Community cats found dead in Yishun and Tampines linked to road accidents, not abuse

The death of a community cat in Yishun in early May, widely believed to be a case of animal abuse, was likely caused by a road accident, the National Parks Board (NParks) has concluded.

Another community cat found dead on May 24 at a void deck in Tampines Street 81 has also been linked to a traffic incident.

In the light of recent cat abuse allegations, NParks provided further details on the cases at a June 3 media briefing.

"We were concerned about the public anxiety over these cases and we also wanted to assure the public that we have conducted a thorough investigation into (these cases)," said NParks director of enforcement and investigation Joshua Teoh.

The mangled body of a community cat, affectionately named King Kong, was found at a void deck near Yishun Street 51 on May 9. Its death sparked a national outcry, with a reward of $5,000 being offered for information leading to the arrest of the alleged animal abuser.

Mr Teoh on June 3 said that an investigation, however, discovered that the dead cat was initially spotted in the middle of the road by a passer-by, who moved it to a nearby void deck.

A post-mortem examination found that the injuries, including fractures of the pelvis bones and the partial protrusion of the cat's right eye, resulted from external blunt force trauma.

Mr Teoh said: "There is no evidence of penetrating or sharp force injuries or wounds. When the injuries are considered as a whole, a vehicular impact is the most likely cause of the blunt force trauma."

He added that investigation findings, the post-mortem examination and the initial location where the cat's carcass was found showed that it was likely that the cat was hit by a vehicle and "there was no evidence to suggest a deliberate act of animal cruelty".

Ms Jessica Kwok, NParks' group director of enforcement and investigation, said a case involving a pet cat found dead at the foot of a staircase in Yishun Street 51 is still being investigated.

"Based on a preliminary physical examination, there were no visible external injuries found," she added.

On the Tampines case, she said the Traffic Police officers who had attended to the accident involving a car and the cat had moved the animal's carcass to the void deck. Someone later came across the cat's body and reported the case to NParks.

"No further action will be taken as the driver of the motor vehicle had reported the accident to the police as soon as reasonably practicable within 24 hours," she said.

Mr Teoh also addressed an incident involving a cat that was found with severe injuries at a loading bay in Punggol on May 12, which the NParks had earlier determined to be the victim of a vehicular accident.

He said the statutory board had initially classified the incident as an animal rescue case, when it took the cat to a private veterinary clinic for care and traced its microchip, which is registered under community cat group Luni Singapore.

"An animal welfare group representative decided to euthanise the cat on welfare grounds, and it was not sent for a post-mortem examination," he added.

After being notified about allegations of abuse, NParks started its investigation on May 13. This included interviewing the person who found the injured cat and potential witnesses involved in the case. It also reviewed the report from the private clinic that said the injuries suggested blunt trauma to the cat's head and were possibly caused by a road traffic accident.

Footage from CCTV cameras was also reviewed, but it did not shed light on how the cat sustained its injuries, Mr Teoh said.

Based on the investigation's findings, the report and the location where the cat was found, NParks concluded that its injuries did not arise from a deliberate act of animal cruelty.

Asked if such updates can be expected for future cases, Mr Teoh said the outcome of an investigation is typically shared with the person who provided the feedback.

The recent deaths involving community cats have revived calls from animal lovers for tougher laws and enforcement against animal abuse and cruelty.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has also called for more to be done after the number of confirmed reports of animal cruelty and welfare concerns that it received hit a 12-year high of 961 in 2024.

However, the number of cases of alleged animal cruelty and failure of duty of care reported to NParks, including cases referred by SPCA, has remained relatively consistent from 2019 to 2024.

On average, it received about 1,200 reports annually for that period. Every case is investigated, a process that can take weeks.

No more than 6 per cent of these cases in a year, or about 70 cases, resulted in enforcement action, according to figures from 2020 to 2024.

Most of the cases that did not lead to enforcement resulted from disputes, inconvenience caused by animals, or involved the deaths of community animals from non-cruelty related causes like accidental falls, fights with other creatures or road traffic accidents.

In October 2024, NParks' Animal and Veterinary Service said it is reviewing laws governing animal cruelty and abuse under the Animals and Birds Act, which was last amended in 2014.

This includes studying the effectiveness of penalties including fines and jail terms, and enforcement powers to arrest suspects.

Under the Animals and Birds Act, first-time offenders convicted of animal cruelty can be jailed for up to 18 months, fined up to $15,000, or both.

Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $30,000, or both.

Suspected cases of animal cruelty and abuse can be reported to NParks on 1800-476-1600.