Sydney community stands with family of Brandy the cat after two teens murdered him
A western Sydney community has offered their support to a family whose cat was stolen, tortured and killed last week.
Brandy, a 17-year-old feline who lived in Glenwood with her family, was caught on chilling surveillance footage being led down the street by a masked boy on March 8.
Police allege that two brothers, ages 12 and 14, stole the ginger cat from their home, before taking it to a nearby clearing and allegedly torturing and killing it.
Following the feline’s death, the locals supported their owners, sending bouquets of flowers and writing letters.
A community rallied behind the family of Brandy the cat after the beloved 17-year-old feline was allegedly stolen and then killed by teenagers last week (Brandy wi
The family’s home in Glenwood, western Sydney, has been inundated with letters of support as they demand justice for the beloved neighborhood cat (pictured, a letter of support)
The family shared a touching post online thanking everyone for the flowers, letters and words of support as they come to terms with the loss of the family’s last surviving furry friend (pictured: a bouquet delivered to the family’s home)
The footage shows two teenagers running away with the neighborhood cat. It is alleged that they then tortured and killed the furry cat before dumping it in a pond.
In a touching Facebook post, Brandy’s mother and owner said: “Thank you so much to everyone in our community for all your support and messages.”
‘Brandy has been cremated and his ashes are now in the safe hands of my daughter.
“We miss her so much and wish we could turn back the clock and hold her in our arms again.”
In another social media post, Emily Bidart, who first found out what happened to the family’s orange cat, said the family has received messages of support from far and wide.
“My family and I have received a tremendous amount of love and support and we really appreciate it,” Ms Bidart wrote.
“We can only hope that our story continues to be known and shared far and wide to help us get justice!”
The family once had two cats and a dog, and says that after Brandy’s death all of their “fur babies have now crossed the rainbow bridge.”
The feline’s owners reviewed security footage after their 17-year-old cat failed to return home last Wednesday and made the gruesome discovery.
Emily Bidart, 28, was just 11 years old when Brandy became an integral part of her family, telling 7News that everyone in the neighborhood knew Brandy as “the weird cat” who hung out in the park on the other side of her the street.
Now that same park brings with it the heartbreaking memory of the alleged attack.
“I looked out my bedroom window at my mother’s house and that’s exactly where she (allegedly) was killed,” Bidart said.
Brandy the orange cat was 17 years old and known to Glenwood locals as “the weird cat” who often went for walks in the same park where he was allegedly killed.
Both boys were charged with torturing, beating and causing the death of an animal and disposing of a killed or stolen animal. They were granted strict probation and will appear in juvenile court on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
Ms Bidart said last Wednesday that she drove to her parents’ home in Glenwood and had a feeling something was wrong when she heard Brandy was missing and immediately checked the security cameras.
CCTV footage showed that minutes after Ms Bidart’s mother left the house to go on an appointment, two children began searching for the cat, under cars and in the garden.
A boy was then seen running around and allegedly saying, ‘Do you want to go cat?’
About 23 minutes later, a boy returned wearing a hoodie and face mask before allegedly snatching the family’s cat from the front lawn.
Ms Bidart said that when she saw what followed, she had to look away.
“As soon as I (supposedly) saw the first hit on my cat, I had to look away,” he said.
The two boys have since been charged with animal cruelty after Riverstone Area Police Command investigators arrested them at a Glenwood home around 5 p.m. Monday.
Both boys were charged with torturing, beating and causing the death of an animal and disposing of a killed or stolen animal.
They have been granted strict probation and will appear in juvenile court on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.