The goal is to compel Pendle Council to install wildlife cameras in the woodland area of Walverden Park, Nelson monitored by local volunteer residents to investigate, gather evidence and effectively stop the cat killers.

For at least a year cat killers have been operating in and around Walverden Park in Nelson, Lancashire. Hundreds of cats have vanished without a trace; dozens have been found deceased and several more have died from attack injuries.

The local community is devastated. These are not accidents; they are targeted acts of cruelty. We have previously offered solutions which have been ignored and now we are requesting that Pendle Council installs cameras in the woodland area of Walverden Park. These would deter further acts of cruelty, provide necessary evidence for prosecution and protect pets, wildlife and public safety.

Wildlife cameras would be a one-off expense and they would be monitored by local volunteers meaning no extra work or financial pressure for the council. They would also deter many of the other crimes currently happening in the park and make it safer for animals, children and the general public.

We urge the council to act now; too many lives have already been lost. How many will it take to justify this small act?

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Petition updates can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/BringStormyHomeX/

Our Stories:

“My cat Simba was not hit by a car. He was hunted and killed just outside his own home. He was mauled to death by a dog that its owner purposely lets off the lead in the Walverden Park area to attack and kill local cats. Our family is devastated, and our other cat still grieves for his friend. This is not about a simple dog control issue; it is about a person terrorising a neighbourhood and using their animal as a weapon. We are living in fear. The Council must act to enforce dog control orders and remove this danger from our streets before another beloved pet or a child is harmed”.

“Dicky was a stray, although many of the neighbours took care of him providing food and places to shelter, I felt awful when he was killed in another dog attack. If we had been listened to when these attacks first began, maybe he would still be around today”.

A group of children were traumatised after discovering a black and white kitten that had been drowned in a wheelie bin just outside the park.

“I was taking care of stray cat and her kittens while they were waiting for a rescue space, one of the kittens who was only a few months old at the time disappeared and he was later found torn apart in the park. He did not deserve that; their family was only trying to survive. Luckily, the other two found safety with a rescue before they suffered the same fate. The attack was reported but no one cares about strays”.

Many families have the same story of their cats leaving the house one day and vanishing without a trace. Not one of these missing cats has been seen since the day they disappeared. There are too many to just be wandering off. Are they being stolen or are they being killed and dumped somewhere?

“Last winter, my heart broke when I found a black and white cat just outside the park. He had clearly been attacked and was lying in a puddle of blood. No one had stopped to help and he froze to death right there on the pavement, unable to move from his injuries”.

A silver tabby cat was attacked and killed by a pair of dogs running loose with no owner in sight. Even though the horrific event was caught on a security camera, the people responsible went unpunished.

A British short hair pedigree cat was found deceased in the park with several puncture wounds in its side. Cause of death was undetermined but it wasn’t natural.

“Stormy was stolen from outside her home; she never left the edge of the house and would not have wandered away by herself. Despite being microchipped, registered as missing, reported to the police, handing out thousands of leaflets, putting up posters, running a social media campaign, putting stories in local papers and speaking on BBC Lancashire Radio, there hasn’t been a single sighting. Who took her any why? When will Stormy be found and brought home? She is one of too many missing, too many that have vanished under suspicious circumstances with no leads. Are the cat killers and the cat thieves the same people?”.

A senior cat didn’t come home one evening, the next day the family received a call from the vet informing them that their beloved family member had been found deceased in the middle of the park. She had died after being torn apart by a dog.

Țânțoș didn’t come home one day. After days of worry for his owner, he discovered through a Facebook post that Țânțoș had been found dead in the park.

Several birds and other small animals have also been found deceased in the park from unnatural causes. Most likely hunted by dogs, just like the cats.

“Lola came to me after she was found abandoned by the park as a small kitten. She was sweet, happy and well-loved and was just learning to explore her surroundings when she was attacked. It was horrible, there was so much blood. The vet took her into surgery, but soon discovered her injuries were too severe and I had to make the heartbreaking decision to let them put her to sleep. She wasn’t even a year old. These people will not stop hunting our cats and destroying our families until someone takes action!”.

Sooty was abandoned in the park and spent weeks crying out to strangers. A kind local fed him, earned his trust, and eventually managed to take him in. A search for owners was conducted and he was checked by a vet. Now he is now healthy enough to find a forever home with someone who will love him and never abandon him again. 

"In the early hours of the morning two gorgeous cats were abandoned in the woods and left in a carrier in Walverden Park, Nelson. We’ve had enough of people thinking it’s ok to abandon innocent animals. Both cats are female, around 12 months old, no microchips and underweight.".

"A small female cat was thrown out with the rubbish just after Christmas, severely underweight, unchipped, unneutered and absolutely terrified.".