Man arrested after allegedly smashing stray cat against wall of Ang Mo Kio void deck

Shermaine Ang
The Straits Times
Dec 30, 2021

The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) is investigating the case of a stray cat that was allegedly smashed against the wall of a void deck at Block 645 Ang Mo Kio in the wee hours of Monday (Dec 27).

A man was arrested on Wednesday (Dec 29) evening after AVS was alerted on Monday, said the agency, a cluster of the National Parks Board.

The cat, Socks, was taken to a Mount Pleasant vet in Jalan Gelenggang with a cut on its lip, a fractured tooth and broken bones in its front leg, on top of a hind leg that had been broken previously.

Facebook user Winnie Tan, who regularly feeds the cat in her neighbourhood, said in a post that Socks had successful surgery on Thursday afternoon, where it had its broken tooth removed and treated, its broken elbow bone removed, and metal plates inserted.

The estimated $7,000 required for Socks' bone surgery was raised through crowdfunding by Ms Tan and another Facebook user Ning Wong, who publicised the case on the social media platform.

The cat was abandoned at the void deck four years ago as a kitten of about four months old.

Ms Jessica Kwok, group director at AVS, said: "Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility."

She urged witnesses to report cases of animal cruelty to AVS via its website or call its Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600.

Evidence such as photos and videos is critical to the investigation process, said Ms Kwok, adding that information shared with AVS will be kept confidential.