Overview
- Police said the cat filmed being killed in Brixen im Thale was not the missing pet called “Puma,” correcting claims that spread on local social media.
- Four males ages 16 to 24 turned themselves in at the Westendorf station and confessed, and police reported them to the Innsbruck public prosecutor on suspicion of animal cruelty.
- The investigation began after two teenagers received the handheld clip via a messenger app and alerted officers, who then secured the video as key evidence.
- The video shows a bolt gun used on the small cat followed by blows with a snow shovel, which has fueled public anger and led to one reported summary dismissal from a job.
- Amid threats and doxxing, the mayor urged restraint, and Tyrol’s security councillor Astrid Mair called for a real-name or identity-verification requirement online to curb harassment and false accusations.