The New Paper | Nov 26, 2011

Cat lovers on learning man who threw kitty has bipolar disorder: He’s still responsible Gerald Goh

HE MAY have bipolar disorder. But that does not mean he should get away scot-free for dumping a cat at a veterinary clinic, say cat lovers. Four days after a man was caught by closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras dumping a cat in a rubbish bin outside a veterinary clinic, they are still fuming over his actions. This despite the man’s wife saying that her husband didn’t know what he was doing because of his mental illness. Cat and animal lovers flooded the Internet with comments after our report yesterday on the wife’s comments. On The New Paper’s website, netizen Sakumaa called the illness a “very convenient excuse”. “Even if it’s true, then why didn’t the wife take the cat by herself to the animal shelter? Why risk asking a person who is prone to irritable mood and depression to do it?” Another netizen posted his comment on citizen journalism website STOMP. Wrote stopabusing: “I feel that that is purely an excuse made up to not get…into further problems with the law and fellow animal lovers.” The New Paper had acted on tip-offs and tracked down the man to his Bishan flat on Thursday. We spoke to his wife, Madam Hamidah, who then told us that her husband was supposed to have taken their cat, Scuzzi, to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) because it could not get along with her other two cats. She claimed she was shocked when she found out what he had done through the video footage that was widely circulated. Madam Hamidah, 53, then revealed that her husband, Mr Michael, 52, has been suffering from bipolar disorder for many years. She said he had a relapse on Nov 17 . Madam Hamidah, a watch trader, declined to give us their full names, but apologised for her husband’s actions. She said: “I am sorry that this had to happen, and hopefully people will understand. “It was never his intention to harm our cat.” Despite this, not all cat lovers were appeased. Ms Veron Lau, 40, the vice-president of the Cat Welfare Society, which had posted the CCTV footage on its Facebook page, thinks that mental illness should not be used as an excuse for unlawful behaviour. She said: “Such people are still culpable if they are aware of their actions. “If they are deemed responsible for their actions by the courts, it would be up to the judiciary to assess the situation and determine the penalties, as well as the individual’s risk of re-offending. “If found guilty, the person should be remanded in prison.” Treatment She added that such individuals who have been incarcerated should still receive prompt treatment for their mental illness, if any. In Singapore, anyone found guilty of animal cruelty, which includes abandoning pets, can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to 12 months, or both. Still, Ms Lau feels this is a bit of a grey area. She said: “People with mental illness should be assessed by a psychiatrist to determine if these individuals pose a danger to themselves or society. “For example, where you have a person with impaired decision-making who is still driving a car, it’s not safe.” She was referring to Mr Michael, who had driven to the veterinary centre to dump Scuzzi. “If necessary, he should be warded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or other mental health facilities.” Ms Junie Seah, 28, a case management worker, feels that a softer approach is warranted. She said: “The severity of a person’s mental illness, as well as his intelligence level and whether he knew what he was doing at the time, must definitely be taken into consideration. “If a person is of normal intelligence and his cognitions were under control at the time (of the incident), then in my opinion, the person is criminally responsible.” She also felt that prison is not the best place for a person with mental illness, adding that such a course of action seemed “harsh”. Ms Seah said: “My concern is that if a mentally-ill person is put in prison, he or she might not receive the treatment required, which would not be helpful to anybody.” Still, she found the cat-dumping “quite cruel”. She said with a tinge of sadness: “It’s not something you want to see happen on a regular basis. “I’m glad they found Michael and he is at IMH, where he can receive proper treatment.” Yesterday, Madam Hamidah told The New Paper over the phone that her husband had been warded at the Institute of Mental Health. She added that two officers from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) also visited their flat yesterday afternoon.. “The AVA officers spoke to Michael and recorded down my telephone number,” she said. Madam Hamidah then declined to answer further queries. She sent an SMS saying: “I am too tired now and I need rest now that he is in a safe place.” Source: The New Paper

The Straits Times | Nov 26, 2011

Cat dumper identified: AVA

THE man caught in a video clip dumping a cat into a rubbish bin has been identified, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said yesterday. It said it was investigating the case. Closed-circuit television footage that caught the man red-handed was posted on the Cat Welfare Society’s Facebook page on Tuesday. It went viral and drew condemnation from animal lovers. Some managed to work out the man’s car licence plate number from the clip. The clip showed him parking in front of the James Tan Veterinary Centre in Whitley Road, getting out of the car with a pet carrier and dumping the cat into a rubbish bin. The feline was rescued after a few hours by an employee at the clinic, where it remains. In an interview published in The New Paper yesterday, the man’s wife said he suffered from bipolar disorder, characterised by unpredictable and constantly changing moods. His wife, who wanted to be known only as Madam Hamidah, said she would check her husband into the Institute of Mental Health. She told The Straits Times yesterday evening that she was ‘exhausted’ and had just visited her husband in hospital. She declined to give more details. Lawyer Chia Boon Teck said the man’s actions were a clear violation of animal cruelty laws here. He said: ‘The law states that abandoning an animal without reasonable cause or excuse, or confining it, in ways that cause it unnecessary suffering, constitutes animal cruelty.’ If convicted, an offender may be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to a year, or both fined and jailed. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called for tougher penalties against animal abusers earlier this month. It is lobbying for the maximum penalty to be doubled to a jail term of up to two years or a fine of up to $20,000, or both a jail term and a fine, and in extreme cases, for abusers to be banned from keeping pets. The society has posted a draft of proposed changes to animal cruelty laws here on its website, and is asking the public to provide feedback at www.spca.org.sg/lawreview.html[http://www.spca.org.sg/lawreview.html] before Dec 4. This man was caught on CCTV dumping a cat into a bin. The clip was posted online. Some managed to make out his car licence plate number. Source: The Straits Times

TODAY | Nov 27, 2011

They’re family, not garbage Tabitha Wong

By now, almost everyone in Singapore with access to the Internet must have watched the video of a man dumping a cat into a wheelie bin. It’s almost like watching a snuff video, and the worst part is how casually the guy saunters up to the bin, then tips the cat out like it was only some rubbish. It has since emerged that the man may be bipolar and behaving erratically – but, if so, should he have been entrusted with an animal and a young kid in the first place? The video has gone viral. But the weird thing is, if you look at the comments made by the international community, they’re centred on the cat and the trauma it suffered. If you look at those made by Singaporeans, it’s about the fact that a Merc driver did it. Hello, why are we surprised? Just because someone can afford to buy a luxury car doesn’t mean he has a lot of sense. Does it make the act any less cruel if the guy drove up in a beat-up van instead? It does say a lot about us as a materialistic society that we judge everything in terms of its worth. By extension, we see animals as goods to be used and disposed off when we’ve tired of them. After all, the insurance and legal community consider pets as property, not family. I used to live in a private condo in the East Coast and, in the four years I was there, there were two cases of cat dumping. In both cases, as they had collars on, they’d obviously been family pets who’d been got rid off after they had outgrown their cuteness. The first was a kitten which had been abandoned at our main porch without food or water for days. We fed her for a bit before she became the victim of a car accident. The second one was sent to the SPCA. It makes my blood boil every time I read yet another Facebook status which says: “We got rid of the cat because the baby’s coming/we’ve moved to a new place and don’t want the furniture scratched/it bit the kids.” A pet is not a toy you can give away when you get tired of it or you don’t have space for it. A pet is family. Let’s say your kid goes to kindergarten and bites other kids. You don’t send him back to the hospital and say: “I don’t want this one; it bites.” Or imagine you move to a new place with nice clean walls and your kids paint all over them. Do you leave them out on the streets to fend for themselves? Animals have emotions too. They can feel, even if they can’t talk, and they feel as much of an emotional attachment to their owners as family members do. Remember Hachiko, the faithful dog who continued waiting at the station for nine years after his owner died? Just recently too, there was the case of the dog in Panjiatun, China, which has mounted a graveside vigil for his dead owner for more than a week now. And of course, you read of numerous cases of cats walking impossible distances just to be reunited with their human family. There is no humane way to dump a pet. Animals get abandonment issues too and can sometimes starve to death from pining. Can you really enjoy your new baby or pet-free home knowing that you have their blood on your hands? I have a Singapore “longkang” cat. She’s not the sweetest of animals and I have the scars to prove that. But I made a promise 12 years ago to look after her and I’d no sooner get rid of her than I would my husband. In fact, if I had to choose, the cat will come first – my husband knows that. When we moved to Hong Kong, people asked us what we were doing with her. Get rid of her? No way. She was coming with us – even if relocating her cost more than moving all our household goods. As I type this, she’s at the end of the sofa giving me loving blinks. Now tell me that wasn’t worth it. Source: TODAYonline

The New Paper | Nov 24, 2011

WANTED: Person who binned kitty Gerald Goh

THE search is on – for one heartless person who abandoned a cat in a most vile way. The clue? CCTV footage which captured the person red-handed – dumping the cat into a rubbish bin, right in front of a veterinary clinic. The video, which was posted on the Cat Welfare Society’s Facebook page, has since found its way to YouTube, drawing much attention – not to mention anger – from cat lovers who condemned the person’s act as irresponsible and callous. A veterinary assistant at the clinic is also appealing to anybody who can help with the video processing of the footage so that a clearer image of the person’s face and his car’s licence plate can be seen. In Singapore, since 2002, anyone found guilty of abandoning an animal can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to 12 months. Condemned act Ms Veron Lau, 40, the vice-president of the Cat Welfare Society, condemned the cat abandonment. She said: “It was most unexpected and totally unacceptable. “You see a lot of pet abandonment nowadays, but for someone to dump a cat in a rubbish bin at a veterinary clinic – that’s a first. “We hope that the person can be identified and caught.” The footage, taken on Tuesday morning, shows an unidentified person pulling up in what looks like a Mercedes near the front of the James Tan Veterinary Centre at Whitley Road. The person – who looked to be a man – then got out of his car with a pet carrier and proceeded to empty the poor feline into a rubbish bin by shaking the carrier vigorously. Fortunately, the male cat was discovered by a member of the staff at the veterinary clinic only hours later, as he was about to deposit a rubbish bag into the bin at around 2pm. The cat, a domestic shorthair, is said to be in shock, and as of yesterday, was still refusing to eat or drink. In the footage, the man was accompanied by a little girl, who watched him as he dumped the cat. Unknown to him, his act was caught by three closed-circuit cameras at the front of the clinic, and the footage was posted on the Cat Welfare Society’s Facebook page the same day. Netizens who saw the footage were aghast. Facebook user Damsie Yang posted: “Is this for real? And to think he has his kid with him! What sort of example is he setting?” Facebook user Sanjay Np pointed out the inherent oddity in abandoning a cat at a veterinary clinic, wondering if the person was “expecting a cat lover or staff to find the cat and do something or adopt it?” Cat Welfare Society’s Ms Lau cautioned against the tendency of some individuals to buy a pet on impulse, adding that people who do, tend to get tired of their new pets very quickly. She said: “Think very carefully before taking in a cat – it will be a life-long commitment to take care of it. “Cats should be kept indoors, if not sterilised, to protect against unwanted litters of kittens.” She added: “Moving house or having a new addition to the family is not a valid excuse (for abandoning a pet) and should never be. “As a pet-owner, you should do your best to get it re-homed, or surrender it to the SPCA as a last resort.” The cat is currently being taken care of by staff at the clinic. Said a veterinary assistant from the clinic, who declined to be named: “The cat is about one to three years old, and judging by its condition, quite well-kept. “However, after the incident, it is still in shock. “It is not eating or drinking. We have had to give it a subcutaneous (under the skin) drip and also have had to resort to force-feeding it for its own good.” She stated that the veterinary clinic had made a police report at Whitley Neighbourhood Police Post. Dr Wong Hon Mun, the director of the Agri Establishment Regulation Department, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), advocates responsible pet ownership. He said: “Abandoning a pet subjects it to stress and danger, possible starvation and death. “Pets have been cared for all their lives and will not be able to fend for themselves when abandoned… “AVA will not hesitate to prosecute individuals if there is evidence of animal cruelty.” Source: The New Paper

TODAY | Nov 25, 2011

Tip off on identity of cat dumper received: Report

SINGAPORE – Good news for pet lovers enraged over video footage of a man dumping a cat into a rubbish bin. The veterinary centre where the cat was dumped had received a tip-off on the identity of the Mercedes driving man, said a report in The Straits Times. Citing Ms Chee Siew Luan, an administrative assistant at the James Tan Veterinary Centre, the Straits Times said Ms Chee received a call yesterday from someone who gave the name and car licence number of the suspect. The informant wanted to remain anonymous, said the report. The report added Ms Chee has given the information to the authorities investigating the matter – the police and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority. Ms Chee said the male tabby cat, which was in shock when he was found and had refused to eat, is recovering slowly. Source: TODAYonline

TODAY | Nov 24, 2011

Man dumps cat in bin, caught on CCTV camera Esther Ng

SINGAPORE – An elderly man got out of his Mercedes and took out a pet carrier. But instead of heading into the clinic, he opened a rubbish bin and shoved the carrier into it (picture) – all this time with his young companion looking on curiously. After a few shakes, the carrier was free of its occupant, and the man closes the lid of the bin. He and the girl then drove off – unaware that he had been captured on CCTV cameras at James Tan Veterinary Centre (JTVC). The incident happened on Tuesday and it was only four hours later at around 2pm that a staff member discovered that there was a cat in the bin when the bin kept moving, said JTVC’s administration assistant Chee Siew Luan. According to Ms Chee, the cat (inset) is between one and three years old. The cat is in good condition and sterilised, she added. Said Ms Chee: “We found a collar on him … We don’t know whether the cat belongs to the man or whether he was just dumping a random cat.” A police report has since been lodged. JTVC hopes its video camera technician can identify the licence number of the car before going to the police with more evidence. The CCTV clips have also been posted on YouTube to publicise the man’s act of cruelty, JTVC staff said. The clips have since gone viral online. “What kind of values is he teaching that young child?” a netizen said on YouTube’s comments section. When contacted, Cat Welfare Society’s vice-president Veron Lau told Today that people abandon their animals for various reasons such as financial difficulties, emigration, or a new addition in the family. Said Ms Lau: “It’s still no excuse. They should try to re-home it first or, as a last resort, surrender it to the SPCA. With a cat, you’re looking at a commitment of 15 to 20 years.” Abandonment is an act of animal cruelty. If charged and convicted, the offender can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to 12 months, or both. Responding to Today’s queries, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said it “will not hesitate to prosecute if there is evidence of animal cruelty”. Source: TODAYonline

Asia One | Nov 26, 2011

Wanted: Person who binned kitty Gerald Goh

THE search is on – for one heartless person who abandoned a cat in a most vile way. The clue? CCTV footage which captured the person red-handed – dumping the cat into a rubbish bin, right in front of a veterinary clinic. The video, which was posted on the Cat Welfare Society’s Facebook page, has since found its way to YouTube, drawing much attention – not to mention anger – from cat lovers who condemned the person’s act as irresponsible and callous. A veterinary assistant at the clinic is also appealing to anybody who can help with the video processing of the footage so that a clearer image of the person’s face and his car’s licence plate can be seen. In Singapore, since 2002, anyone found guilty of abandoning an animal can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to 12 months. Condemned act Ms Veron Lau, 40, the vice-president of the Cat Welfare Society, condemned the cat abandonment. She said: “It was most unexpected and totally unacceptable. “You see a lot of pet abandonment nowadays, but for someone to dump a cat in a rubbish bin at a veterinary clinic – that’s a first. “We hope that the person can be identified and caught.” The footage, taken on Tuesday morning, shows an unidentified person pulling up in what looks like a Mercedes near the front of the James Tan Veterinary Centre at Whitley Road. The person – who looked to be a man – then got out of his car with a pet carrier and proceeded to empty the poor feline into a rubbish bin by shaking the carrier vigorously. Fortunately, the male cat was discovered by a member of the staff at the veterinary clinic only hours later, as he was about to deposit a rubbish bag into the bin at around 2pm. The cat, a domestic shorthair, is said to be in shock, and as of yesterday, was still refusing to eat or drink. In the footage, the man was accompanied by a little girl, who watched him as he dumped the cat. Unknown to him, his act was caught by three closed-circuit cameras at the front of the clinic, and the footage was posted on the Cat Welfare Society’s Facebook page the same day. Netizens who saw the footage were aghast. Facebook user Damsie Yang posted: “Is this for real? And to think he has his kid with him! What sort of example is he setting?” Facebook user Sanjay Np pointed out the inherent oddity in abandoning a cat at a veterinary clinic, wondering if the person was “expecting a cat lover or staff to find the cat and do something or adopt it?” Cat Welfare Society’s Ms Lau cautioned against the tendency of some individuals to buy a pet on impulse, adding that people who do, tend to get tired of their new pets very quickly. She said: “Think very carefully before taking in a cat – it will be a life-long commitment to take care of it. “Cats should be kept indoors, if not sterilised, to protect against unwanted litters of kittens.” She added: “Moving house or having a new addition to the family is not a valid excuse (for abandoning a pet) and should never be. “As a pet-owner, you should do your best to get it re-homed, or surrender it to the SPCA as a last resort.” The cat is currently being taken care of by staff at the clinic. Said a veterinary assistant from the clinic, who declined to be named: “The cat is about one to three years old, and judging by its condition, quite well-kept. “However, after the incident, it is still in shock. “It is not eating or drinking. We have had to give it a subcutaneous (under the skin) drip and also have had to resort to force-feeding it for its own good.” She stated that the veterinary clinic had made a police report at Whitley Neighbourhood Police Post. Dr Wong Hon Mun, the director of the Agri Establishment Regulation Department, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), advocates responsible pet ownership. He said: “Abandoning a pet subjects it to stress and danger, possible starvation and death. “Pets have been cared for all their lives and will not be able to fend for themselves when abandoned… “AVA will not hesitate to prosecute individuals if there is evidence of animal cruelty.” Source: AsiaOne

新明日报 | Nov 24, 2011

将猫当垃圾丢掉网民誓言捉主人 黄洁馨 　　

残忍主人竟将宠物猫当作垃圾，活生生丢进垃圾桶内，结果被愤怒的网民发起人肉搜索。 　　网民Alvin从猫福利协会的面簿和论坛HardwareZone上，转载了一名洋人遗弃宠物猫的录像，并批判洋人的恶劣行为，甚至对于他在一个小孩子面前做出如此举动感到不解。 　　这段录像是被惠德里路一家兽医诊所的闭路电视拍下的。 　　录像显示，这名主人将车子开入停车场，便从后车座拿出一个长方形的笼子，往垃圾桶走去。 　　随后，这名主人打开垃圾桶的盖子，反复摇晃笼子，似乎想倒出笼子内的东西。 　　后来，一名兽医诊所的职员出来倒垃圾时，才猛然发现一只受惊的小猫，在一堆叶子和狗粪上颤抖。 　　兽医助理徐小姐（26岁）透露：“我们从闭路电视发现，这只猫 是在星期二早上9时47分，被丢弃在垃圾桶里，当我的同事发现猫时，已经是下午2时15分了。” 　　她描述，当猫被发现时，脸颊上有些擦伤，可能是在试图逃脱挣扎时造成的。 　　徐小姐也猜测，那名主人可能是急着想要将宠物猫脱手，才出此下策。 　　“我们已报警，也通知了相关机构，希望能够尽快将录像中的人揪出来。” 各网站追寻猫主人 　　网民都为可怜猫的遭遇愤愤不平，纷纷转载录像，誓言要将罪魁祸首绳之以法。 　　兽医诊所在事发当天，就将录像上载到Youtube，猫福利协会后来也开始转载。 　　就这样一传十，十传百，目前各大网站及博客上，都在积极寻找 猫主人的下落。 猫福利协会：虐待动物可判监罚款 　　猫福利协会副主席刘韵冰呼吁公众，停止类似残忍行为，而若被捉到遗弃宠物，可能面临严厉刑罚。 　　刘韵冰说：“虐待动物是犯法的，如果被定罪，可被判监禁一年，或被罚款高达1万元。” 　　这名洋汉被拍到将宠物猫当垃圾丢进垃圾桶里。