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An animal welfare organisation is perpetuating an old urban legend in Danville, Virginia, claiming that cats, especially black ones, are in danger of being sacrificed to Satan on Hallowe'en.
Paulette Dean, Danville Humane Society -This is a very dangerous time for pets. We encourage people to keep animals closely supervised, and especially keep your black cats inside. We already are receiving reports about black cats disappearing.
The Urban Legends Reference Page Cat o'Nine Tales observes:
Although no law enforcement agency or animal protection group we contacted could provide statistics about Halloween-related animal killings or abuse, the consensus is that although incidents of animal abuse may rise slightly around Halloween, it's a year-around problem, and it has far more to do with poorly-behaved kids than with organized "satanic cults"
And:
The problem is magnified at Halloween time, when any unusual or unexplained animal death is automatically attributed to Halloween-related satanic activity
But, on the same page, a representative of the Arizona Humane Society damns with faint praise when she explains why it isn't Wiccans doing it: Wiccans are actually an anti-cruelty (to animals) group who hold animals in a higher regard than they do humans
. Animals At Risk On Halloween—WSET TV, October 25th 2002.
Posted in
Hallowe'en
and Love Thy Neighbour
at 02:26. Last modified on October 09 2007 at 17:42.
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