A 17-year-old from Carlisle was arrested on Friday May 29 on suspicion of animal cruelty offences and remains in police custody.
A lurcher-type dog has been seized from an address in the city as part of the investigation.
At a community meeting held at Yewdale Community Centre on Thursday evening, officers confirmed three incidents where cats had been killed in the Richmond Green area in attacks they believe may have involved lurcher dogs.
One of the attacks occurred about a month ago in Raffles, and the other two were reported recently in Richmond Green.
Around 25 people attended the emotional, and at one point tense, meeting, organised by concerned resident Sharon Mackay-Cooper following growing alarm within the community.
She was said to be too distraught to attend last night’s meeting, but had previously said her family was “devastated”.
Leading the discussion were Cllr Jeanette Whalen, Cumberland councillor for Yewdale Ward, Inspector Andy Leather, PCSO Ryley McDowall and CBO Daniel Fisher.
Emotions were high with people crying and visibly upset throughout the evening.
The incident came after repeated warnings from officers about the dangers of online speculation and vigilante behaviour.
Inspector Leather told residents that, despite CCTV footage being circulated online, it showed only figures and was impossible to make an identification from it. He said police had received various names on social media but could not corroborate any of them.
He made a direct appeal for anyone with genuine information to come forward, saying: “Somebody in this community knows who is responsible for this – 100%, without doubt. These people don’t deserve people’s loyalty. If people have information, they need to pass it to the police so we can do our job and investigate and look to prosecute them.”
Inspector Leather stressed that the case had reached the highest levels of Cumbria Police, revealing he had received a personal phone call from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, and emails from the Assistant Chief Constable asking for updates.
He also warned residents that this was not a local issue.
READ MORE: Carlisle residents fear for pets after alleged dog attacks
He said: “This isn’t a Yewdale problem. This is a Carlisle problem. Don’t think for a minute this is something that’s just been hyper-focused on Yewdale. If they suddenly see that Yewdale’s too hot and go somewhere else, that doesn’t mean we’ll ignore it. Our team is very much aware of the potential that it could happen elsewhere in other neighbourhoods across the city.”
PCSO Ryley McDowall, who said he had spent the previous two days knocking on doors and checking CCTV across every street mentioned in connection with the incidents, warned that a wave of social media misinformation was actively damaging the investigation.
He said: “I’ve knocked on plenty of doors today and I’ve not heard the same story twice. People are reporting things third, fourth, fifth hand.”
He urged residents to call police directly rather than post on Facebook, adding: “We are doing a disservice to someone out there who has had their cat seriously hurt or killed.”
Officers also raised serious concerns about the risk of vigilante behaviour, after photos of individuals with dogs were shared on social media and used to accuse people with no connection to the incidents.
CBO Daniel Fisher warned the room that fake information circulating online could actually help any future defence case in court.
A resident also raised concerns during the meeting that young people had been seen using catapults to target birds in the area, with videos being kept as “trophies.” The PCSO confirmed he was aware and conducting inquiries, describing it as a broader concern across the City West area.
One resident told the room: “Statistically, people who think it’s okay to do this to animals grow up into people who think it’s okay to hurt others.”
Closing the meeting, Inspector Leather said he had never before seen a community meeting so well-attended or with such strength of feeling in all his years in the job.
He said: “Spread the message – we are taking this seriously, but we need that information. These people aren’t travelling tens of miles to attack cats.
“These are local people. Someone will know who they are.”
Cllr Whalen added: “Pets are not just animals. They’re part of our families. I have five cats of my own, and I’ve had to keep them in because I’m scared in case any one of them suffers the same fate.
“These events have shaken people’s sense of safety in what should be a secure and caring neighbourhood.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Cumbria Police on 101, quoting log number 174 of 25 May. Information can also be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
