A family cat stolen from outside a home in Bury, Manchester, was found dead three days later, with authorities unable to charge the suspects due to legal gaps. Ring doorbell footage captured the theft of 16-year-old Tabby cat Lola on May 25, a bank holiday Monday that was also the second hottest day of the month.
Naseem Aktar, a sales executive, searched for her beloved pet for three days after she was taken. Days later, she received a call informing her that Lola had been found dead under a car outside St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, just a few hundred metres from her home. She rushed the cat to a vet, who determined the cause of death was dehydration.
Naseem contacted the police but was angered when officers told her they would not charge the couple who stole Lola, citing a lack of relevant laws to convict them. She accused the police of showing no sympathy and not caring about her case.
“Lola was like a child to us – she was a member of the family,” Naseem said. “She was a non-vocal cat, so she couldn’t make noises, but it breaks my heart, as you can see her struggling to get away in the videos. We don’t know how someone could be capable of doing something like this, and we don’t want anyone else to be subjected to the same brutal and cruel actions. It also disgusts me that the police aren’t taking action. This couple are responsible for Lola’s death, yet they don’t seem to care.”
During the search for Lola, Naseem and her family knocked on neighbours’ doors, requesting video footage to locate her. The footage shows the couple carrying Lola away from Naseem’s address. Naseem believes the cat was taken to an address on Surrey Drive, over half a mile from her house.
“Lola was mainly an indoor cat. If she did go outside, it was only to our back garden or the boundary wall of our neighbours’ fence,” said the mother of three. “She was very affectionate. You can see her interacting with the people in the video before they take her away.”
Naseem says the couple released the cat, leaving her to find her own way home. “Lola would have had no idea where she was – it breaks my heart. Market Street is a busy main road; she is scared of cars, so she would have never crossed it.”
Vets believe Lola died from dehydration while attempting to return home, as there were no visible wounds on her body, exacerbated by the intense heat. She was buried in her back garden, surrounded by roses and flowers, on May 28.
“She was cruelly taken from the comfort of her home and left to die – it was the hottest day of the bank holiday,” Naseem said. “I couldn’t save Lola, but hopefully by putting this story out there, we might be able to save others.”
Naseem claims the police had three potential charges against the couple: theft, the Criminal Damage Act, and the Animal Welfare Act. However, because the couple released Lola, police stated they “won’t be taking it any further,” asserting no offences were committed.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “All lines of enquiry were exhausted and the crime has been closed due to insufficient evidence. The person who reported this will have also been given this update via officers who attended.”
