Ang Mo Kio cat slashings: 37-year-old man arrested, to be charged with animal cruelty

SINGAPORE — A 37-year-old man has been arrested in relation to a series of cat slashings in Ang Mo Kio in the past months, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Tuesday (June 8).

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), which is a part of NParks, had arrested the man on Tuesday with the support of the police.

Ms Jessica Kwok, group director of community animal management at NParks, said in a press statement that the suspect is “believed to be involved in the series of cat slashing cases in Ang Mo Kio since April 2021”. 

The man will be charged on Wednesday for the offence of animal cruelty under Section 42 of the Animals and Birds Act.

TODAY reported last month that a total of 10 cats had been slashed by a mystery attacker or attackers in an area bounded by Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

The cats had been injured with deep linear cuts.

As a result of the attacks, which started in late April, animal advocates had placed some cats from the neighbourhood in boarding facilities in Lim Chu Kang and at The Animal Lodge.

Both the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Cat Welfare Society had led efforts to track down the perpetrators by distributing flyers and putting up posters in the neighbourhood.

The Ang Mo Kio Town Council said then that it had alerted the area’s cleaners to keep a look out and make a report to AVS if they witness acts of animal cruelty.

Ms Kwok reiterated that safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility.

Members of the public may play a part by promptly reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty to AVS via its website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or calling its Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600. 

She added that all forms of evidence are critical to the investigation process, and evidence in the form of photos and videos taken by the public will help.

“Information shared with AVS will be kept strictly confidential,” she added.