WARNING: These images are graphic and may be offensive to some readers.
Yonkers police made a shocking discovery on Thursday when they found the remains of 25 dead cats in 30 plastic bags hanging from a tree. Yonkers Department of Public Works employees first found the remains when they were cleaning the area. The tree is located at 14 Overlook Terrace in Yonkers, New York.
Police contacted the SPCA of Westchester’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit to provide assistance.
The cats were in various stages of decomposition. Police told the Yonkers Daily Voice that the cats may have been put in the bags at different times and due to the tree’s relatively hidden location, some of the bags may have been there for a long time.
The SPCA took three of the bodies to a local veterinarian to perform necropsies, upon which it was determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. “It is believed that all of the cats suffered the same death,” the SPCA said in a press statement.
In a statement, Ernie Lungaro, Director of the SPCA’s HLE Unit, said “Both the SPCA of Westchester and the Yonkers Police Department are highly motivated to find those who are responsible for this heinous act. The investigation continues as we follow up leads and conduct interviews.”
“All of us at the SPCA of Westchester are deeply appalled by this depraved act of animal cruelty,” added Shannon Laukhuf, Executive Director. “I want to assure the public that we will use every resource available to us to bring those responsible to swift justice.”
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the SPCA’s confidential hotline at 914-941-7797.
Follow Andrea Park on Twitter: @andreapark
