A dangerous teenager has been sent to a young offenders institute for 30 months. Frank Lewis, aged 18 years, stole cats from an animal sanctuary and used them as bait in hunting games with his pet dog. Mr Lewis admitted killing the cats and burglary at Swansea Crown Court. Judge Paul Hopkins told the court that Lewis was dangerous because of these acts and his extreme views on race and sexuality. A second teenager was found not to have been a part of the killing of the cats. The unnamed 15 year old was given a nine month curfew.
The teenager stole a cage containing ten cats from the Ty Nant Cat Sanctuary. The cats had been brought to the centre in poor condition and brought back to good health by the sanctuary volunteers. Lewis let his dog hunt down and kill the cats, and he would injure the cats himself to stop them from escaping. Three of the cats were found mauled to death close to the cat sanctuary; three are missing and presumed dead. Four of the ten cats were found alive and were sent back to the sanctuary.
This case, and the unsolved case of the Croydon cat killer, are deeply disturbing and distressing to read. It is devastating to learn of such terrible crimes against animals. Here’s our advice on how to keep your pets safe from dangers.
- If you have a cat that has access to the outdoors please ensure they are micro chipped and keep the data up to date.
- Give your cat a curfew, ensuring they are indoors at a set time each night. Use feeding times to help tempt your cat home and try to set the time to fall before the rush hour.
- Neuter your cats. Neutered cats are less likely to roam as far, contract diseases and fight.
- Consider restricting your cats’ access to the outdoors. Install a catio, cat fencing or any suitable form of a cat protection system.
- Use cat litter boxes inside the home.
- Keep an eye on local news for any worrying cases or trends that indicate cats are being harmed or targeted.
- Create a cat friendly garden to encourage your cat to stay close to home.
If your cat goes missing, please refer to our article for help.