Woman gets her golden retriever back after she had Covid-19, shocked to find dog has neck wounds

Update:

In response to a Stomp query, Ms Jessica Kwok, Group Director, Animal & Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks) said: "The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of NParks, takes all feedback from the public on animal welfare seriously.

"We were alerted to a case of the alleged abuse of a dog and investigations are ongoing.

"AVS does not condone mistreatment of community animals and will take necessary and appropriate enforcement action against anyone who does not provide adequate care for their pet or has committed an act of animal cruelty.

"Individuals who are found guilty of failure in duty of care to their pets (including pet abandonment) or committing acts of animal cruelty can be charged under the Animals and Birds Act. First-time offenders who fail in the duty of care to their pets can face a maximum fine of $10,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both. First-time offenders who commit animal cruelty-related offences can face a maximum fine of $15,000, or a jail term of up to 18 months, or both."

Original article:

The New Paper
Jan 4, 2023

A woman who left her golden retriever with a dog trainer while she went overseas got a rude shock when she returned and found her pet’s neck covered in wounds that were infected and filled with pus. 

According to Chained Dog Awareness Singapore (CDAS) in a Facebook post, the wounds were allegedly caused by the use of electric and prong collars.

The first-time pet owner, referred to as E in the post, had adopted the three-month old Golden Retriever named Cody (not his real name) earlier this year.

The puppy was described as hyperactive and difficult to train. As it grew to weigh 35kg, Cody became difficult to control, as it would lunge at everything and anyone even while on a leash. 

E was then introduced to a female dog trainer, referred to as C, who recommended a B&T (board and train) option for Cody. 

E agreed to send her pet on a three-week training stint with C, after which she noticed that the dog’s behaviour had indeed improved. Later on, when she went overseas, she left Cody in E’s care again for 10 days.

Things, however, didn’t go so well the second time.

E caught Covid-19 after returning from abroad and could not collect Cody immediately. She also noticed that updates from C weren't as regular as before.

When Cody was returned to her, she was shocked to find that he was dirty, unkept, and had matted fur. More significantly, there were wounds on his neck that were infected and filled with pus.

C had not highlighted the severity of his condition at any time, according to E.

In the post, CDAS suggested that the injuries were inflicted by shock collars.

“We advocate the use of the LIMA approach (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) because, most importantly, any training method and tool must not cause harm,” the welfare group added.

While aversive methods and dog boarding can be effective, CDAS said they aren’t as humane as they are based on fear and pain. 

“It actually teaches the dog nothing but fear and a negative association to the event that triggers the pain and the person inflicting it.”

According to CDAS, the matter has been reported to NParks.