A severed cat’s head hanging from a hook was found in Verucchio. The discovery was reported by the Italian Association for the Defence of Animals and the Environment (Aidaa), which said it was made by a local resident in her sixties, who then reported the incident to the Carabinieri.
The association has filed two formal complaints with the Public Prosecutors’ Offices of Rimini and Ancona, calling for investigations that also cover the disappearance of cats reported across several areas.
According to estimates provided by the association’s president, Lorenzo Croce, around forty cats are believed to have gone missing in the Rimini area in recent months, with more than two hundred vanishing overall across Romagna, the Marche, Umbria and Tuscany.
Aidaa believes the circumstances of the Verucchio discovery point to human involvement. The details surrounding the incident and who may be responsible have yet to be clarified: the association’s theories — ranging from ritual practices and the imitation of violent content seen online to individuals taking animals to keep for themselves — remain unconfirmed.
The association is urging residents to report any suspicious activity or useful information to law enforcement to help piece together what happened.
