A volunteer at an animal welfare group in Japan has been arrested after about 150 dead cats were discovered at her home in Kumamoto city.
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Police and animal rescue volunteers found the bodies, some in an advanced stage of decomposition, on Tuesday after they entered the woman’s home to investigate a pet owner’s complaint to the animal welfare group on May 27.
The complainant said she had handed over four of her late mother’s pet cats to the suspect, who had promised her regular updates and photos, according to The Japan Times newspaper.
When no photos were forthcoming, the woman grew suspicious of the suspect, surnamed Miyata, and demanded the cats back. Miyata allegedly told her one of the cats had been diagnosed with kidney disease, then later said the animal had died.
“When we went to retrieve the body, we were met with a horrifying sight: patches of skin peeled away, limbs caked in faeces and urine, and a barely recognisable body,” the woman wrote in her complaint letter.
A necropsy revealed the cat’s stomach was empty, and its skin had likely deteriorated from prolonged exposure to waste and damp conditions. “Considering it had only been 10 days since we entrusted them, the suffering they endured in that short time is unbearable to imagine,” the woman said.