A dance teacher swung a dead kitten by its tail at a wharf and threw it into the ocean, then her mum said she was having a mental health crisis

Gracie Giblin, a 21-year-old dance teacher and qualified childcare worker, has been identified as the person at the center of a disturbing incident that drew widespread attention in South Australia. The story came to light through VT, which reported that Giblin was filmed at Port Lincoln Wharf on a Tuesday night swinging a dead kitten by its tail, laughing, and throwing the body into the ocean.

The incident involved more than just the kitten. Witnesses at the scene reported that a deceased rabbit had been thrown into the harbor shortly beforehand. Local teenager Scarlett said she initially thought the rabbit was alive when she saw it inside a bag. “She was doing laps around the wharf in her car and she had a bunny in a Woolies bag and I thought it was alive at first,” Scarlett said. “She was swinging it around and laughing and said she had run it over earlier and then just threw it in.”

Scarlett said Giblin returned to the wharf later and announced through the car window that she had hit a cat. “She drove back yelling out the window, ‘We hit a cat, we hit a cat,’ and then she swaps places with her friend and gets in the passenger seat and she says they are going to get it,” Scarlett explained. “I was worried and my friends and I decided to look for it but before we had chance she came back hanging it out of the window and swing it around by its tail. It was just a kitten and she was laughing about it.” Scarlett added that Giblin had previously been known from local dance classes as warm and friendly, describing the behavior as completely at odds with the person she remembered.

Volunteers recover the animals as police and RSPCA investigate

After the footage spread through the community, volunteers from Making a Difference Cat Rescue went to the wharf to search for the animals. Volunteer Amanda confirmed that both the kitten and the rabbit were recovered from the water. “They were both still warm and very floppy,” she said. “The bunny was very young, smaller than the kitten and it was just so awful to see. We decided to name them, Annabelle for the rabbit and Dillon for the little kitten which means ray of hope.”

RSPCA South Australia confirmed it received a report about the incident on a Wednesday morning. A spokesperson said no further comment would be provided while the investigation remains ongoing. South Australia Police confirmed they had spoken with a 21-year-old woman as part of their inquiries, with officers attending a Port Lincoln address before she was taken to hospital for an assessment. The RSPCA and police are working together to determine whether any offences were committed. Amid a separate probe into DC officers accused of faking crime data, the Port Lincoln case reflects a broader pattern of law enforcement agencies under public pressure to act swiftly on viral incidents.

A community Facebook group that had originally hosted the footage removed the post after contacting Giblin’s parents. The group stated that direct action had been taken and asked members to avoid speculation while authorities and mental health services handled the matter. Giblin’s mother commented on the post, writing: “It was also not easy for the person going through a mental health crisis.” Giblin has since removed herself from social media.

The incident comes as South Australia introduced significant reforms to the Animal Welfare Act. Under the updated legislation, those convicted of severe animal cruelty can face fines of up to $250,000 AUD (approximately $157,000 USD) or a 10-year prison sentence, up from previous maximums of $50,000 AUD and four years. The new laws also introduce a duty of care provision requiring owners to provide a minimum standard of care, giving the RSPCA power to intervene before harm occurs.

The state government increased funding to the RSPCA by 350 percent as part of the reforms. RSPCA SA chief executive Marcus Gehrig said the changes are critical for ensuring inspectors can act before neglect escalates. The viral footage of the Port Lincoln incident drew comparisons in online discussions to other animal moments caught on camera, including a widely shared clip of a diver rescuing an injured dolphin off the Los Angeles coast that garnered 13 million views.