Singapore is on the hunt for a serial cat killer who has
slaughtered at least 20 felines in the past two weeks. The cats
were found dumped in bushes and drains, with their throats
slit.
Singapore's Cat Welfare Society said on Wednesday that residents
and cleaners on a western part of the island had found several
dead, mutilated cats in their neighbourhood.
All the cats had their throats slashed, while some of them also had
their heads smashed or their throats burned.
"It is really disturbing because in terms of frequency, there is
nearly one cat getting killed every day," Dawn Kua, director of
operations at the Cat Welfare Society, told Reuters.
Kua said the group had lodged a police complaint and had organised
about 15 volunteers to keep a lookout for the cat killer.
The Cat Welfare Society and the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals have also set up a joint reward of S$2,000 for
anyone who can help arrest the culprit.
In Singapore, animal abuse is punishable by a maximum jail term of
one year and a fine of up to S$10,000.
But the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state frequently reports cases
of animal abuse and authorities have come under fire from animal
welfare groups who say the penalties are not stiff enough.
Last month, a 28-year-old man who abused a cat by grabbing it by
the neck and repeatedly slamming its body against the wall was
sentenced to eight weeks in prison.
Reuters
