At the end of 2016 British journalist Chris Baraniuk, who writes for BBC Science, contacted PAHS to learn more about the Robert Farmer case in San Jose—Robert Roy Farmer has pleaded guilty to 21 counts of felony animal cruelty for the death of at least that number of domestic cats, mostly pets in the Cambrian district of San Jose. The case, which has been followed by the local press and television networks, reached the attention of the BBC in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Baraniuk had become aware of PAHS’ concern and active role in supporting Farmer’s victims through local coverage and contacted us in December 2016. His interest was in drawing parallels and making comparisons with a similar case in the London area. PAHS Education Manager Leonor Delgado participated in an interview with Baraniuk and, in addition to providing a general history of the case, pointed Baraniuk to Myriam Martínez, the founder of Justice for our Catz, whose cat Thumper was one of Farmer’s victims. Baraniuk then interviewed Martínez. His article, “Someone is killing and dismembering Britain’s domestic cats,” appeared online in BBC Science on December 20, 2016.
