'An act of barbarism, pure and simple'

By PAULA MARGULIES
At first, Dr. Ron Henzel thought it was "just" the aftermath of a traffic accident. The bodies of the two cats were on a busy intersection of Herzl Boulevard, and accidents happen, after all. But Henzel, a veterinarian who was taking his dog on a morning walk, quickly realized that the grisly sight was no accident - the cats had been methodically and brutally tortured, and left on display for all to see. "I was shocked," he said. "This was an act of barbarism, pure and simple." The limbs of both cats were tightly tied with thick wire, and the stomach of one was ripped open, exposing its organs. "I've never seen an act of violence this sadistic," said Henzel, who himself has five cats. "This wasn't the work of a 12-year-old. Do you know how hard it is to capture a feral cat? This was a planned, methodical act. I wouldn't be surprised if it was connected to a cult - after all, this happened during the week of '06/06/06,' which has significance for satanic worship." Henzel immediately called the police, who soon arrived on the scene and recorded his testimony. He also brought the incident to the attention of Let the Animals Live, an animal rights advocacy organization. "Once again, we're witnesses to the evil and cruelty of human beings," said the organization's director, Etti Altman. "We are obligated to put an end to this escalating violence. It's unacceptable that every day, our office receives notices about cats and dogs that have been abused. We turn to the court system, to enact stricter punishments, and to the education system, which should implement teaching materials about the rights of animals." Zohar Baruch, a resident of the area where the cats' bodies were found, was also disgusted by the abuse. "To tell the truth, I hate cats," he said. "But whoever did this is demented, and should be punished. This kind of violence doesn't stop with cats. Whoever did this is a danger to society."