They Called Themselves ‘Furry Zoosadists’ — and Shared Videos of Animal Torture until Leaks Blew Open Case

When a group of furries realized members of their beloved, playful community were sharing sadistic, graphic videos of animal abuse, they jumped into action.

A new four-part true crime docuseries by Sundance TV follows the wild story of a group of furries who dubbed themselves “The Furvengers” and teamed with local Pennsylvania police in 2018 to eradicate members of a torturous animal abuse ring from their otherwise innocent and lighthearted animal-loving community.

The new series, The Furry Detectives: Unmasking A Monster, debuts this week at Tribeca Festival in New York City and will premiere on Sundance TV next month.

PEOPLE has the exclusive first-look at the series’ trailer, which outlines the high-stakes investigation that at times toed the line between amateur sleuthing and professional police work.

“The series follows the pack of dedicated vigilantes who teamed up to bring down the monsters behind the masks,” Sundance TV says in a press release about the show. “Navigating the line between amateur sleuthing and official police investigation, the Furry Detectives exposed a ring of animal abusers, fought for victims, and defended their community from the evil within.”

The series will debut Tuesday at Tribeca Festival when the first two episodes will be shared during a screening at AMC 19th Street East at 8:30 p.m. ET. The screening will also include a Q&A panel with director Theo Love and producer Julia Lindau, moderated by documentary director Bryan Storkel, according to Sundance TV.

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The four-part series will then premiere on Sundance TV on July 17, the network says.

The 2018 event was known in the Furry community as the “Furry Zoosadist Leaks,” according to Sundance TV, who describes the series’ protagonists as “dedicated vigilantes” who teamed up with police to expose “a horrifying conspiracy of animal abuse lurking beneath the Fandom’s playful exterior.”