Gold Coast police have charged a 15-year-old girl after a cat was thrown off of a Beenleigh bridge
Horrifying footage has emerged of a girl throwing a cat off of a bridge onto oncoming M1 traffic, which animal welfare advocates describe as “deeply disturbing”. WARNING: GRAPHIC
Gold Coast
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Horrifying footage has emerged of a girl throwing a cat off of a bridge onto oncoming M1 traffic, which animal welfare advocates describe as “deeply disturbing”.
Gold Coast police said they were made aware of reports of a girl throwing a cat from a Pacific Motorway overpass in Beenleigh on Saturday June 17 at 3am.
The footage shows a brown and black cat with white markings sitting on a girl’s lap with its ears back driving on a roundabout in Beenleigh.
The video then shows a girl in the footage throwing the cat out the window, over the bridge and on to the M1.
Gold Coast police said a girl aged 15 located at a Gold Coast address on Sunday was charged with one count each of animal cruelty and endangering the safe use of a vehicle by throwing an object.
She was expected to appear at Southport Childrens Court at a later date.
The maximum penalty for animal cruelty in Qld is $275,700 or three years imprisonment.
Animal Welfare League Queensland communications manager Craig Montgomery said they were “deeply disturbed and saddened” by the footage of the horrifying incident.
“These types of incidents are truly disturbing,” he said.
Mr Montgomery said after an event like this anyone who worked in the animal welfare sector felt “profound sadness and disappointment”.
“We invest significant time, effort, and resources into educating the community, lobbying for better animal welfare laws, and supporting animals in need,” he said.
“It is profoundly disheartening to see that some individuals engage in such cruel acts despite these ongoing efforts.
“However, we remain committed to protecting and creating a brighter future for animals.”
RSPCA’s communications manager Emma Lagoon said they had received multiple reports about the incident and it was referred to Gold Coast police.
“We condemn blatant animal cruelty,” she said.
“It’s an absolutely vile act.”
Ms Lagoon said they did not know if the cat survived the incident.
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