Allison Cross, communications manager for the organization, said autopsies in Guelph showed that the swans starved death and were not beaten to death.

"They starved to death from a cold hard winter," she said.

However, Pat Longmire - president of the Collingwood and District Humane Society - feels there could be a number of factors in the death of the swans.

"I talked to someone in Guelph. It showed there was no food," she said. "That doesn't mean there wasn't other factors. Animal's can starve because they've been abused and can't forage for food."

Longmire told the Connection that local residents do place food at the waterfront for the swans, even during the winter.

"A lot of people seem to care a lot about them and go to great lengths to take care of them," she said.

When the swans were first discovered, Kristin Williams of the OSPCA said allegations of animal cruelty were premature.

"The allegations of animal cruelty may have been premature. As of yet, we have not determined the cause of death," she said. "Our officers and only our officers enforce animal cruelty laws," she said.

Longmire said they raised the issue of animal cruelty, so the public could keep an eye out on the area for anyone abusing the swans.

She said starvation seems strange as it was four swans dying in a short period of time.

"It does seem very strange," she said. "We didn't have any more occurrences at all."

Longmire said CDHS volunteers saw the swans and there was blood on the head.