Blaine residents post reward for alleged cat killer

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After neighbors, social media posts and rumors alerted a Blaine couple to multiple instances of cats found dismembered in the area, they have decided to post a $1,000 reward to whoever identifies the possible killer.

Blaine residents John and Rose Fohn, who own three cats, one of whom goes outside, said they became alarmed when two severed cat heads were found in their neighborhood over the past year. John found one across the street from their house in July 2021, and their neighbor found another in his front yard on September 8. Both they said looked like clean cuts and did not appear to be the result of an animal attack. Around the same time, Rose said she started hearing about missing cats and pieces of cats found in the Blaine area.

Tiffanie Quiding, who lives in the Lettered Streets neighborhood, said she found her 12-year-old cat’s limbs strewn several hundred yards from each other in her backyard July 26. Quiding called 911 and was directed to the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) animal control office. 

An officer came out to investigate the next day and spent two hours surveying the area and gathering evidence, Quiding said. She said WHS reported after two weeks the testing came back inconclusive and said it was common for coyotes to attack cats at night. 

After several instances were reported to the Blaine Police Department (BPD), it recommended in a September 20 Facebook post that residents keep cats inside due to the increase in suspicious incidents.

On October 6, BPD spokesperson Tami Bhachu told The Northern Light in an email that the department currently has two reports. One was a severed head on September 8 and the other was a witnessed coyote attack on September 20, Bhachu wrote.

The Fohns are asking community members to call 911 if they have relevant information regarding a possible perpetrator, so that BPD can develop more cases to investigate. The reward of $1,000 or more – if other community members contribute – will go to the individual who provides information that leads to the apprehension of the persons responsible.

The Bellingham Herald has reported instances of a possible serial cat killer in the Bellingham area since 2019, with the most recent story from 2021. Feline remains, consistent with “human involvement,” were reported to have been found in the Lettered Streets, Roosevelt and Sunnyland neighborhoods.

WHS executive director Laura Clark told The Northern Light in an email that WHS recommends keeping domestic cats indoors or in supervised outdoor settings for their safety as well as microchipping cats and having them wear identification tags.

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