The West Shore  RCMP is investigating reports of animal cruelty following a video circulating on social media.

On October 5,  officers attended a residence in Langford to investigate a report that a cat had been injured. Upon arrival, officers located the cat and spoke with the resident. While the cat appeared to be in emotional distress hissing at officers, investigators observed no obvious signs of injury at that time. 

Officers accompanied CRD Animal Control, who took custody of the cat for further examination and investigation. The man in the video was fully cooperative with police and CRD Animal Control and has agreed to give up any claim to the cat.

West Shore RCMP are aware that the home address of the individual involved has been posted publicly on social media. We strongly discourage the public from sharing personal information or attempting to engage in "vigilante justice." Publicly posting addresses can create significant safety risks for all parties involved and may compromise the integrity of an ongoing investigation.

We appreciate the community's concern for animal welfare and ask that any further information be reported directly to the police rather than shared on social media.