Yishun cat abuse: Another man arrested

SINGAPORE — Another man believed to be involved in a case of cat abuse in Yishun has been arrested, following a report that a cat carcass had been found in the housing estate last evening (Jan 22). 

The man, 51, is from the household which owned the dead cat, the police said in a joint news release with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) today. The cat's carcass was found on the grass verge next to Blk 116 Yishun Ring Road. 

Police officers from Ang Mo Kio Division assisted officers from AVA in their investigations and managed to establish the suspect’s identity. 

The man was arrested at about 1.59am today along Yishun Ring Road. 

He will be assisting the AVA in investigations into an offence of animal cruelty, the police said. 

Investigations are also ongoing to establish if the man is involved in other Yishun cat death cases, the police added.

Last month, a 40-year-old man believed to be involved in a series of cat abuse cases in Yishun was arrested. There have been other reported cases of cat deaths in Yishun since then. 

The police and AVA today said that in some of these cases, preliminary investigations have indicated that the cause of death may not be due to animal cruelty. 

For instance, the authorities, citing public feedback, said that the case of a cat found dead next to the petrol station near Blk 732 Yishun Avenue 5 two days ago could have been due to a road accident. 

"AVA, with the assistance of the Police, will investigate all reported cases of cat deaths to establish if animal cruelty is involved, and if so, to apprehend the culprits," the police and AVA said.

Under the Animals and Birds Act, anyone found guilty of animal cruelty can be fined up to S$15,000 and/or jailed up to 18 months, or both for the first offence. For second and subsequent offences, the maximum penalty is S$30,000 or a jail term of up to 3 years, or both. WONG PEI TING