Animal lovers stepping up efforts to protect strays after deaths of cats in Yishun, Punggol

SINGAPORE - Animal lovers in Yishun and Punggol are stepping up efforts to protect the felines under their care after two cats died under horrific circumstances recently.

In Yishun, where

a community cat known as King Kong was found disembowelled

and with its eyes gouged out on the morning of May 9, one cat feeder has put out a cash reward of $500 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the act.

Some residents and cat feeders are also checking on the cats in the area more frequently, with a few sheltering the animals in their homes until the killer is found.

In Punggol, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong announced on May 15 that the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council will work with the National Parks Board (NParks) and animal welfare groups to

raise public awareness

after a

stray cat named Shere Khan was found with severe injuries and subsequently died on May 12

.

NParks, which oversees the Animal and Veterinary Service, investigated the incident as a suspected case of animal cruelty. However, it said on May 17 that based on its investigations and observations from the vet report, it did not find any overt evidence that Shere Khan’s injuries were sustained due to a deliberate act of cruelty.

“The vet report from the private vet clinic stated that the cat’s injuries are suggestive of blunt force trauma to the head, and that a road traffic accident is a possible common cause of such injuries,” said Ms Jessica Kwok, NParks’ group director of enforcement and investigation.

Before DPM Gan’s announcement, some members of the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) had conducted door-to-door outreach across several Housing Board blocks in Punggol and Yishun, speaking with residents to gather potential leads for the authorities and to raise awareness in the community.

In Yishun, CWS posters appealing for witnesses to come forward with information have been put up with the approval and assistance of Nee Soon Town Council.

“I hope the relevant authorities can see the seriousness of this murder,” said Ms Janet Chin, referring to King Kong’s death. “It is not only a threat to safety, but also an indirect message that our poor community cats are not important.”

The 54-year-old retail sales consultant, who feeds stray cats in the Chong Pang area in Yishun, told The Straits Times she had put up the reward for information leading to the identification of King Kong’s killer because “I want to seek justice for King Kong”.

Besides the reward, she has also set up a temporary memorial for the cat, which she said would not only allow residents in the area to pay their respects to the feline, but also raise awareness of the incident.

Her social media updates on King Kong’s memorial have drawn thousands of reactions, with visitors offering flowers, portraits and farewell gifts.

Many have expressed outrage at the brutality involved in both incidents, with DPM Gan, who became an MP for the newly created Punggol GRC after

leading his PAP team to victory in the May 3 general election

, saying in his Facebook post that many residents had shared their feedback on animal welfare after the death of Shere Khan.

Separately, another animal lover, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lin, has engaged a private investigator to track King Kong’s killer down.

She has also started a group on messaging platform Telegram to keep people updated, and some of them have even chipped in to fund the private investigative efforts.

The 34-year-old project manager engaged the firm as she wanted to try something different to effect change. Having previously written and signed petitions for other causes, she noted their ineffectiveness in bringing about change.

“I am not trying to be a vigilante or anything,” said Ms Lin. “Just trying to put pressure in different places in the hope that the authorities will take it more seriously.”

Members of Ms Lin’s Telegram group are also reaching out to their respective MPs, calling for the authorities to review and enact stronger and clearer animal protection laws, as well as to take more decisive action against perpetrators of such acts.

Ms Lin told ST: “Doing nothing wasn’t an option.”

Correction note: In an earlier version of this article, we referred to the Punggol cat death as a killing and a case of abuse. NParks said on the evening of May 17 that based on its investigation findings, it is likely that the cat had sustained its injuries due to a vehicular accident.