Florida Highway Patrol investigating cats found dead on Howard Frankland Bridge

The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating the case of cats being found dead (and alive and injured) on the Howard Frankland Bridge going into Tampa. There are many theories floating around the internet as to how the cats got onto the bridge. My big question would be WHY the cats were on the bridge. This is what’s happening

Howard Frankland Bridge for PoC

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

At least five cats have been spotted on the Howard Frankland Bridge over the past two weeks. It’s the central bridge spanning Old Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg, Florida to Tampa, Florida and from the photo is heavily traveled.

In an interview with ABCAction News, Mary Beth Singh, who takes the bridge to work several times a week, says she saw a dead cat on the bridge earlier this month. She also stating seeing a cat who looked “injured and pregnant.” Unfortunately, the situation was too dangerous for her to get out of her vehicle and help the poor cat.

Mary Beth contacted the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), but that particular cat wasn’t found. She, as well as others, have spotted more cats on the bridge. What’s strange is the cats are on the left hand side of the northbound lanes before the hump, leading people to believe they were tossed out of a moving vehicle. Chris Slattery is another driver who has spotted the dead cats. He recently told the 10NEWS of the spot, which is about three miles from land.

There are several disturbing issues here. Not just that the cats are dead, but why would a cat be that far from land unless someone had taken it to a spot and thrown it from a vehicle. Cats tend to dislike bridges. Aside from the one cat believed alive but never found, the others were all dead. Were they dead when thrown or did the impact of hitting the concrete kill the cat? Are these cats coming from only one person, or are several individuals involved?

This case makes me want to snatch up one of the dead cats and have a necropsy done to determine the cause of death. Were the cats beaten and killed and simply dumped there? Why have no witnesses come forward? The traffic must be heavy enough for someone to have seen a cat being thrown. Will the person or persons doing this read news media reports about his act and stop, or will the number increase because he likes the publicity.

It’s almost as though someone wants to terrorize people who travel the bridge. Word has it there’s enough room to pull over on the right hand side of the bridge, so why not just throw the cats over the bridge into the water and be done with it. No cat, no FHP investigation. Of course, whoever is doing this may have already considered and used that method to get rid of a cat. Perhaps the cats found dead on the bridge are those who failed to clear the bridge and go into the water.

Do you all agree this is a very disturbing case? Readers, what is your take on this situation, especially those of you who live in the Tampa area? Anyone with information about this case, please contact the Florida Highway Patrol at 813/558-1800.

Elisa

 

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15 thoughts on “Florida Highway Patrol investigating cats found dead on Howard Frankland Bridge”

  1. This hurts my heart, but I am nearly certain that this was a failed attempt to throw the cats over the side of the bridge, into the water to drown.

    I’ve been on that bridge many times, and that sort of deed would be hard to pull off considering the traffic and the height of the concrete wall.

    The only hope that I can see would be if any witnesses would come forward and have a license plate number.

    But, these monsters are clever and, probably, keep throwing out bags that look like trash/litter.

    I’ve had an experience where I was driving by a discarded Walmart bag that had movement inside. I found 3 small kittens in the middle of my opposite lane that were doomed to be run over and killed by motorists.

    If people would just be observant…
    Yes, it IS your business what other people are discarding.

    Reply
    • Oh Dee, you just can’t comprehend how many abuse stories I cover now. I just don’t want to post them here because it’s depressing. I do 2-3 a day sometimes and that’s just the ones I hear about by people messaging me or posting on my wall.

      Reply
      • I have a similar problem – trying to avoid depressing cat stories. I try and pick interesting ones and limit the sad ones.

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      • Elisa, there are times when I hear myself saying, “If one more person burdens me with another problem or wants something else from me, I’ll have some sort of breakdown. And, it won’t be pretty.”

        Your stress and heartache have to be almost unbearable.

        You need to take a break. But, that’s easy for me to say even though I don’t do that myself. Carrying on to exhaustion is an addiction for the both of us.

        Ofcourse, our egos aren’t so enormous as to believe that we are indispensible. But, who else is there to take over our lives for even a day so we can regroup?

        Even though helpful, not even my backup (secondary) has the stamina to do the job.

        Just to sleep 6 hours, uninterrupted, would be as much a luxury as taking a bubble bath.

        I understand completely, girl.

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        • I actually relax by working on my new website and by doing the shelter cats bios. I can handle anything except crush videos. Can’t bring myself to watch them. And I refused to do the cat intestines jump rope story. I did do the cat burned and stabbed in religious ritual and also one where a dog was beaten and his owner tied up and forced to watch.

          I have deactivated my Facebook account twice just to get some rest. It never ends.

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  2. You have asked all the right questions in the article, Elisa. It is bizarre. It has to be someone throwing cats out of a moving car.

    It seems impossible for a cat to wander down this road.

    Perhaps a reason why the perpetrator is doing it on this bridge is to prevent the cats escaping from the road. It is a form of cat torture and cruel abuse.

    I would expect that the person wants the cats to be terrified and then killed by traffic. Or they are throwing the cats into the water – either or and the person doing it does not mind.

    If the cats end up on the road, it’s a new way to torture cats. That is what it looks like to me.

    You’d have thought someone would have reported it to the police by now and with car number plates the person is taking a risk. Therefore it has to done when traffic is very light.

    Interesting and sad story, Elisa.

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  3. There is an extremely mentally ill human being doing tings to animals. Not only would I be looking at areas leading directly to the bridge and canvassing for missing pets I would be checking to see if there are missing persons from the surrounding area leading to the bridge. Pulling the complaints to local AC for anyone having a real grudge about a feral colony.
    I would say the main objective is over the side of the bridge.

    Reply
    • That’s what I was thinking as well. Bad aim and the cats didn’t go over. I really doubt it’s a feral issue because it would be hard to launch a feral cat out a car window. Wonder if any could be brought in and checked for microchips.

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      • You would think that would be their first thought. But I’m often overoptimistic and suffer from occasional bouts of idealism.

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        • I’m just paranoid and most often think the worst of people after covering so many abuse cases. I hesitated to do this one for PoC. I try to stick to uplifting stories these days.

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          • If there were 5 dogs wandering on this bridge they would stop traffic and there would be a line around the block to adopt them. There would be an overfunded Gofundme. But they’re cats. Therefore eventually someone will show up with a garbage bag or finish the job and toss them over the rails.

            Reply
      • Exactly right, Elisa.
        Conditions are poor there for, actually, being able to throw cats into the water.
        I wish that we could have stake outs like the cops have with human criminals.

        Reply

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