Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council refutes claims that they’re trying to remove beloved community cat

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Video screengrabs

The Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPGTC) have responded to a viral petition going around that claims that the town council is on a quest to remove a community cat that has been a familiar sight in the neighborhood for years.

The petition — with over 17,000 signatures as of writing — urged the Pasir Ris office of the town council to stop its hunt of Ginger the cat. The campaign noted that the town council was acting on a resident’s complaint that accused the cat of scratching his/her car thanks to the critter’s habit of sitting on the roofs of vehicles. The authors of the petition took issue with the fact that there was no concrete evidence of Ginger causing the scratch marks.

Now, PRPGTC has denied that there was any attempt to remove or relocate the cat from its usual stomping grounds of Block 116, Pasir Ris Street 11.

“The Town Council would like to clarify that we have been working with Cat Welfare Society and volunteers on this feedback,” noted PRPGTC in their statements about the petition.

“We would like to reassure the public that it has never been our intention, nor we have in any way threatened to remove or relocate the cat”.

A commenter mentioned that it was an HDB officer who first notified Pasir Ris Street 11 residents about the case.

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Facebook screengrab

“From what we know, it was a verbal conversation between our neighbor and the town council,” explained the petition’s authors to Coconuts Singapore.

“Presumably, she was given a deadline or Ginger will be ‘removed’. This was not documented but the interaction has caused us, neighbors, to be on high alert in case Ginger is harmed”.

The residents are really affected by the alleged news of Ginger’s removal.

“Our community is tightly knitted and we have all contributed to Ginger’s welfare. The joy he gave us and the smiles that he put on our faces is not quantifiable. For years, we have enjoyed Ginger’s company and look forward to greeting him every day. It is only now that we are receiving complaints about our favorite cat from someone in the same vicinity.”

The next effort Ginger’s caretakers are embarking on is to look for sponsors to donate pet trackers for the cat so that they can keep a lookout for it at any time.

“Our message is to protect and love thy neighbors, as well as the community animals because we believe that even the stray animals are part of the fabric that makes our community.”

 

Editor’s Note: Article updated to include statements by the petition’s authors. 



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