Police are being drafted in amid claims that family pets have been dismembered in County Armagh.
Upper Bann DUP MLA Carla Lockhart has warned cat owners to be vigilant.
She said she had been contacted by resident of the Hospital Estate in Lurgan and alerted to what she described as the “sickening acts of some disgusting people”.
Ms Lockhart said: “It would appear cats and kittens are being stolen from households, being poisoned and then dismembered.
“This is a despicable act of cruelty and I will be speaking with the PSNI.”
The MLA urged anyone who has any information to get in touch with the PSNI.
She also urged people to be on their guard, adding: “Be vigilant and report anything suspicious.”
One contributor to a local pets lost page posted about a kitten which had allegedly been dismembered and its body left in a shed on Thursday.
Also urging people to report anything suspicious to the PSNI, she said it had happened in the Ardboe Drive area of the town, before adding: “There is someone very evil and sick in this area.”
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