Domestic helper sentenced to jail for beating & hanging poodle
A domestic helper who brutally beat and hung a pet poodle from a balcony railing earlier this year has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), 26-year-old Myanmar national Junny Lal Awn Pui was convicted on three charges of animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act.
The victim, a 15-year-old poodle named Boyboy, belonged to Lai, a 43-year-old man who had adopted the dog with his ex-girlfriend, Yap, in January 2015.
After their breakup in 2018, Lai continued to care for Boyboy, and the dog eventually lived with Lai and his current partner, Heng, at the latter’s home.
Under Heng’s instructions, Boyboy was kept isolated from her other dogs, confined to the balcony, and rarely allowed indoors.
Beating leads to poodle’s death
The abuse occurred on the morning of 22 Jan 2024.
CCTV footage, shared by animal welfare advocate Derrick Tan, showed Junny Lal Awn Pui pinning the dog to the ground and striking it with her hand.
She then hit its head with a rod-like object, as instructed by Heng, who had told the helper to beat Boyboy if it ate without permission.
Source: Derrick Tan on Facebook
The rod was a rolled-up pet food packaging that Heng had provided for this purpose.
An hour later, acting once again on Heng’s orders, Junny Lal Awn Pui tied Boyboy’s harness and hung the dog from the balcony railing to “sun” it, supposedly to reduce the dog’s odour.
Source: Derrick Tan on Facebook
The helper then struck the dog’s head twice more with the rod.
These incidents occurred between 9.52am and 11.46am.
A veterinary report later concluded that the injuries inflicted during these beatings were likely the primary cause of Boyboy’s death.
Pet poodle passes away
Around noon, Boyboy was found motionless on the balcony, tied to a short leash.
The dog lay on its left side with its hind legs stretched out, occasionally trembling and twitching.
At 1.24pm, Heng instructed her helper to check on the dog. Upon inspection, Junny Lal Awn Pui discovered that Boyboy was biting its tongue and bleeding.
The maid immediately informed Heng, and the two realised that the dog had already died.
Later that day, Heng contacted Mandai Pet Sanctuary to arrange for the collection and cremation of Boyboy’s body.
The carcass was placed in a fridge at Mandai, with Heng instructing the driver to wait on cremation until after she had informed Lai of the dog’s death.
Owner gets suspicious
That evening, Heng celebrated Lai’s birthday before breaking the news of Boyboy’s death.
The following day, when Lai viewed the dog’s carcass, he noticed that its limbs were unnaturally straightened.
This raised his suspicions, as the dog had been very active just the day before.
He reviewed the CCTV footage and, on 25 Jan, met with Yap, who subsequently reported the incident to the National Parks Board (NParks).
On 24 Jan, Heng disposed of the poodle’s belongings, including its bowl, soap, brush, towel, toy bone, the rod, and even the CCTV camera.
While Junny Lal Awn Pui was sentenced to jail, it remains unclear whether any legal action will be taken against Heng.
Also read: ‘The most manja, obedient dog’: justice sought for poodle that died after helper abused it
‘The most manja, obedient dog’: justice sought for poodle that died after helper abused it
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Featured image adapted from Derrick Tan on Facebook.
