Another S$8,000 reward offered for info on Yishun kitten killings
09:43 PM Jan 03, 2013
SINGAPORE - Another member of the public has pitched in with a S$8,000 bounty for information leading to the successful prosecution of those responsible for dismembering two kittens in Yishun last Sunday.
The offer from the Singapore Permanent Resident - who wishes to remain anonymous - follows the S$2,000 reward put up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and a member of the public yesterday to hunt down the culprits who mutilated and dumped the kittens' remains outside a flat at Block 115B, Yishun Ring Road.
Despite stepped-up efforts by animal welfare groups to nail those behind the cruel act, little light has been shed on the identity of the perpetrator so far.
A member of the public - a British businessman who has lived in Singapore for seven years - told TODAY: "I think (the cat mutilation) is a despicable act and it needs to be rooted out.
"When the government is focused on other priorities it falls to non-profit organisations such as SPCA and private individuals to lend a hand where they can, and that's all I am trying to do here. I hope my offer of a reward will help bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice," he added.
He also urged for more to be done in educating the public on responsible animal welfare, as well as for penalties to be stiffened for animal abusers.
The number of animal welfare and abuse cases have spiked in recent years, from 292 in 2007 to 399 in 2011.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, anyone convicted of animal cruelty can be fined up to S$10,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months.
This case happened less than three months after a government-backed pilot programme to encourage responsible cat ownership was launched in the estate.