KUALA LUMPUR: The unexpected death of a beloved pet is devastating enough, but to find out it was out of cruelty, would break the hearts of any pet owner.
Asrul, in his 40s, found his pet cat had died, frothing at the mouth, outside his home at 2.30pm yesterday at an apartment complex in Section 2, Wangsa Maju, here.
Thinking his cat was possibly poisoned, he buried the animal behind his house.
However, the truth was something more shocking.
Asrul later found out that a neighbour had placed his cat's remains outside his home after finding the poor feline hanging by a rope at a staircase.
"This neighbour informed me that closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed a man was seen holding the cat before tying a rope around its neck and hanging it at the stairs.
"I looked at the footage. His first attempt failed as the cat ran off, he chased it and attempted a second time which resulted in the cat choking to death," he said when met at his home, here, today.
Asrul said this was the first time such an incident had taken place at the apartment complex.
"Looking at the CCTV footage, the man doesn't appear to be a resident here. There is a possibility that he was an outsider who was committing a crime at this apartment.
"I am saddened by what happened because this man had acted in such a cruel and inhumane manner. I took care of this cat for three years and he made the cat suffer until it died," he said.
He said a police report was lodged at the Wangsa Maju district police headquarters at 2am earlier today.
"I leave it to the police. I wish to see the perpretator apprehended and be handed a just punishment so it serves as a lesson to other people to not treat animals like that," he said.
Meanwhile, deputy Wangsa Maju district police chief Supt Muhammad Najib Hamzah when contacted confirmed receiving a report on the incident.
"Efforts are being made to track down the suspect and investigations are being carried out under Section 428 of the Penal Code," he said.