SAN DIEGO -- For many cat owners, letting your furry friend roam free is part of the daily routine.

But in Ocean Beach, that could be especially dangerous right now.

Earlier this week, a Good Samaritan found "Bear" (pictured, left) on fire, running through a Pacific Beach neighborhood.

His owner lives in Ocean Beach, an area where a number of cat mutilation stories are surfacing.

"It's hard to imagine anyone that could do such a horrible, horrible thing," Many pet clinics are putting up signs, warning their clients to keep a close eye on their cats until all of this stops.

The Sunset Cliffs Veterinary Hospital has recently dealt with at least five cats killed in unspeakable ways.

"Whoever this person is had actually cut open the cat and, for lack of a better term, gutted the cat," said hospital worker Tanya Lancee. "It was one of the most horrifying things I've seen in my years of doing this."

One of Rhonda Smallwood's cats, Poco, was found with similar wounds. Her other cat, Rocky, is still missing.

"It's very scary. Some of these cats have been displayed for people to see so it's terrorizing the neighborhood," Smallwood said.

The county has done animal autopsies on two cats recently, but county vets say those cats died in a coyote or dog attack.

Smallwood and others in the area say that's highly unlikely.

"We've never once seen a coyote killing, let alone three or four in the same week," Lancee said.

But for now, as far as the county is concerned, there is no official investigation.

Lt. Laura Ward of the Department of Animal Control told 10News, "Unless I have some evidence or a witness, there is no case."

For right now, the only defense cat owners have is to keep their pets inside.

If you see anything that might help investigators, call the San Diego County Department of Animal Control at (619) 236-2341.