Foul play suspected in Incheon cat deaths

Police in Incheon are investigating a possible case of animal abuse after four stray cats were found dead Thursday at an apartment complex in the city.

According to Incheon Namdong Police Station, the cats were found dead at around 4 p.m. at an apartment complex in Guweol-dong, in Incheon's Namdong-gu. One of the cats had its legs cut off.

Police are checking the surveillance footage of the area around the apartment complex. They also asked the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to conduct an investigation to determine their cause of death.

Reports suggested there had been a feud between residents taking care of stray cats and others who opposed it. Feeding strays has been the subject of heated debate in South Korea, with some complaining that it leads to noise and public health risks associated with the animals.

It was reported that some residents were threatened two months before the incident by an unidentified person, who said they would kill the cats if the residents kept feeding them.

Earlier, a different stray turned up dead in late May, and a feeding station for the stray cats was destroyed on June 29.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)