Online communities frequently reshared the story in subsequent years to lobby for stronger animal protection laws in Japan.

Makoto Oya, a former tax accountant from Saitama Prefecture, was arrested in August 2017 for the torture and killing of at least 13 stray cats.

The case sparked national outrage in Japan, leading to a petition with over 210,000 signatures calling for a harsh sentence.

Although the legal case concluded in 2017, the search term often resurfaces due to: