Rayleen Paiaro speaks out four months after her pet cat, Cola was killed

Four months after her pet was killed during a ransacking, a mother from Edmonton has spoken about how her house still doesn’t feel like home anymore.

FOUR months after her pet was killed in a ransacking, a mother from Edmonton has spoken about how her house still doesn’t feel like home anymore.

Rayleen Paiaro’s 19-year-old Siamese cat, Cola, was killed back in August by thieves when their house was also trashed and looted.

“I am still crushed, I will never forget that day ever, for the rest of my life and feel the pain for my son who had to look after me,” she said.

“I suffer through anxiety anyway so this has pushed me over the edge, I wanted people to know it does destroy peoples lives.”

The living room of Justin Paiaro after it was ransacked by thieves. Picture: Andreas Nicola

Ms Paiaro said her house doesn’t feel like home anymore, so much so that she needed to leave.

“My home is just a house I go to now. Its not some place I love anymore which I did because I had put a lot of hard work into my house,” she said.

“It’s a sad place to be at the moment.”

After the incident Ms Paiaro said she really felt the effects in her home.

“It was nearly $35,000 in damage, they really did a number on the house,” she said.

“We were boarded up for a month after because (with) Covid you couldn’t get materials to fix things. That’s not anyone’s fault it’s just the way it was.”

Justin Paiaro's pet cat Cola, died when his home was ransacked in August.

Ms Paiaro has decided that she is going to start a new life outside her Edmonton home that she has lived in for over 16 years.

“I am going to Bundaberg because I have support there. My children are grown up now so I need to look after myself.”

“I need to start a new life, I can’t be here. It’s so sad, I can’t go to sleep at night. I am just sad. It’s a very sad place to be without my Cola who I have had for 19 years with me morning, noon and night,” she said.

After four months the effects of someone being in her home still distresses her.

“I drive to work, I am upset, I sit in my car before I go to work sometimes I feel like screaming,” she said.

After months of sadness Ms Paiaro said she wishes she was able to face the youth that trashed her house.

Justin Paiaro with his broken computer screen which was damaged during a ransack attack. Picture: Andreas Nicola

“I wish I was allowed to go in to put a face to the people who ruined my life. Just to have my say. There’s no emotion, they don’t know my circumstances,” she said.

“I believe everyone is worth a second chance but they need to see the face of sorrow because I can’t replace what they took.”

But Ms Paiaro said she wanted her story to be put out there so that it could help others who might also be in a similar situation. On Sunday she posted a video on Facebook that told her story.

“I wanted to make people aware that it just doesn’t stop after a break in or a robbery or anything like that,” she said.

Originally published as Rayleen Paiaro speaks out four months after her pet cat, Cola was killed