Police investigate mutilated body of kitten found in Incheon

Incheon police said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into possible animal cruelty case, after the body of a beheaded kitten was found the previous day.

Officials at the Incheon Gyeyang Police Station received the report of the kitten at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police said it will investigate the surveillance footage of the area around the lot, to determine whether this is a case of animal cruelty or if the kitten had been killed by another animal.

Another potential animal cruelty case was reported in Incheon in July, when bodies of four stray cats were found inside an apartment complex in Namdong-gu district of the city. Residents of the complex said there had been threats to kill the cats if the residents keep feeding them.

No evidence of foul play related to the deaths was found, and an investigation revealed that they suffered from feline panleukopenia, a potentially fatal cat illness.

South Korea's Animal Protection Act bans killing an animal without any justifiable grounds, and punishes such acts by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($21,366).