HOUSTON – A dead cat mystery is plaguing one East End District park where frequent park visitors have found dead cats that seem out of place, fearing foul play may be involved.
The peaceful, family-friendly Mason Park along Brays Bayou has a playground and trails but park-goers have become disturbed and unsettled at the troubling sight of dead cats.
“I think there’s some nefarious actors doing some sick things,” park visitor Emi Suyama said. She goes to the park most mornings with her dogs and has come across at least five dead cats in recent months.
A City of Houston spokesperson tells KPRC 2 that 10 calls have been made to Houston 311 reporting at least three dead cats at Mason Park since the beginning of the year, but some of the calls were likely multiple reports for the same animal.
Suyama snapped photos of the cats she has stumbled upon. In January, she found three dead cats placed near each other. In March, she came across a cat that had apparent burn marks and a severed tail. On Tuesday, she found a gray and white cat dead on its back.
“There were no puncture wounds, no blood or anything, so it seemed really off to me,” Suyama said. “I’m hoping not to see any more dead cats.”
She posted the discoveries on Nextdoor where some neighbors had a similar account.
“I have seen several of the dead cats … I wish we could figure out what’s going on… very disturbing,” a neighbor wrote.
KPRC 2 took the concerns to the Houston SPCA on Wednesday and the nonprofit is now investigating with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constables Office, SPCA spokesperson Julie Kuenstle said.
“This is kind of an unusual case,” Kuenstle said. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions. And so we’re currently working with local law enforcement to look into this matter.”
Kuenstle also urges anyone who suspects animal cruelty to report it directly to the nonprofit, which has 10 animal cruelty investigators.
“A lot of things get started on social media or community boards, but it’s really important that we receive a cruelty report because we’re able to have a contact of someone that we can follow up with,” she said.
Suyama said she tried reporting to the SPCA in January but said she was told they couldn’t help without information about who may be responsible.
“It just keeps happening and there’s no consequences,” she said. “It’s really unsettling and frustrating.”
She’s worried whoever may be involved could escalate and wants other park-goers to be aware.
“If the person can be stopped, you know, it could prevent anything more serious from happening,” she said.
If you come across a dead animal in the community or if you suspect animal cruelty, it can also be reported to Houston 311, a city spokesperson said.