Broward criminal attorney William Moore has dogs. He sympathizes with those who lose their pets. In Lauderhill, near Fort Lauderdale, a suspected cat-killer has made residents frustrated and angry. Law enforcement officials stress that it is not yet clear who or what is responsible for the rising toll of cat deaths in south Florida.
Fort Lauderdale criminal attorney Moore says that some high-profile murderers got their start with animal cruelty. It is not even clear that a person was involved in the Broward County cat slayings, although officials in Fort Lauderdale-Dade believe there is a human perpetrator involved in the cases there. Since April, cat owners in Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, in southern Fort Lauderdale-Dade County, have been finding their kitties mutilated, apparently tortured, and dead, often in their own front yards. The Dade County total exceeds 25 reported cat killings in the past two months.
Meanwhile, Lauderhill residents have been alarmed recently as family cats have turned up dead in their neighborhoods, as well. Broward County officials were cautious to link the mutilated cats in Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay to those killed in Lauderhill, however, citing the possibility that a pack of dogs was responsible for the Lauderhill deaths. Lauderhill investigators say that a pack of medium sized dogs, each weighing about 30 to 40 pounds, may have been responsible for the deaths of those family pets.
In Fort Lauderdale-Dade, however, investigators are looking for a human, as the cat death toll mounts and animal lovers have become enraged. The bodies of family-owned cats have been found skinned, often sliced across the stomach and disemboweled. Each cat died from its injuries, causing anguish to the owners. The dead cats were then placed in the front yards of their owners, for the family to find.
Animal control officials and private animal welfare organizations alike are urging families with cats to keep their pets inside. Additionally, several organizations and private individuals are offering financial rewards for information leading to the capture of the cat killer. Currently, rewards total at least $12,000 if he or she is apprehended. Law enforcement agencies in both counties have received a number of tips, but none have culminated in an animal cruelty arrest so far.
Broward criminal lawyer William Moore has experience in all kinds of criminal defense, including sex crimes and DUI. A conviction for a felony or misdemeanor can have consequences on your freedom, your employment, and your personal life. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in the south Florida area, contact William Moore, P.A., which has offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.