"I Reported a Stray Cat Hit by a Car, but a Security Company Employee Killed It"

"Rescue the Cat Hit by a Car" Complaint Received
"It Seemed Like It Would Die Before Reaching the Hospital" Defense
District Office "Investigating Possible Violation of Animal Protection Act"

A complaint was received to rescue a stray cat hit by a vehicle, but security company employees killed the cat on the spot, sparking controversy. KBS News tip-off video

Employees of a local government contractor who received a report to rescue a stray cat hit by a vehicle have sparked controversy after it was revealed that they killed the cat.

According to Seo-gu, Incheon City, on the 13th, a report was received at the district office duty room around 2:30 p.m. on the 9th, stating, "There is a cat hit by a car on a road in Seoknam-dong, Seo-gu, please rescue it." The contractor employees arrived at the scene within 30 minutes but did not rescue the stray cat or take it to a hospital.

According to footage released by KBS, they used a shovel, a work tool, to press down on the cat's neck and kill it. When the cat fled to the sidewalk, they chased it and pressed down on its neck again. The cat, still alive, struggled, and the employees seemed unable to watch, turning their heads away. Mr. A, who submitted the video, explained the situation, saying, "The place where the employees handled the cat was a roadside where people also passed by," and "If their intention was to kill it because it was in pain, they could have taken it to a hospital for euthanasia, so it was heartbreaking."

When complaints related to the incident were received, they defended themselves by saying, "The cat was severely injured and in great pain," and "It seemed like it would die before even reaching the hospital, so we made it pass away as quickly as possible." The company is known to act as a 'duty rapid response team' that handles field work during hours when public officials are not on duty.

A Seo-gu official stated, "When there is a complaint about abandoned animals, they are handed over to the responsible department or taken to an animal hospital," and added, "It seems they decided this way because it was a special case." Furthermore, the official said, "After confirming the complaint details, we contacted the contractor to 'be careful so that such incidents do not happen again,'" and added, "We plan to further investigate whether the Animal Protection Act and manuals were followed."

Meanwhile, the Animal Protection Act is a law that stipulates necessary matters to prevent animal abuse and to properly protect and manage animals, aiming to protect animal life, ensure safety, promote welfare, and respect animal life. The protection target is limited to certain vertebrates with developed nervous systems capable of feeling pain, and animal abusers may face imprisonment of up to one year or fines of up to 10 million won.