Two people are accused of torturing and killing cats and posting videos of photographs of the crimes on the dark web.
The Chief Veterinary Officer’s animal health and welfare branch contacted Winnipeg police about the disturbing online content in August.
The dark web is not indexed by online search engines and can allow users to communicate anonymously.
Police investigated and determined the content was created in Winnipeg and posted from here. About 10 cats were believed to be involved, including some acquired from social-media selling platforms.
Police later obtained a search warrant for a home in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood, arrested two people and seized evidence from the home.
Irene Lima, 55, and Chad Kabecz, 40, are charged with killing or injuring animals, causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, failing to provide adequate medical attention for an ill or wounded animal and inflicting acute suffering, serious injury or harm, or extreme anxiety or distress to an animal.
Both have been remanded into custody.
“It should be noted that recently there have been reports about cats found deceased in the Point Douglas area. Investigators do not believe these situations are related, and they are being investigated separately,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release handed out at a news conference Friday morning.
In late September, Winnipeg Lost Cat Assistance posted on Facebook about cat deaths in Point Douglas, saying there had been an unusual number of mutilated cats in various areas of Winnipeg.
“While some might be explained through the habits of animal predators, others are not so easily explained,” the post said, adding several kittens had recently been found dismembered in Point Douglas.
“In the last couple of days, an adult cat was found intentionally dismembered in the William Whyte area. We can only imagine there is someone among us who is practising for something much worse to follow,” the post stated, adding cats had also been “preyed upon” in Southdale, St. Vital and West Kildonan.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca