Teen who allegedly performed obscene act on cat in Bukit Panjang arrested
Animal welfare groups have expressed deep concern over the incident.
SINGAPORE — Disturbing surveillance footage of alleged animal cruelty has surfaced on social media showing a male youth assaulting a hapless cat outside an HDB flat in Bukit Panjang on Saturday (8 April).
In the video, which has been shared on social media, a youth can be seen pulling down his pants and performing an obscene act, despite the cat's attempts to escaped.
The video was shared on Instagram on Monday by the cat's owner, Ismul.
The police told Yahoo Southeast Asia on Tuesday that it received a report on an alleged case of obscene act along Senja Road on 11 April at 12.10am, and that a male teenager had been arrested in relation to the case.
Animal welfare groups express concern over incident
Animal welfare groups, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), have expressed deep concern over the incident.
The SPCA told Yahoo Southeast Asia that it was alerted to the video by a member of the public on Saturday evening and reported this to the relevant authorities.
SPCA has reached out to the cat's owner to offer support and has appealed to anyone with credible information about the identity of the person in the video to come forward and contact their 24-hour hotline.
"The contents of the video are deeply distressing and raise concerns about the rising number of animal abuse and welfare cases, including incidents involving minors in recent years," said Aarthi Sankar, executive director of SPCA.
The CWS has called on the authorities to investigate the matter urgently, given the availability of video footage.
"Singapore is a shared space between human beings and community animals. They deserve to be treated with dignity and live safely in their communities," said CWS in a statement to Yahoo Southeast Asia on Tuesday.
CWS also highlighted the importance of responsible pet ownership, reminding pet owners of their duty of care to ensure the safety of their pets. "With pet cats, there is a duty of care imposed on owners... We hope that the family whose cat was affected will act responsibly and keep their cat safely indoors," added CWS.
In light of recent incidents involving younger individuals mistreating and abusing animals, the CWS calls for an active effort to incorporate lessons on caring for community animals and responsible pet ownership in the school curriculum.
The organisation is working on an education programme they hope to share with educators and authorities in the next quarter.
Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
