5 teens stomped cat to death in north Edmonton, took pictures with animal: EPS

An Edmonton police vehicle is seen in this file photo. (Sean Amato/CTV News Edmonton)

Five teen boys stood in a circle while they kicked and head stomped a cat "until it lay motionless" in northeast Edmonton in October, the Edmonton Police Service said Wednesday.

The teenage boys were seen assaulting a grey cat near a bus stop at 150 Avenue and 89A Street in Evansdale on Oct. 9 at approximately 3:10 p.m., police said.

A driver and people in the area witnessed the assault and attempted to intervene.

"Witnesses also reported seeing the suspects holding the one-year-old cat while taking photos of one another on their cell phones with the critically injured animal," EPS said in a release.

The owner of the cat lives nearby, noticed the "disturbance" and ran to the scene as the five boys boarded ETS bus 113, EPS said.

He took the cat to the emergency veterinarian, where the animal was pronounced dead.

In a statement to CTV News, the Edmonton Humane Society described the killing as a "horrific act of cruelty."

“Our hearts go out to the family of the cat as well as those who witnessed the assault. We are thankful that Edmonton has a dedicated Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit (ACIU) who is taking this investigation seriously,” CEO Liza Sunley said.

One of the teens was described as having black or dark-coloured hair and wearing a navy-blue shirt with bold, white print on the front, and black, baggy shorts, police said. Another teen had curly hair that covered his eyes and was dressed in black clothing with dirty white shoes.

Police are asking witnesses, anyone with video footage or anyone who knows the attackers to call EPS at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.