An unusual community bands together to bring down real monsters in 'The Furry Detectives'

When a group of furries—people who enjoy dressing up as animals with human characteristics—discovered members of their unusual but playful and normally caring community were sharing disturbing materials involving animal abuse, they sprang into action.

Their work is detailed in “The Furry Detectives: Unmasking a Monster,” a new four-part true crime docuseries from Sundance TV.

Dubbed “The Furvengers” for their dedication and collaboration, the series unpacks an event known within the Furry community known as the “Furry Zoosadist Leaks,” which exposed a horrifying ring of animal abuse.

The perpetrators engaged in creating and sharing photos and videos of animals being abused in disturbing ways, operating on lesser-known servers. An anonymous tipster alerted a journalist within the community, who began his own investigation, along with other members who had knowledge of cybersecurity to take them down and report the abusers to authorities.

While rightfully lauding the work of the “Furvengers,” the series highlights that some of their amateur detective work wasn’t as effective in stopping the criminal acts. In some instances, evidence was gathered in ways that would be inadmissible in courts, allowing suspects to walk free. Other times, the passion to expose the animal abusers tipped off the perpetrators, leading them to destroy evidence and evade arrest.

Their work also lead to dangerous situations for the “Furvengers,” including doxxing and stalking.

But the risks and missteps led to several arrests, including a shocking international instance of animal abuse by a well-known public figure who appeared to care for wildlife, but was sadistically torturing animals behind the scenes.

What becomes clear throughout the series is that, though the Furry community is a little outside the norm, they are supportive, welcoming, kind, and truly want only the best for the animals that inspire their everyday lives.

“The Furry Detectives: Unmasking a Monster” premieres tonight on SundanceTV, with weekly episode releases as well as streaming availability on Sundance Now and AMC+ apps.