This photo is not related to the story. (123rf)

Cleaning workers contracted by a city government who were asked to help an injured stray cat, killed the animal instead, touching off controversy over alleged animal cruelty, local media outlets reported.

The employees of a cleaning company working for the Incheon Seo-gu Office were dispatched to the scene on Nov. 9, following a request to rescue the injured cat, according to the district office on Wednesday.

After reaching the street in Seoknam-dong where the cat was found, they used cleaning tools to kill it instead of taking it to a veterinarian. The cat was reportedly disposed of as litter.

The action came to light after a witness filed a civil complaint with the district office, claiming the workers treated the animal cruelly.

In the investigation by the district office, a company official explained that the cat was severely injured and appeared to be in pain, saying it would die before reaching a veterinarian.

The company has been tasked with responding to reports of stray animals when the district office is closed, but normally animal protection staff are dispatched for such purposes during business hours, a Seo-gu official told local media.

Seo-gu Office asked the company to prevent such a case from recurring, and was considering reporting the incident to the police as possible animal abuse.