Man poisoned neighbour's cat with meat laced with rat killer in garden row
A man poisoned his neighbour's cat with meat laced with rat poison after getting annoyed over it entering his garden.
Dominic Toscano was convicted at Birmingham Magistrates' Court of poisoning the feline in September 2021 in a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
The animal welfare charity got involved when the owner of a female cat named Tamzi contacted them after she pulled a piece of meat on a string under a fence separating their garden and Toscano's.
They feared the meat was poisoned and immediately took Tamzi to a vet for treatment while the the meat was sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Test results showed it tested positive for Difethialone, a type of rat poison which acts a blood thinner and normally kills rodents within five days of being ingested. It is not approved for use in the UK.
The 58-year-old, from Pendeford Avenue in Wolverhampton, denied the charge but was found guilty by magistrates last Tuesday.
RSPCA Inspector Kate Levesley, said: “He had laid poison in his garden in such a way that it did not prevent cats from getting to it. He also had knowledge that the neighbour's cat came into his garden, and didn't like this.
“The neighbour's cat dug at the fence and pulled a poisoned meat through. Fortunately the owner was there at the time and was able to remove it from the cat's mouth before it was fully ingested.
"The cat was fine but it may not have been the same outcome if the owner had not been present to see this."
Toscano was given an 18-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £500 costs and a £22 surcharge.
