Sask. Animal Protection Services urges people to report abuse in wake of alleged cat killing

WARNING: This story contains details of alleged animal abuse.

In the wake of a Regina man's arrest earlier this week for allegedly luring and killing a cat in June, Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan is urging people to speak out about any abuse they witness.

"Because we rely on members of the public to be reactive in our policing of the care of animals, if you see something, say something," said Don Ferguson, the animal protection agency's executive director.

"If we aren't made aware of these situations, we can't investigate them."

In addition to his agency, which is responsible for enforcement of Saskatchewan's Animal Protection Act, Ferguson noted people can report any animal abuse they might see to their local RCMP detachments or city police services.

The Regina Humane Society is the only humane society in the province appointed as an animal protection agency by the Ministry of Agriculture, which allows it to investigate and respond to animal abuse concerns.

The reminder comes just days after Matthew James Drummond, 29, was charged with nine offences — including causing unnecessary suffering to animals — after a cat was found dead earlier this summer.

According to a news release from Regina police Wednesday, officers received a report on June 13 about a stolen grey-and-white cat, identified in court documents as "Spots."

His owner checked her home video surveillance system and saw an unknown man luring the cat, and taking him from her yard in the 2300 block of McAra Street, police said. 

Further review of the owner's surveillance videos showed a man — who investigators believe to be the same person seen in the other video — attempting to lure Spots the day before as well.

Police said the cat was found dead the next day in a northwest Regina field, with injuries later determined to be severe and non-accidental.

Drummond is currently remanded, after making his first provincial court appearance on these charges Wednesday morning. 

The matter was rescheduled for next Monday afternoon to allow him time to secure a lawyer.

Previously convicted of animal cruelty

Drummond's current charges include breaches of multiple probation orders. Two of those counts relate to a previous court order banning him from having animals in his possession.

That stems from an incident on March 3, 2020, when Regina police officers located the then-27-year-old in a vehicle with an injured cat and found another cat dead nearby.

Drummond was charged with two counts of wilfully causing unnecessary pain to animals.

He was later convicted of those charges on July 22, 2021, with court documents revealing he struck both cats to death.

Drummond was given a six-month intermittent jail sentence, which — after a 90-day credit for time spent under house arrest and on remand — worked out to 90 days. 

Under his two-year probation, he was not to have or consume any alcohol, cannabis or drugs that were not prescribed for medical purposes.

The maximum penalties for Animal Protection Act convictions include a $25,000 fine and a two-year prison sentence. A judge can also ban the person from owning or possessing animals for life, and order police or animal protection officers to do routine check-ins without warrants to make sure they're abiding by that prohibition. 

'When animals are at risk, people are at risk'

Ferguson said he cannot speak to this specific case, but noted that when people are repeat offenders, it's generally a predictor of future violence against animals or, in some cases, humans.

"When animals are at risk, people are at risk, and vice versa," he said, pointing to research into what's known as the violence link — the overlap between animal abuse and other forms of violence.

For example, Ferguson said that children who are exposed to interpersonal violence or animal abuse at a young age are three times more likely to hurt animals down the road.

"If there isn't significant intervention at the time of this occurrence to teach the children that this isn't appropriate behaviour, and they're not removed from that particular situation, they are generally going to end up becoming violent or becoming the abuser themselves," he explained.

Ferguson said making sure a person who commits such acts is banned from owning animals for life is typically "a good step in preventing further victimization."