AVA investigating pet boarding house Platinium Dogs Club after complaints of alleged pet mistreatment

A pet boarding house based at a Bukit Panjang landed property was raided by the authorities on Saturday (Dec 29) following complaints from owners that their pets were allegedly mistreated while in the facility's care.

After being alerted to at least two incidents last week, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) provided Stomp with the following statement:

"AVA has received feedback on this and is looking into the matter."

A Stomper first alerted Stomp to a post by Facebook user Elaine Yong who was horrified to find wounds and abrasions on her Shih Tzu's front legs, testicles and penis after getting him back from Platinium Dogs Club following a five-day stay.

"The dog looked very unhappy, very uncomfortable, very dirty," she wrote in her post.

When she alerted an employee named Rachel about her pet's injuries, Rachel simply replied that she "didn't notice" them when she showered him before returning him to Elaine.

According to Elaine, she then tried calling Rachel but had apparently been blocked.

Another Facebook user, Priscilla Loo posted an account of what had happened to her friend's Chow Chow after leaving it with the same boarding house.

She wrote that her pet was healthy when he was checked in but came back to her sick.

"Now the dog is spending his first Christmas in pain and the family is very upset that the boarding house was so irresponsible," she said.

From the photos, the Chow Chow had matted and dirty fur, a vast difference from its usual fluffy honey-coloured coat.

When the dog was shaved, its skin was found to be covered in rashes and severely inflamed.

The Straits Times understands that the raid at Galistan Avenue was carried out by the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

On its website, which has since been taken down, the facility was described as being fully air-conditioned daily, large and spacious and cage-free.

Asked about the raid, Dr Jaipal Singh Gill, executive director of SPCA, told The Straits Times on Sunday that its staff entered the house, where Platinium Dogs Club runs its services, on Saturday afternoon.

"Three SPCA personnel were present, including one veterinarian," he said. " There were a number of dogs and one rabbit in the house."

Dr Gill said the SPCA had received a number of complaints against the boarding facility, which led to concerns about the welfare of the animals there.

He said: "The SPCA's immediate concern is the welfare of the animals in the house. In such cases, the SPCA takes the necessary action to secure the animals' welfare. The nature of the action depends on the condition of the animals and their living environment."

Asked about the conditions of the animals and any action that SPCA would take, Dr Gill said that the SPCA was unable to provide further details as investigations are still being carried out.