grandma doesn't kill other peoples' pets, and lay them in the front yard does she?

Iknow what I'd like to do to whoever is going around killing cats. Too bad it isn't legal.... whoever it is should suffer the same fate as those poor cats.

Daniel, I don't have any problem with what you've argued. Yes, I think counseling is in order. I was responding to others who were advocating the death penalty, lynching or other excessive punishments.

I find this totally disturbing. Though I mow a couple of yards where the dogs will bark and move a bit close to me. I instinctively and also deliberately will rev the weed eater to scare them away.

One dog who'd never been so aggressive caught me off guard today and I nearly gave him a weed whack. I thought about this story and uncomfortably laughed to myself. I had to admit to myself that I guess I would whack the dog before I'd let him bite me, though I'd really hate to do it.

I had another yard where a couple of us were trying to corral this dog so we could go in and out of the back yard. They have a pool and it took the two of us over 30 minutes to get the dog. We'd get him cornered and he'd run up the fence, leaving scratch marks 5 feet up. Finally the dog fell into the pool and we were able to collar him and put him in a safe spot. That dog hates me to this day--the only dog I haven't gotten along with.

I will top dress those Azaleas with fresh azalea soil if you need Ignore. Perhaps some woodfern, wood violets, or other perennials would nicely accent those azaleas or better yet plant a Japanese Maple.

Ignore, do your azalea beds need service?

Finally, what about squirrels? Anyone defensive of those bushy tailed rodents? My dad swears he's only acting in self defense when he hunt's them with his pellet gun.

It's funny his house is on a fairly substantial hill and overlooks the neighbors' house. The neighbor was painting his house and noticed an array of bbs and pellets in his wood siding. I got blamed for this though it was his misfires, not mine.