A woman in Port Elgin, Ont. is mourning the death of her eight-month-old kitten after her neighbour allegedly killed it using a dandelion rake.
Last week, Cindy Rossignol was in her backyard with her pet kitten named Koda when the cat wandered into the neighbour’s yard while he was outside doing yardwork. Rossignol says once Koda crossed onto her neighbour’s property, he smacked the kitten over the head with a dandelion rake.
“He looked at me in the eyes, he raised the rake over his head and he clubbed her over the head,” Rossignol said in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca. “I’ve never seen anybody so heartless, cold (and) awful.”
Rossignol said she began screaming at her neighbour and soon after, her boyfriend became involved.
The Saugeen Shores Police Service said the 77-year-old man has been charged with killing an animal, while a 49-year-old man also involved in the altercation has been charged with assault. Both men have been released under conditions and with a promise to appear in court.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Rossignol rushed Koda to an emergency veterinary clinic, but the kitten did not survive. She says Koda had become a vital member of the family and a source of comfort for her daughter.
“I got her because my daughter’s afraid to sleep alone,” she said. “Koda was there to make her feel safe.”
In addition to the emotional toll of the incident, Rossignol’s family has been impacted financially as well, as she claims the alleged attack has threatened the sale of their home.
“I have a second offer…on my home and the people dropped the offer right away when they found out (what happened),” Rossignol said. “They don’t want to live next door to an animal hater.”
I have a very sad and disturbing story to share. Our beloved little Koda was killed by my neighbour on Tuesday. He...
Posted by Cindy Rossignol on Thursday, 31 May 2018
