Man facing theft, cruelty to animals charges after stolen cat found dead

A 29-year-old Regina man who previously was convicted of cruelty to animals is back before the courts on the same charge.

According to reports, the man admitted to killing two cats in March of 2020. He was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and then received an intermittent sentence after serving more than 16 months of house arrest.

Now, the same man faces charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, theft under $5,000 and attempted theft, as well as multiple counts of breach of probation and breach of a prohibition order.

In a media release Wednesday, the Regina Police Service said police got a call June 13 about a male cat that had been stolen from a home in the 2300 block of McAra Street.

On June 11, after the owner of the cat couldn’t find him, she checked her home’s surveillance video and saw a man taking the cat from her yard. She subsequently shared that information with police.

On June 14, the cat was found dead in a field in Regina’s northwest. Police and the Humane Society/Animal Protection checked the cat’s microchip and determined it belonged to the woman on McAra Street.

A necropsy found the cat’s injuries weren’t accidental.

The police investigation found there had been an attempt to steal the cat on June 10, and investigators believed the same suspect was responsible.

The man was arrested Tuesday and made his first court appearance Wednesday.