.SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rican police said Thursday that they will broaden their investigation into the alleged massacre of pets after a report by The Associated Press showed that possibly thousands of unwanted cats and dogs had been slaughtered.

Meanwhile, Carlos Carazo, who oversees the Animal Control and Protection Office in Puerto Rico’s Department of Health, called for prosecutions of those responsible for the cruel killings.

“It is awful. It is a violation of animal rights. It is cruelty to animals in the most awful way,” he said. “If it turns out to be true, the whole spectrum of the law should fall on the people who did it.”

Police Col. Jose Caldero, a top criminal investigations official, said the probe into the Barceloneta massacre would be broadened in light of the report.

“We are going to take into account what was published, and the personnel conducting the investigation will consider the matter,” he said.