Helper allegedly hanged dog from balcony railing and 'whacked it to death', investigations underway

A helper was caught on CCTV camera brutally abusing her employer's dog, allegedly causing its death.

Stomp was alerted to a Facebook post by Tan Derrick in which he shared video footage of the abuse and an account of what happened to his friend's poodle named Boyboy.

In the videos, the woman is seen repeatedly hitting Boyboy on a balcony and is heard saying: "Wait, wait, I told you to wait."

In another clip, the dog is seen hanging limp from the balcony's railing as the helper is washing the floor.

According to Derrick's post, his friend Jason (not his real name) had gone out to work on Jan 22. That evening, his girlfriend told him his dog had passed on suddenly when she was napping.

Jason rushed to the crematorium to see his dog for the last time and noticed his dog had died in a 'stiffened up posture like after a fit or after certain trauma'.

After the cremation, he noticed a crack on the dog's skull.

Confused, he decided to check his CCTV footage to find out what happened.

"To his horror, his dog did not die of natural causes but was abused and whacked to death by his new helper," Derrick said.

Jason then downloaded the footage, lodged a police report and informed the agency of what his helper had done.

According to Derrick, the agency 'did not show any concern for the seriousness of the case' and only advised him to make a police report.

"Thereafter they removed him from a group chat that was to be for conversing with the transfer of the new helper, on the 25th Jan after knowing that Jason has also reported the case to the (Animal and Veterinary Service) AVS."

The helper was reportedly hired with the primary task of caring for Boyboy. Derrick described what she did as 'horrifying', treating a helpless animal in such a way.

According to the post, the case has been reported to the police, AVS and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Derrick added that Jason asked him to share what happened on social media to warn other pet owners always to keep a CCTV camera around and 'not to take our pets' safety at home for granted' as they cannot speak for themselves.

He also wants justice for Boyboy.

In response to a Stomp query, SPCA's executive director Ms Aarthi Sankar said that the association's Inspectorate was alerted to the case on Jan 26.

"Our hearts go out to Boy and his family during this difficult time," she said.

"The SPCA immediately contacted the authorities and advised Jason to file a police report against the helper, as well as report the case to the AVS. 

"Enforcement of animal cruelty cases falls under the jurisdiction of the AVS in Singapore. 

"We understand that their investigations are underway."

Ms Sankar added that SPCA hopes the authorities will pursue the maximum possible penalty for those responsible for this 'heinous act'.

"We stand firmly against all forms of animal cruelty and will continue to advocate for justice on behalf of innocent animals like Boy," she said.

"We have been actively involved in gathering the necessary evidence and providing guidance to Jason on how to navigate this challenging situation.

"The SPCA will continue to monitor the progress of the case and offer Jason our ongoing support.

"As pet owners, we are our pets’ best and (perhaps) only advocate.

"We urge all pet owners to remain proactive and cautious in ensuring the safety and well-being of their animal companions.

"This is especially so when entrusting the care of their pets to someone else."

Animal cruelty is against the law in Singapore. First-time offenders can be fined up to $15,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 18 months. In the case of subsequent offences, the offender may face a fine of up to $30,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 3 years.

Stomp has contacted AVS for comment.

 

 

 

 

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