Like us humans, animals need some freedom to roam about, and shouldn’t be kept in tight spaces like cages for too long.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be the fate of a dog a Facebook user encountered in allegedly poor conditions at a temple in Jurong.
According to the post, the dog has no name and has been kept in a cage since it was young.
On top of that, the conditions in the cage are allegedly extremely unsanitary as it was filled with dried faeces. The water bowl was also filled with algae and leftover human food.
Facebook user Ms Yap who visited a temple in Jurong recently shared a post regarding a dog living on temple grounds.
She described how it stayed in a cage measuring only about 3 tile spaces with barely any room to walk, sleep, eat, or relieve itself.
The dog had 2 bowls — one filled with seemingly unclean water, the other with leftover human food such as fish bones.
Ms Yap also noticed rats running around, which she said could place the dog at risk of rodent poison.
On one occasion during a routine fumigation process, Ms Yap allegedly saw the dog being left in the cage as fumes engulfed the premises.
This apparently happens on a monthly basis.
Ms Yap mentioned that a feedback provider personally witnessed the dog’s conditions ever since it was young.
She even attested to its poor state herself after multiple visits to the temple.
Unable to watch by the sidelines any longer, Ms Yap decided to take action and ask the temple staff if she could rehome the dog.
Unfortunately, she claimed that they rejected her requests.
Their response left Ms Yap in confusion as she thought the temple as a religious ground would emphasise kindness, compassion, gratitude, and karma.
Citing her exchanges with temple staff, Ms Yap conveyed their explanation regarding the board of association’s ancestral beliefs for why the dog has to be treated as such.
Feeling helpless, she took to Facebook to appeal for public help and intervention from the authorities.
Upon reading the post, a netizen apparently called the temple to clarify the situation.
According to them, someone from the temple said that the dog is in good hands. They only put the canine in a cage to prevent it from biting any visitors.
The temple representative apparently added that the dog gets to go for walks twice a week, courtesy of some dog lovers.
They also insisted that their chairman loves the dog dearly and will not treat it poorly.
An MS News reader who visited the temple before had also enquired about the dog. Staff reportedly told them that they let it out at night and only cage it in the day since there are visitors.
In response to queries from MS News, Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore (CDAS) mentioned that they are aware that the Animal Veterinary Service (AVS) will be going down to investigate the situation today.
MS News has also reached out to the temple for comments and will update the article accordingly when they get back.
If it’s indeed true that the dog is living in such poor conditions, we hope it’ll get the help it deserves soon.
We also don’t wish for any other animals to undergo the same situation.
Hopefully, the authorities will be able to get to the bottom of the matter and rescue the helpless creature.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
It has been marketed online as a candy that helps with male sexual enhancement.
"POP MART does not have any official licensed partners in Singapore," it said.
51% of Singapore's average monthly rainfall in November fell in northern Singapore over less than…
He made sure all the passengers were served before taking a slice for himself.
The doctor recommended a 2-week gap between manicures to allow nails to recover.
The dog stayed with its owner until she was discharged.