Woman charged after kitten fatally stabbed, Winnipeg police say

A Winnipeg woman has been arrested after police say she fatally stabbed a kitten in an act officers believe involved substance abuse.

Police responded to a report of an injured animal on Wellington Avenue between Victor and Arlington streets around 4 p.m. Monday, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a Tuesday news release.

When they arrived, police found the woman and an eight-month-old kitten under her care that was suffering from "severe bodily injuries," which officers believe it got from being stabbed, the release said.

Police arrested the woman without incident and took the injured kitten to a veterinary hospital, where it got emergency surgery. However,its injuries were so severe, the kitten had to be euthanized, the release said.

The 29-year-old woman was charged with killing or injuring animals.

People can report suspected animal cruelty or neglect to the provincial animal care line at 204-945-8000, police said. More information about the reporting process is available on the province's website.

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