AVS looking into case of woman beating dog with broom on Sembawang condo balcony

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is looking into an incident involving a woman who was caught on camera hitting a dog with a broom on multiple occasions.

A video uploaded on Facebook shows the woman repeatedly hitting a Golden Retriever on her condo balcony at Skypark Residences in Sembawang. She also can be seen jabbing the dog with her broomstick while the animal is backed into a corner.

The video is almost ten minutes long and appears to be a compilation of clips taken over different days.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told Stomp on Wednesday (Dec 1) that it was alerted to the case and has since reported it to the authorities for further enforcement action.

In response to a Stomp query, Ms Jessica Kwok, group director of community animal management at AVS under the National Parks Board (NParks) said the agency takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously.

Ms Kwok shared in a statement on Thursday (Dec 2): "We are aware of the video depicting the alleged abuse of a dog at Skypark Residences in Sembawang, and are looking into the case.

"Pet owners are reminded to fulfil the standard of care for their pets, ensuring the pet’s shelter is safe and providing suitable food and water regularly. Pet owners can refer to the Code of Animal Welfare for Pet Owners to learn about the minimum standards expected of animal housing, management and care.

"AVS does not condone 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."

Ms Kwok also said that pet owners and members of the public have a role to play in ensuring animal health and welfare.

She added: "The community, pet owners and the industry have a shared responsibility to safeguard animal health and welfare in our City in Nature.

"While NParks continues to ensure that regulations are in place and properly enforced, pet owners, businesses and the public have a part to play.

"NParks will continue to raise awareness of the community and potential pet owners on responsible pet ownership and reinforce the message on the commitment of owning a pet.

"We reach out to different segments of the public through events, talks, roving exhibition panels, school plays and resource package for schools.

"We also work closely with stakeholders, such as animal welfare groups and veterinarians to promote responsible pet ownership and adoption."

Members of the public can learn more about responsible pet ownership on the AVS website.

"Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility," said Ms Kwok.

"Members of the public can play a part by promptly reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty 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."