Brooklyn, NY — A longtime caretaker was left devastated after 18 cats and three raccoons were found dead in a Bath Beach neighborhood cat colony last week in what authorities and animal advocates are investigating as a suspected mass poisoning.
Albert Berto discovered the horrifying scene last Tuesday morning when he stepped outside to feed the 24 cats he had cared for over the years. Instead of seeing the colony rush toward breakfast, only one cat responded to the sound of his food can.
Berto then looked beneath his deck and discovered several dead cats, including animals he had come to know as Mr. Weatherby, Mr. Yellow and the Tiger Twins.
The animals reportedly had blood coming from their noses, mouths and rectums, according to Berto.
More bodies were discovered over the following days, eventually bringing the reported death toll to 18 cats and three raccoons.
Caretaker says animals suffered terribly
Berto, who had cared for the colony for eight years, said the discovery has been extremely difficult for him to process.
“I love those cats. I took them in. I can’t even believe this is happening. The pain they must have suffered. It’s unbelievable,” Berto told The Post.
He said the deaths have affected his sleep and left him repeatedly thinking about the animals being removed from the area.
“I can’t sleep. I gotta take NyQuil every night to go to sleep. I’m just constantly dreaming about seeing them pulling those cats out.”
Berto quickly suspected that the cats had been intentionally poisoned, possibly through contaminated food.
The ASPCA took the bodies of seven initial victims for necropsies, with results still pending. Authorities said the testing could take weeks.
Vet reportedly finds rat poison in surviving kitten
Another kitten from the colony was taken to a private veterinarian later in the week after it was found by Berto and local animal activists.
According to wildlife activist Reeva Grammatikopoulos, the veterinarian found high levels of rat poison in the kitten’s system, with the poison believed to have been delivered through food.
Berto described the amount of poison reportedly detected as extraordinary.
“There was 800 milligrams of rat poison. The toxicology guy said it would kill an elephant. That’s what was in these cats,” he said.
The final toxicology and necropsy findings could provide additional information about what caused the deaths and how the animals were exposed.
Neighbors say conflict had existed over the cats
Berto and other residents believe they may know who was responsible, although no one has been publicly charged in connection with the deaths.
According to the caretaker and neighbors, an individual had previously expressed hostility toward the cats and complained that they were defecating in his yard.
Berto said he had even offered to clean up after the colony, but the situation escalated before he could do so.
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“They took matters into their own hands. They took the cheap way out. They took the coward’s way out,” Berto said.
Only five cats survived the suspected poisoning, and Berto is now trying to find new homes for them because he believes they may not be safe where they are.
Investigation continues as residents demand accountability
The NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad and ASPCA are investigating the deaths. According to The Post, there had been no arrests reported at the time of publication.
The deaths have generated anger among residents and animal advocates in the South Brooklyn neighborhood.
A petition calling on the NYPD and ASPCA to pursue charges against whoever is responsible reportedly collected more than 700 signatures.
Local politicians have also urged authorities to investigate the deaths and identify whoever may have been responsible.
Assemblyman William Colton expressed hope that investigators would eventually determine who was behind the incident.
“My fervent hope is that their efforts will lead to the identification of the person or people behind this horrific turn of events, and that the perpetrator or perpetrators will be brought to justice,” Colton wrote in a letter Wednesday.
Community cats are protected under New York’s Agriculture and Markets Law. The poisoning or attempted poisoning of animals can constitute a misdemeanor, with penalties that may include up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
As investigators work to determine exactly what happened, Berto is left caring for the handful of cats that survived and trying to find them safer homes.
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