Hong Kong police arrest man over suspected animal cruelty after post accusing him of abusing cat went viral
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong police have arrested a 37-year-old man for suspected animal cruelty after a post went viral online accusing a man of abusing a cat in Sha Tin.
Police said on Monday that officers arrested a man, surnamed Fan, in Lek Yuen Estate earlier that day for allegedly attacking a cat on the platform of a residential area last Friday.
The force said they noticed a post circulating on social media that accused a man of abusing a cat near Lucky Plaza in Sha Tin last Friday night. According to animal news outlet Hong Kong Animal Post, the man allegedly pressed the ginger cat to the ground.
The man fled after a passer-by yelled at him and rushed to the scene, the outlet reported.
Police said officers seized the clothes the man wore when he committed the alleged offence. He was detained for investigation, with the case being handled by the police’s designated unit on animal-related crimes.
The feline did not appear to have any injuries upon preliminary examination and has been returned to its owner, police said, adding that it has been brought for further check-ups.
People convicted of committing animal cruelty offences face up to three years in jail and a fine of HK$200,000 under the city’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance.
According to Hong Kong Animal Post, the cat was aged between three to four years old and was owned by a vendor at a fish stall in the nearby market.
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