Our beloved cats die under mysterious circumstances while our dogs are poisoned – we fear a sadistic murderer is on the loose

Concerned pet owners are keeping their animals indoors after a series of “mysterious” incidents left at least five cats dead, more missing and a dog suspected of being poisoned.

The RSPCA and council officials have launched an investigation into what happened to the animals suspected of having an accident near a field earmarked for new housing.

Five cat bodies have been found, but about half a dozen more are missing while the dog recovers.

Locals in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, believe the animals may have been intentionally injured by a sadist.

Another theory is that the animals may have injured themselves in the field on the eastern edge of the city – now fenced off for preliminary “ecological” work ahead of the construction of 169 new houses – or came into contact with contamination.

Nick Brooks, 53, manager of a neighboring business park, told how his Patterdale terrier Rocco suffered symptoms of poisoning three months ago after being walked around the site by his office manager Sue Ward.

He said: “He was going downhill very quickly, he was lying on the sofa. “I took him to the vet and they said he had symptoms of poisoning.”

Ms Ward said: “I just walked him to the top of the field and back. “Thankfully he’s completely fine now.”

Mr Brooks added: “I didn’t think anything of it when I heard about the cats. ‘I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this is in a similar time frame.’

In August, Jasper, a six-year-old Snow Lynx Bengal cat owned by Joe Manning, 57, and his partner Charlan Hopkin, 50, who live on the Bellamy Estate across the development site, was unwell.

Mr Manning, an engineer, said: “We let him out on August 28 and he went onto the site. “He came back and wasn’t well, but on August 29 he went out again and we got him never seen again.”

Earlier this month, Mr Manning and Ms Hopkin – who have two other cats – were sent a video taken by an ecologist who was walking across the field and noticed Jasper moving his head but unable to walk. The man went to get a blanket to recover him, but returned to find the cat missing.

Mr Manning said: “We believe Jasper may have been kidnapped by a fox – so we will never find out what killed him.” From the looks of him in the video, he appears to have been poisoned.

“According to an estate Facebook group, up to ten cats are missing in the area – meaning there are ten heartbroken families. Other owners keep their cats indoors.

“We don’t know if someone is doing something intentionally or if something is on the website.”

Neighbor Teresa Williams, a volunteer cat rescuer whose husband found a cat dead, told the BBC: “I noticed a few cats were missing from the local property.” [online] pages, so we brought the cat back and checked its markings. As I picked it up, one leg came loose; it was terrible.

“Another neighbor was looking for her cat after it went missing a few weeks earlier. She found it, but it was dead.’

Another local resident, Sarah Blackshaw, who tracked down the missing cats, said: “We were walking around the fields and found two dead cats.”

“There was one lying upside down on the bushes, believe it or not.” “It’s so strange that so many cats are found dead.”

Elissa Loates, 17, keeps her pet Dotty, a 13-year-old short-haired domestic cat, indoors as a precaution.

She said, “I don’t want to let her out one day and she just won’t come home.”

“It feels really horrible knowing what other people are going through. ‘I don’t care how long we have to keep her inside as long as she’s safe.’

Mansfield City Council has launched a “thorough investigation”. The spokesman said: “Unfortunately, at this time we do not know the cause of death or the exact number of cats.”

“We encourage anyone with information to come forward and report it to us.”

An RSPCA spokesman said: “At this stage we do not know whether these were accidental or deliberate incidents, but in the meantime we would ask everyone in the area to check where they store their pesticides and chemicals and ensure that they are safe and outside.” of the path.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have information.”

“Pet owners are asked to be vigilant and keep an eye on the welfare of their cats – if they show symptoms of poisoning, take them for veterinary treatment immediately.”

Developer Vistry Group, which received planning permission in 2022, said: “Some initial environmental work is currently being carried out on site and we can confirm that no chemicals will be used and no other works will be carried out.”