Hong Kong police arrest woman over viral video of cat trapped in washing machine; probe pair of suspected dog poisonings
- Clip shows cat sitting in machine before its lid is lowered and the appliance is turned on for about 10 seconds, before distressed animal is let out
- Police also looking into case of two dogs that died after going for a walk at a park in Pok Fu Lam, where a spate of dog poisonings took place last year
A woman was arrested on Monday night in Hong Kong after an online video of a cat being trapped in a washing machine went viral.
The inquiry into the video came hot on the heels of another suspected animal cruelty case in which two dogs were believed to have been poisoned at a Hong Kong park in as many weeks, with one pet lover offering a HK$100,000 (US$12,900) reward for information leading to the culprit’s capture.
The video of the cat shows the pet sitting inside a washing machine before its lid is closed and the appliance is turned on. The machine runs for about 10 seconds, during which time the animal can barely be seen moving around inside.
Eventually the apparently distressed cat can be seen pressing its muzzle against the transparent lid, at which point the machine is opened and the animal – which is not visibly wet – immediately leaps out.
One caption in the video appeared to suggest the animal had defecated where it was not supposed to, while a second one referred to the animal as a “frightened little fat girl”, along with three clown head emojis.
