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Reward In Killings of 25 Cats In Yonkers Climbs To $25,000

YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The reward for capturing whoever killed 25 cats in Yonkers has reached $25,000, thanks in part to a new donation by rocker Geezer Butler.

The cats were found last month in plastic bags hanging from trees in a wooded area off Overlook Terrace. Tests on three bodies showed they had been killed with blows to the head. Some cats had been dead about a year, some just three days.

"The total amount of the reward money reflects the resolve of the SPCA and the community to find the perpetrators of one of the worst cases of animal cruelty Westchester County has ever known," said Shannon Lakhuf, Executive Director of the SPCA of Westchester.

Butler is a member of legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Rewards are also being offered by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, the Defense of Animals Fund and Alley Cat Allies.

"It is so tragic that we have human beings among us that are capable of committing such a heinous and heartless crime," said Butler. "Surely there is someone out there that knows who has done this. Please do the right thing and come forward to get this coward off the streets."

Anyone with information is asked to call Yonkers police at 914-377-7724 or the SPCA's Animal Cruelty Hotline at 914-941-7797.

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(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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