Two more dead cats have been found in Maple Ridge — this time by young children – bringing the number of dismembered pets found to nine in less than two weeks.

“At recess time, there were some students who discovered a portion of a cat leg at one part of our school,” said Kevin Bodman, principal of Harry Hooge Elementary. “When I heard that I went in and cleaned it up.”

“I thought that it was the end of it, but we weren’t aware that on the far side of the school about 80 metres from were the leg piece was, there was a cat head,” he added. “It was at lunch time and there were lots of kids around when I cleaned that up.”

Bodman said he told the students it could’ve been coyotes that caused the deaths.

Since last June, a total of 24 mutilated cats have been found in the area, between 217 and 230 streets.

B.C. SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said the remains of the cat was found in the school at around 1:40 p.m. and a calico cat’s leg was found blocks away outside a house on 221st Street later in the evening.

She said they are following on leads after two men were spotted behind the elementary school, at 12280 230th Street, where the cat’s head was dumped.

“Our first goal is to stop this person so that no more animals will suffer, but obviously this an individual or more than one person that need help,” she said.

Chortyk said in the last 22 incidents, the cats had been exactly cut in half, possibly with a saw.

She is still urging the public to come forward with any information.