A 26-year-old woman in Singapore called for pet cremation service after her chihuahua died. But before its cremation, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) officers came to know that the owner of the dog killed it.
During the investigation, the owner of the deceased Chihuahua, Sophia Ong Daijuan, claimed that the dog had drowned. But later the post-mortem report revealed that her claim was false and that the pet died from trauma to its head and abdomen, as well as liver laceration, blood in the abdomen and micro-haemorrhages within the lung.
After the revelation police arrested Ong and she finally pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty on Wednesday, September 18. She is expected to be sentenced on October 23.
A friend of the convict said that almost a month ago she saw Ong holding the dog up by its neck and throw it down forcefully from almost one and a half meter of height. She also mentioned that the convict also pulled its hind leg with excessive force that caused the limp.
The investigation also revealed that in January 2018, Ong fed her pet only once in every two to three days which caused it to lose weight. The next month, in February Ong, said she took the dog to the toilet to watch the tail which was soiled with faeces. Later, Ong left the dog in the basin with the tap water running and she got busy attending a call.
The accused claimed that when she returned almost five minutes later, she found that the pet submerged in water with its front right paw stuck in the drainage hole. She also mentioned that after noticing that the dog was not moving she tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pressed onto its chest and blew air into its mouth but nothing worked out.
Singapore penal code is strict about drug-related offences or animal abuse. Under Section 41C of the Animals and Birds Act (Cap. 7, 2002 Rev. Ed.), "owners of animals need to make efforts to ensure that their animals are provided with sufficient and appropriate food, water, and shelter. Owners must also ensure that their animals are protected from disease and injury and not cause them any unnecessary pain or suffering."
The owners who fail to comply with any of the above laws are fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to 12 months for a first offence, and fined up to $20,000 and/or jailed up to two years for subsequent offences.
