A dog has died after allegedly being left unattended at a pet grooming salon along Tanjong Katong Road, his owner has claimed.
In a series of posts on Instagram, Mr Tanish Dhillon accused the groomer of a “lack of care” that allegedly resulted in the death of his dog Buddy.
Source: @tanishdhillon683 on Instagram
Speaking to MS News, Mr Dhillon said he had sent Buddy, a Standard Poodle, to Pawsome Singapore on Thursday (30 Oct), a pet groomer he has been sending his dog to for four years.
However, the pet groomer called him at 11.50am, informing him that Buddy had died, he said.
In shock, Mr Dhillon first called his parents to inform them of the news before rushing to Buddy.
Pawsome initially informed him that Buddy was at the vet following his “sudden collapse”, but later on, they told Mr Dhillon that the vet “wouldn’t see Buddy there”.
They then allegedly brought Buddy back to Pawsome.
When he arrived at the pet groomer, he saw the dog’s carcass, allegedly “covered in pee pads”, and found his front paws and mouth covered in blood, he claimed.
Source: @tanishdhillon683 on Instagram
Mr Dhillion said that both the groomer and the salon’s manager showed him partial CCTV footage of Buddy’s last moments. They viewed the clip together.
A 12-minute clip that he posted on Instagram showed the dog confined in a cage from 9.50am to 10.02am on 30 Oct.
The dog is seen panting heavily and barking in the clip.
Source: @tanishdhillon683 on Instagram
In an alleged timeline Mr Dhillion posted, he said the noises Buddy was making were a “clear sign of distress” and that the dog was struggling to get free.
Buddy’s front limbs also appeared to be stuck, he added.
No staff members are in the video.
When he asked the salon what had happened, the staff reportedly said that Buddy “just collapsed”.
The salon also did not give an explanation as to why Buddy was found with bloodied paws and mouth.
Mr Dhillion then claimed that Pawsome explained that their groomer had only arrived at 10.30am.
When he asked them why Buddy was left alone, they allegedly replied that their staff were cleaning, he said.
Asking them why they ignored Buddy’s cries, the salon allegedly replied that it was normal for dogs to “bark and whine”.
However, Mr Dhillon asserted that pet shops should be aware of the noises dogs make when in distress.
“Buddy is a big dog, so when he barks and screams, there’s no way they cannot hear,” Mr Dhillon said. “Our neighbours can hear him when he’s at home.”
Source: @tanishdhillon683 on Instagram
He also released an alleged recording of a phone call with the salon, in which a staff member admitted they had not monitored the dog for about one hour.
He has made a police report about the case.
In an Instagram Story on Sunday (2 Nov), Pawsome said it was “heartbroken” over Buddy’s death.
However, “one difficult moment” does not define who they are or their team’s dedication, it noted.
Source: @pawsome.sg on Instagram
The salon asked for “kindness and understanding” as the team continues caring for dogs entrusted to them, it said, adding:
At Pawsome, every dog is treated with love, respect, and attention — just as we would our own.
According to Mr Dhillon, Buddy was in “perfect health” before the tragic incident.
The 26kg dog, which was only three years and eight months old, has recently been seen by a vet two to three months ago, said Mr Dhillon.
He had found some blood in his pet’s stool and had him undergo several checks and examinations by their regular vet, Amber Vet.
“He came back with a clean bill of health,” he said. “Just that a month or two months ago, he went for vaccinations.”
“The doctor said he was in perfect health.”
Mr Dhillon also explained that he had tried to request the CCTV footage of the entirety of Buddy’s visit from Pawsome.
However, Pawsome refused to give the entire footage, allegedly because of an “internal review” that the salon would be doing.
Mr Dhillon said that the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) returned Buddy’s remains on 5 Nov.
His post-mortem report is expected to arrive in one to two weeks’ time.
In response to queries from MS News, Ms Jessica Kwok, the National Parks Board’s (NParks’) Group Director of Enforcement & Investigation, said it is looking into a case involving a dog at a pet grooming facility.
NParks takes a “serious view” of the matter and will take “stern enforcement action” if it finds the pet facility negligent, she added.
To that end, the agency has received the carcass, and a post-mortem examination is being carried out.
Persons working with animals are expected to uphold higher standards of animal welfare as they are entrusted with the care of the animals by their clients, she noted.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, those convicted of animal cruelty while operating or under the employment of an animal-related business will face up to two years in prison and/or a fine of S$40,000.
All pet businesses, including pet groomers, are encouraged to adopt the Animal & Veterinary Service’s (AVS’) Code of Animal Welfare, which lists the minimum standards of animal housing, management and care for animals’ basic needs.
Non-compliance may be used as evidence to support enforcement actions.
Also read: Cat dies at Pasir Panjang pet groomer after alleged negligence, SPCA & AVS investigating
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Featured image adapted from @tanishdhillon683 on Instagram.