Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire

Distressing footage has emerged of an animal shelter worker mistreating a frightened stray cat under his care by pinning it to the floor using a noose and restraining pole.

The video filmed at a stray animal rescue shelter in the city of Yuanlin, which is in Changhua County in West Taiwan, shows the employee preparing to remove the black cat from its cage.

He reaches the restraining pole into the cage and catches the frightened black cat around its neck, after which he lifts the animal out and suspends it in the air in the process.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire

The distressed cat struggles desperately to free itself as the staff member pins it to the ground with force, allowing a nearby vet to inject it with sedatives.

The entire process takes over two minutes, with the vet then implanting the cat’s microchip in preparation for its formal adoption.

Social media users bombarded the Yuanlin shelter with abuse and criticism after the clip was published on local news outlets.

Changhua Animal Disease Control Center Director Tung Meng-chih revealed the incident took place on 3rd November 2018, when the prospective new owner requested to take the cat home two days earlier than originally planned.

In a rush to finalise the paperwork, and due to the small space in the cat’s cage, the shelter staff used heavy-handed techniques to remove and then sedate the animal.

Tung denied that it was a case of “animal abuse”, causing it “improper treatment” instead.

The director said the male employee is a volunteer and would be allowed to keep his job.