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The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Singapore (SPCA) has released a statement after a video of an individual humping a cat was posted online.
Offers support to cat owner
The executive director for SPCA, Aarthi Sankar, told Mothership that they have reported the matter to the relevant authorities and have reached out to the cat's owner to offer support.
"The contents of the video are deeply distressing and raise concerns about the rising number of animal abuse and welfare cases, including incidents involving minors in recent years," she said.
Aarthi also urged parents and educators to impart to children the "importance of treating all animals as sentient beings".
SPCA is also appealing for credible information from members of the public.
"We are appealing to anyone who has credible information about the identity of the person in the video to come forward and contact our 24-hour hotline at 6287 5355 Ext. 9.
We assure you that all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Together, we can work towards creating a safer and more compassionate society for animals."
Cat's safety is owner's responsibility
The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) also responded to the incident.
In response to Mothership's queries, the organisation said that they expect that the authorities will be "swiftly investigating" the matter since a report has been made and video footage is available.
They stressed that it is a pet owner's responsibility to ensure the safety of their pets.
"This is easily achieved by keeping their cats indoors. We hope that the family whose cat was affected will act responsibly and keep their cat safely indoors."
The organisation also believes that there should be an active effort to incorporate lessons on caring for community animals and responsible pet ownership in the school curriculum, especially with the recent incidents involving younger individuals mistreating animals.
"Singapore is a shared space between human beings and community animals. They deserve to be treated with dignity and live safely in their communities."
Top image from screenshots.