Warning: Graphical image in content.
Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has released its findings that the injuries on the mutilated cat at Marine Crescent are the doing of dogs in the community and not of human(s).
They have also sent the cat’s carcass to Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for an independent post-mortem.
In their facebook post, they wrote:
SPCA was alerted –to a cat that was found to be in parts, in Marine Crescent, just yesterday evening (Oct 28, 2014).
We have, since, brought the cat’s carcass to SPCA’s premises, and our vets have conducted a thorough investigation of it. We have arrived at the finding that the cat’s state has been wrought by the action of dogs from the community, and are ruling out the cat’s condition being caused by sole human agency.
We have also sent the carcass to the AVA for an independent post-mortem.
We will post an update once we have derived the AVA’s findings. We thank our informers for having alerted SPCA and the police to the cat’s state.
“We are strongly ruling out wilful human involvement, as there is no clear sign of the use of instruments such as a machete knife, or a chainsaw. It would be virtually impossible for a human being, or humans, to have caused that state of the cat, using other humanly means possible,” SPCA said in a media statement.
Residents of Marine Crescent have told local media that it is unlikely that dogs attacked the cat. “I have never see stray dogs around here”, said Mr Eddy, a resident.
Mdm Grace Tan, a fruit stall assistant has been feeding “Ling Ling” since about a year ago. She found the cat’s remains on a grass patch near and was shocked at what she saw.
The cat was dissected into four parts with a missing leg from the body, its guts and intestines were left by the side of the body with fur scattered around the grass patch.
Mdm Tan says the body of the cat was placed too neatly for it to have been a dog attack or a car accident. “I don’t agree it’s a dog,” said Mdm Tan. “I can’t event imagine it being a dog, I only see stray dogs along the beach.”
According to the local cat caretakers, there have been an average of one missing cat per month for the last 10 months.
Comments on the SPCA’s fanpage have been largely negative. The lack of blood around the cat’s body, bite wounds, sighting of stray dogs in the vicinity and many questionable aspects of the incident have led to criticism of SPCA’s findings.
Online commenters described SPCA’s findings as a convenient way to close the case, putting blame on stray dogs without investigating further for the real culprit of the act.
“We saw the carcass, no dogs could have been associated with this cats death. 1. There are no bite marks. 2. Dogs can NOT dismember the cats body is such cleaver-like precision. 3. IF it was a pack of dogs, they would have never left the body in such great organization. Dogs will normally shake they prey around, and if in a pack, multiple puncture wounds would exist along with tossing of the carcass may occur.” – Eddie Lee
“SPCA, of all agencies in Singapore, you are one that will at least make a better judgement call. Do your checks again, it’s impossible for dogs to do this. Or is this an excuse for AVA to do more culling? Amazing how our country can blame this work on animals who are unable to defend themselves” – Cherie Ter
” It’s totally unfair of a reputable organization like SPCA to quote their conclusion without concrete proof. This will only cause unnecessary alarm to the public, who think that there’s vicious pack in the community. Irresponsible posting.” – Kennes Lau
According to Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES), the authorities are investigating the incident.