Cat abuse cases in Singapores's Punggol and Yishun lead to calls for stricter action

Malay Mail

16-05-2025

SINGAPORE, May 16 — Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council is working with the National Parks Board (NParks) and animal welfare groups to promote public awareness following the death of a community cat in Punggol on May 12, The Straits Times reported.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong addressed the incident in a Facebook post late yesterday, saying that many residents had shared feedback about animal welfare concerns after the cat, named Shere Khan, was found severely injured in the area.
According to the report, Gan said NParks has assured residents that it is looking into the matter and that posters will be displayed to raise public awareness.
Gan further urged the public to treat animals with care, saying in his post, 'Let us be a gracious society, and show kindness and compassion to animals.'
The case gained significant attention after animal welfare group Luni Singapore posted an appeal on May 13, describing the incident as one of the most brutal it had encountered.
The group stated on Facebook that Shere Khan, despite receiving immediate veterinary care, succumbed to injuries it described as 'strongly indicative of deliberate abuse,' involving possible strangulation or blunt force trauma.
NParks confirmed on May 13 that it is investigating the case as a suspected instance of animal cruelty, according to The Straits Times.
The incident in Punggol follows another act of alleged animal cruelty reported in Yishun on May 9, where a community cat named King Kong was found disembowelled and with its eyes gouged out.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who is also the MP for Nee Soon GRC, condemned the Yishun case in a Facebook post on the same day, calling it an example of 'appalling cruelty.'
Shanmugam wrote, 'What kind of person will do this? This is not who we are as a people.'
Both incidents have reignited calls for stricter penalties against animal abusers, The Straits Times reported. Animal welfare groups, including the Cat Welfare Society, have since intensified public engagement in the affected areas, appealing for witnesses and urging residents to report suspicious activity.