A group of angry protesters have gathered as two boys who allegedly killed a family’s cat face court.
Brandy, a 17-year-old feline who lives with her family in Glenwood in western Sydney, was seen on chilling surveillance footage taken down the street on March 8 by a person wearing a mask.
The cat was later found dead in a pond in a park he regularly visited across the road where he had lived for more than a decade.
Police allege that two brothers, aged 12 and 14, stole the red cat from home before carrying it to a nearby clearing and allegedly torturing and killing it.
On Tuesday, the boys’ cases were heard in the Parramatta Children’s Court.
They are charged with torturing, beating and killing an animal, and removing a killed or stolen animal.
About fifty people gathered outside the courthouse demanding “justice for Brandy.”
About fifty angry protesters gathered outside the court as the two boys who allegedly killed a family’s pet cat, Brandy, were due to appear in court
Brandy (pictured), a 17-year-old cat who lives with his family in Glenwood, was seen March 8 on chilling surveillance footage being seen walking down the street by a person wearing a mask
The peaceful protesters met at 8 a.m. at Tudor Gates in Parramatta Park before walking in pairs to the courthouse, dressed in t-shirts and holding placards.
The shirts and signs urged “justice for Brandy” and demanded tougher penalties for animal abusers.
Brandy’s mother and owner Davina Bidart said the lawsuit would be hard on her family.
Kerin Welford, the organizer of the rally, told Daily Mail Australia, “There was a lot of support, solidarity and concern for Brandy’s family from those present.”
After the cat’s death, a petition was started to raise awareness of the matter and animal cruelty. It has now been signed by more than 30,000 people.
Brandy’s family, Davina Bidart (left) and Emily Bidart (right) came to children’s court to fight for justice
Police allege that two brothers, aged 12 and 14, stole the red cat from their home before carrying it to a nearby clearing and allegedly torturing and killing it, as protesters gathered outside the Parramatta Children’s Court to demand that justice is served
The peaceful protesters met at 8am at Tudor Gates in Parramatta Park before walking in pairs to the courthouse, dressed in t-shirts and carrying placards (Photo: Justice for Brandy shirt each protester wore)
In the aftermath of the cat’s death, locals immediately rallied behind Brandy’s owners and sent bouquets of flowers and letters.
In a heartwarming post on Facebook, Ms. Bidart said, “To all our community members, thank you so much for all your support and messages.”
“Brandy was cremated and her ashes are now in the safe hands of my daughter.
“We miss her very much and I wish we could turn back the clock and hold her in our arms again.”
In another social media post, Emily Bidart, who first discovered what had happened to the red cat, said they had received messages of support from far and wide.
“My family and I have received tremendous 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 owned two cats and a dog, and said after Brandy’s death, all of their “fur babies have now crossed the rainbow bridge.”
The feline’s owners checked their security footage after their 17-year-old cat failed to come home last Wednesday before making the gruesome discovery.
Emily Bidart (pictured), 28, was just 11 when Brandy became an integral part of her family and told 7News that everyone in the neighborhood knew Brandy as ‘the weird cat’ who goes for a walk in the park across the street
Emily, 28, was just 11 when Brandy became an integral part of her family and told 7News that everyone in the neighborhood knew Brandy as ‘the weird cat’ who goes for a walk in the park across the road.
Now that same park brings with it the harrowing memory of the alleged attack.
“I look out my bedroom window at my mother’s house and that’s exactly where she was (allegedly) killed,” Ms Bidart said.
Ms Bidart said that on the day Brandy died, she drove to her parents’ home in Glenwood and just felt something was wrong when she heard the family’s cat was missing and she immediately checked the security cameras.
The footage of the incident showed that minutes after Mrs Bidart’s mother left the house to go to an appointment, two figures began searching for the cat, under cars and in the garden.
Footage shows two people running away with the neighborhood cat before it is claimed they then tortured and killed the cat and dumped it in a pond
The two boys appeared before Parramatta Children’s Court on Tuesday for their alleged role in the cat’s murder
A person was then seen running away, reportedly saying, “Do you want to go to the cat?”.
About 23 minutes later, a second person returned in a hoodie and face mask before allegedly snatching the family cat from the front yard.
Mrs Bidart said that when she looked at what followed, she had to look away.
“As soon as I (allegedly) saw the first blow to my cat, I had to look away,” she said.
After police investigations, two boys were arrested at a home in Glenwood.
The boys later get their punishment.