Fears of animals being used as ‘live bait’ in illegal dog fights
A bizarre mystery is being investigated on the Margem Sul (suburbs immediately south of Lisbon) following the disappearance of hundreds of street cats from official cat colonies.
According to reports, the cats are being caught with nets by a group of four foreigners who “don’t speak English” and are driving a foreign-plated van.
This description has led to social media posts that the cats are being stolen by Asians to be eaten. There are even fears that cat meat could be being served up in certain restaurants (health and food safety authority ASAE has said it is accompanying these reports, and has not yet received any information/ complaints along these lines).
The most likely fate for the cats, however, appears to be illegal dog fights, in which the cats are used as a form of bait.
Nothing is clear, but numbers disappearing have now reached the kind of proportions to prompt news stories.
Areas where cats are disappearing have been given as Barreiro, Moita, Baixa da Banheira, Almada and Melides.
Correio da Manhã today adds the locations of Sesimbra and Sines.
Seixal has not yet had any reports of cats going missing (they reportedly always disappear at night), but councillor Carlos Guerreiro has said the borough council is concerned, and has informed PSP police.
GNR police have also confirmed they are aware of this new phenomenon, which has seen some colonies lose more than half their resident cats overnight.
This evening, on CMTV, Correio da Manhã’s television channel, there is due to be an ‘in-depth report’ on this disturbing mystery.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
