Family's heartbreak after burglar tortures, beats cat

Amanda Faulkner and her daughter, Amy Pascoe, holding Lisa, mother of beaten Nookie. Photo / Alan Gibson

A Hamilton woman says she has been traumatised by the torture and beating of her cat during a burglary, which led to it being put down.

Amanda Faulkner, 33, had her car and several other possessions stolen on Friday evening, but did not discover the darkest side of the burglary for another 24 hours. Late on Saturday her 10-year-old daughter found one the family's cats, Nookie, cowering in a cupboard.

"He'd been beaten so severely he had his tail broken in three places and a broken pelvis," she said. "It also suffered internal injuries from being kicked. My daughter is very, very upset."

Diagnosed as being too fragile to live, Nookie was put down by a vet.

Ms Faulker, a support worker for the intellectually disabled, said Nookie was the nosiest of her four cats, and would probably have bothered the burglars.

"I have been robbed before, but it was a very different feeling. The worst is the cat. I would rather they took all I own rather than do this. There was no need."

Senior Constable Bruce Bogun said he was hoping public revulsion of cruelty to animals would help them find those responsible.

Mr Bogun said victims of a burglary suffered enough stress without the victimisation of an innocent animal and the trauma caused to the children.

"Victim Support has already been offered to the family, but what we'd really like to see is some assistance in helping us give them peace of mind through an arrest."

The thieves broke into the Albert St property through a locked bathroom window. The stolen car was later found torched.

SPCA national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said if the thieves were found, she would encourage the police to lay charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

"A burglar who would spend their time [attacking a cat] has more problems than stealing. That sort of behaviour has a sadistic and anti-social aspect to it," she said.

"What we know is that this violence doesn't occur in a vacuum - people who attack animals are likely to be violent towards humans."

Ms Kippenberger said the SPCA was concerned about rising animal abuse cases, up 40 per cent in the first four months of this year.