Animal rescuer disputes cops’ findings over dead cats on UM campus

PETALING JAYA: An independent animal rescuer has disputed the police’s findings on dead cats found on the Universiti Malaya campus and called for a fresh investigation into the case.

Shima Aris said that according to the authorities, the cats were killed by a pack of stray dogs.

However, she said a post mortem carried out by a private clinic on one of the carcasses found lesions that were “highly likely” caused by sharp objects.

The legs of the cat, which she named Lily, also appeared to have been severed.

“It’s impossible for other animals to do this to a cat,” she told reporters here today, referring to the clean cut.

“It is important for the department of veterinary services (DVS), the police and UM to investigate the matter (further) and inform the public what exactly had happened.”

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who was at the press conference, questioned whether DVS had conducted post-mortems on the dead cats.

He also criticised the police for classifying the cases as no further action (NFA) after concluding that stray dogs were responsible for the cats’ deaths.

Rajesh said the cats could have been dismembered by a “psychopath” person, and called for the maximum punishment under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 to be imposed on the offender, if arrested and convicted.

He also said while there are no legal avenues in relation to police investigations, the public has to apply pressure on the authorities and demand that they investigate the cases thoroughly.

Yesterday, police said the dead cats were likely attacked by a pack of stray dogs.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Isa said police reached the conclusion after reviewing CCTV footage of the surrounding areas, while DVS had also confirmed that the injuries found on the cats were caused by wild animals.

Two dead cats were found at UM’s Faculty of Business and Economics on Dec 12 and 16, leading to the lodging of a report by the UM Student Union on Dec 17.

Another report filed on Dec 20, involved the deaths of four cats in different locations on the campus.