Domestic helper seen abusing poodle before its death, AVS investigating incident

AVS investigating case of domestic helper hitting & hanging poodle from balcony railing

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is investigating an alleged case of animal abuse involving a domestic helper.

The dog owner found a crack in the remains of the poodle’s skull after the canine died under mysterious circumstances.

This prompted the owner to look through CCTV clips captured at home, which showed graphic footage of the helper abusing the poodle.

Poodle in Singapore passes away after experiencing significant trauma

On Monday (26 Feb), a Facebook user posted about the suspected abuse of his friend’s poodle which had recently died.

His friend, whom he referred to as Jason, had hired a new helper to look after his home and pet while he was at work.

While at work on 22 Jan evening, Jason’s girlfriend informed him that his dog ‘Boyboy’ died suddenly while she was napping.

He rushed to the crematorium to see his poodle one last time. There, he noticed that Boyboy died in a stiffened position, as if from a fit or after suffering some trauma.

Jason found the canine’s death odd as Boyboy had always been in good health and did not show signs of lethargy or illnesses.

After the cremation, Jason also found a crack in the remains of Boyboy’s skull.

This prompted him to look through his home CCTV footage to find out what happened.

Domestic helper seen abusing poodle in CCTV footage

To his horror, Jason found clips showing Boyboy getting beaten by his helper, suggesting that the poodle “did not die of natural cause”.

In the first video, the helper crouches in front of the canine before hitting it with what appears to be a thick, cylindrical object, exhibiting significant force.

A second clip shows the helper holding the poodle up by the scruff of its neck.

She then slaps it several times before picking up the same object and striking the dog on its head. The poodle yelps audibly after each blow.

Holding it down, the helper says, “I told you wait, wait…you do not wait,” while hitting the dog several times with the object.

The last clip shows the poodle dangling from the railing of the balcony on a strap while the helper washes the area with a bucket of water.

Jason immediately filed a police report and updated the helper’s agency on her actions.

However, the OP claimed the agency “did not show any concern for the seriousness of the case” and only asked if Jason had lodged a police report.

SPCA alerted to case of poodle abuse by domestic helper on 26 Jan

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (27 Jan), SPCA said its inspectorate was alerted to the case of poodle abuse the day before.

“CCTV footage showed the helper’s appalling actions towards Boy, including brutal hits and hanging him from the balcony railing,” SPCA confirmed.

The animal welfare charity also confirmed in the post that Boyboy had died.

Providing a timeline of events, SPCA stated that the helper told Jason’s girlfriend that the poodle had died while the latter was asleep.

Jason and his girlfriend proceeded to cremate the poodle, assuming that it died of natural causes.

It was only after discovering the damage to Boyboy’s skull that Jason decided to review the CCTV footage.

After learning about the incident, SPCA instantly contacted the authorities. It also advised Jason to report the case to the police and AVS.

SPCA shared that “enforcement of animal cruelty” falls under AVS’ jurisdiction. It also confirmed that AVS investigations are underway.

SPCA calls for maximum possible penalty

In its post, SPCA urged the authorities to pursue the “maximum possible penalty”  for those responsible for the “heinous” act.

SPCA also reiterated its active involvement in gathering evidence and providing Jason with guidance on how to navigate the situation.

Meanwhile, AVS confirmed with MS News that investigations are ongoing into the case of animal cruelty. Here’s AVS’ statement in full:

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks), takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously. AVS had received feedback on 25 January 2024 on an alleged case of animal cruelty that took place at a residential unit and investigations are ongoing.

AVS does not condone the mistreatment of pets and first-time offenders caught abusing an animal may be charged under the Animals and Birds Act, and could be fined up to $15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.

Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility. Members of the public can play a part by promptly reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty or injuries to AVS via our website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or call us via our Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600. As with all investigations, all forms of evidence are critical to the process, and photographic and/or video-graphic evidence provided by the public will help. Information shared with AVS will be kept strictly confidential.

Also read: Pet Dog Spotted With Plastic Bag Tied Around Body At Woodlands HDB, Helper Defends Actions

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Featured image adapted from Facebook.