Online outrage after man kills cat in a fit of anger
A video of a man whacking a cat with a stick to death after it scratched the man's girlfriend in Shanghai on Friday has caused public outrage.
The man attacked the cat, leading to its death, after it scratched his girlfriend.
The incident took place outside a fruit shop, where the cat was. A witness said that the man confronted the shop owner, who refused to accept responsibility for the cat. The man, in a fit of rage, attacked the animal.
Many online users were shocked and frustrated at the couple's conduct, claiming that the woman had provoked the cat first.
"Even if the cat scratched her, it didn't deserve to die," one commenter said.
Wang Can, a lawyer at Zhongyin (Nanjing) Law Firm, said that while China currently lacks specific laws against animal abuse, offenders can face administrative penalties under the Public Security Administration Punishment Law if they are found to disrupt public order.
