Singapore – A 37-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of cat-slashing incidents in Ang Mo Kio.
The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), an entity under the National Parks Board (NParks), conducted an operation on Tuesday (June 8) in partnership with the police to apprehend the culprit.
It was reported that the man, Leow Wei Liang, was allegedly involved in a series of cat-slashing incidents since April.
Ten cats with slash wounds were spotted at Ang Mo Kio since the first sighting in April, said animal welfare group SPCA (Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to Channel News Asia.
The cat-slashing incidents were reported to have occurred around Housing Board blocks 302, 316B, 335, 337, 343, and 346 in Ang Mo Kio.
“Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility,” said NParks’ director for community animal engagement.
The man was charged on Wednesday (Jun 9) with animal cruelty, which is an offence under the Animals and Birds Act.
Leow appeared in court via videolink. However, he refused to appear on screen and was heard crying and wailing in the background, “I don’t want to go to jail”, as police urged him to show his face.
A prosecutor requested for Leow to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks for psychiatric assessment.
District Judge Marvin Bay noted there was “ample reason” for Leow to be remanded given the circumstances.
Leow was given one charge under the Animal and Birds Act and will return to court on June 23.
If convicted of causing an animal unnecessary pain or suffering, Leow can be jailed for up to 18 months or fined up to S$15,000.
Members of the public can report suspected cases of animal cruelty to the AVS online portal or at the Animal Response Centre at 1800 476 1600.
“As with all investigations, all forms of evidence are critical to the process, and photographic and/or video-graphic evidence provided by the public will help,” said Ms Kwok./TISG
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