KUMAMOTO (TR) – Kumamoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 51-year-old former cat rescue volunteer in Kumamoto City for keeping more than one dozen cats in unsanitary conditions and causing their deaths due to starvation, reports NHK (Sep. 18).
For over a year until June of this year, Yuki Miyata allegedly kept cats in unsanitary conditions at her home in Kita Ward and a neighboring residence, where cat feces and other debris were left behind. She also did not provide them with enough food, which resulted in the deaths of 13 cats due to starvation.
Police accused Miyata of violating the Animal Welfare Act. She said, “As the number of cats I took in increased, the costs and effort required increased, and it had become a hassle to care for them.”
After receiving a report of suspected animal abuse, representatives from Kumamoto City investigated and confirmed the deaths of many cats. Criminal charges were filed in June of this year.
Police investigations have confirmed that approximately 130 cats died at her home and elsewhere.
Police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
