Cat killing hits a nerve with public
Ryan Cormier
The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
EDMONTON - The venomous reaction to the microwave-death of a Camrose cat during a break-in isn't just about the cat, experts say.
Police believe a Camrose home was broken into early on Dec. 29 while the residents were away on holiday.
Several items were stolen and the interior was vandalized. There was a second break-in at the home the next day, when the cat is believed to have been killed.
A note, "Nice cat, look in the microwave," was written on the kitchen window.
Three 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old have been charged with animal cruelty and other offences.
Newspaper letters pages and websites have been filled with angry reaction to the crime, including calls for capital punishment and illegally naming the teens.
The reaction isn't merely about a single act of torture, said criminologist Bill Pitt. Senseless youth crimes have been building in rural Alberta, he said, and the particular details of this one set people off.
"The sheer diabolical aspect of going back twice to the same house to torture and execute an animal, the writing on the wall in mockery, the inability to feel any empathy for this poor animal ... this is definitely about more than a pet."
Pitt said that an attack of any kind of a defenseless victim is bound to attract public attention.
"It goes to the essence of humanity that we don't prey on the weak. It smacks us. It hurts our conscience and sensibility. People lash out, which is what we're seeing in Camrose."
Connie Varnhagen, a professor of psychology at the University of Alberta, said some people can react more strongly to the death of an animal than a human. A news story about the Camrose incident could affect them deeper than one about a homicide.
"With animals, it's never their choice. We have more of a sense of personal responsibility to animals," Varnhagen said. "It's seen as much worse than hurting a human, who has a choice of where they are and what they do."
That innocence of an animal-victim is crucial to the angry response that follows, the Edmonton Humane Society says. "Animals give you unconditional love," said Dianne Shannon of the society. "They are completely dependent on us for all of their needs. They have limited defences. A small animal is defenceless against adult-sized people inflicting that kind of horror on them."
Both Pitt and Shannon point out that the grotesque nature of the crime is rare enough to inspire revulsion.
"We see abused animals often, but this was completely horrifying and over-the-top shocking for us," Shannon said. "You still get a mental image of the fear and trauma that animal went through, and it's hard to get that out of your head."
Martin Winter, 40, was reading the newspaper on Saturday when he saw a report of the incident. It struck him hard enough that he believed he needed to make a public statement. His letter to the Journal editor was one of many.
"I was brought up to believe you protect those who can't protect themselves, including small animals," Winter said in an interview. "There aren't words to explain something like this. Someone who takes advantage of defencelessness, that's what gets to me."
One of the teens is scheduled to appear in a Camrose courtroom today.
rcormier@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2008