A suspected animal cruelty case was recently uncovered at the Pets R Us veterinary medical centre. On the evening of August 10, a 14-year-old secondary school student brought an 8-month-old grey-and-white American Shorthair cat to the clinic for treatment. However, the cat had already stopped breathing and had no heartbeat when examined by a veterinarian.
After examining the animal, the vet discovered multiple suspicious injuries. Combined with the boy’s inconsistent accounts of what had happened, the clinic decided to contact the police. The teenager was subsequently arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals.
The boy had been fostering the cat on behalf of a female classmate for about a month. On the day of the incident, he arrived at the clinic without an appointment seeking emergency assistance.
Clinic staff said the cat was completely soaked, had lost bladder control, was bleeding from the mouth and nose, and had sand and dirt on its skin. A cable tie was also found around the cat’s neck. Staff described the boy as visibly distressed, with trembling hands, and what appeared to be fresh scratch marks on his hands, believed to have been caused by a cat.
Clinic staff further revealed that the boy remained on a video call with a girl of a similar age throughout the visit and told them she was the cat’s owner. The girl was reportedly extremely emotional and cried continuously during the call. As both parties were minors, the clinic ultimately decided not to attempt resuscitation after obtaining parental consent.
Regarding the cable tie around the cat’s neck, the boy explained that the cat’s original collar string had broken, so he used a cable tie as a temporary replacement. A veterinary nurse noted that the cable tie was not tightened around the cat’s neck and remained loose, leaving space between the tie and the cat’s neck.
Veterinarians and clinic staff later asked the boy about the incident. He reportedly gave several different versions of events. He initially claimed the cat was startled after knocking over a bucket of water and injuring itself. He later said the cat had knocked over a cup of water. He then stated that he had confined the cat in a bathroom, sprayed it with water using a shower head, and struck it with a broom. However, he subsequently changed his story and denied ever confining the cat in the bathroom.
Due to the contradictory explanations and the suspicious nature of the cat’s injuries, the veterinarian suspected the case might involve animal abuse and decided to notify both the police and the SPCA.
Following an investigation, police suspected that someone had slapped and kicked the cat earlier that day inside a residence. The 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was later taken to the police station for questioning in the company of his father and has since been released on bail pending further investigation.
The case is currently being handled by the Sham Shui Po Police District Animal Crime Team.
The SPCA stated that when its inspectors arrived at the scene following a police referral, the cat had already been pronounced dead. Blood was found around the cat’s mouth and on its front paws, and a plastic cable tie was attached around its neck. Its fur also showed signs of having been soaked.
The cat’s body was subsequently taken away by the SPCA and will be transferred to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
