Cat Mutilation Revives Neighborhood Concerns

Sandy Luna plays with her two new kittens, Paco and Lola. (Paco's the ginger boy.) Luna acquired the kittens after her cat Lucky was killed last month; she says they're indoor cats for their own safety. Photo by R. Clayton McKee Photo: Freelance / © R. Clayton McKee

ROBIN FOSTER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE/Published 07:30 a.m., Thursday, August 25, 2011

Jeanne Kazmierski could hardly believe it when her new acquaintance, Sandy Luna, mentioned getting two new kittens after finding her beloved cat Lucky dead and mutilated in a neighbor's yard a few weeks ago.
Both residents of Timbergrove, the women were introduced by a mutual friend on Aug. 10.
Similar mutilations
Kazmierski shared how her cat, Buddy, was found three years ago, mutilated and on display at Jaycee Park, an event that still horrifies her today.
"I can talk about it now, but then, it just about killed me," Kazmierski said.
At least five other cat mutilations were reported in the Heights and River Oaks within the following year, and Houston Press writer John Nova Lomax wrote in August 2010 that his Captain Kitty had a similar fate.
Hearing Kazmierski's tale lent new meaning to details about Lucky's demise, said Luna, a nurse with Texas Childrens Hospital.
"She was, like, put on display," Luna said.
"It was odd. There was no blood in the grass. It was strange. She was disemboweled. The way she was placed on the lawn, it was a definite message."
Extremely disturbing
Luna and Kazmierski dismiss the notion their cats were killed by dogs or a wild animal even though the alternative, that a person might have done such a thing, is extremely disturbing to both.
"The part that worries me is, this is how serial killers start," Luna said.
Luna did not file a police report when Lucky was found in the early morning of July 25.
But Kazmierski has since sent out a neighborhood alert and contacted Houston Police Department officers who live or work in the neighborhood as well as Sgt. Virginia Brasher, one of HPD's animal cruelty officers.
Brasher is aware of the previous cat mutilations but said police have no leads to link them together or even pursue an investigation.
"The best thing is to let people in the area know, and that way, if they see something suspicious, they'll let us know," Brasher said.
In Houston, cats are subject to the same leash law as dogs, she pointed out.
That means owners are supposed to have control over their pets at all times.
Keep cats inside
"I'm a firm believer that cats should probably be kept inside," Brasher said.
But state law makes torturing or killing an animal a crime punishable by jail time, Brasher said.
And like Luna and Kazmierski, Brasher expressed concern if an individual is responsible for killing the pets.
"It's very disturbing because we don't know if it's an adult or a juvenile," she said.
"If it's a juvenile, it's very disturbing because if they can do this to an animal, what are they capable of doing to a person?"
Brasher advises residents to be alert and aware and report any suspicious individuals or activities by calling HPD's non-emergency number, 713-884-3131.
Luna is still saddened by the loss of Lucky, a sweet black cat she found in a field eight years ago.
Many in the neighborhood knew her, Luna said.
Because of what happened, she's heeding Brasher's advice. Her new kittens are strictly indoor cats.
robin.foster@chron.com