Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Singapore: Man jailed & fined for dog abuse

This was reported in the Chinese newspapers today.

Man was jailed for 1 week and fined $3000 for hitting and breaking the Siberian husky's left leg. What's interesting was that the Siberian husky belongs to the man's soon-to-be brother-in-law, and it was the dog owner (i.e. the victim's younger brother) who reported the cruel act to the authorities (some vetrinary association?) . Relations between younger brother and sister have soured and for the first time, sister did not go home for CNY reunion dinner.

Part 1 Briefly translated:
The dog belongs to man's fiancee's younger brother. Dog bit man's fiancee, so in anger, man hits dog with bamboo pole and fishing net. The dog was then tied/chained to some metal railing at the parking area. The sister/fiancee and another younger were present and did try to stop the man, but man continued hitting the dog until neighbours (who heard the dog's painful screams) interfered. By then, the dog seemed to have broken its leg.

The dog was sent to the vet and x-ray confirmed its broken leg. Dog spent months recuperating and the $2400 vet fees were borned by the man (who hit dog).


Part 2:
This part is about the court proceedings and arguments about whether man's act was pre-meditated. The dog had also bitten the siblings' parents previously. The dog had not been sent for proper training, and was often left alone at home, resulting in boredom and frustration.

The charged man was also sent for a course on understanding dogs/communicating with dogs. His fiancee (the victim) is sad that relations between her fiance and those at home have soured, and she still had not spoken with her younger brother.

5 comments:

kuro.shiro.neko said...

thats a major problem in singapore. pet owners dont send their dogs for training and they cant control their dogs.

i dont sympathise with the man who got bitten (in fact, good that he was jailed), but all this could have been prevented if the dog was managed.

of course, it is not the dog's fault. he may have felt threatened or it could even have been the family play fight with him, so he thought it was ok.

does the report say whether the woman is still going to marry the man? (hehe... kaypoh me)

auntie p said...

It's sad that these people can afford to live in landed houses and keep big dogs as pets but won't even bother to send their dogs for training.

Also, many so-called dog lovers keep dogs without considering the dog's needs (physical and psychological), and the dog is more like a prestigous toy for display or to satisfy their whims. I have seen huge huskies kept in tiny little apartments and even in HDB flat, and dogs kept outside the landed home that aren't allowed into the home, even when the weather is very hot or when it rains. I wonder what kind of love these owners have for their pets.

ksn: I suppose the woman is still with the man, since she is still not on talking terms with her younger brother. I presume she must have forgiven her fiance and on his side. :)

Anonymous said...

Someone once told me that it is not necessary to have money to love and care for a pet but one must have the heart.

There is no such thing as a bad dog only a bad owner!

auntie p said...

Well said there, anonymous.

This reminded me of a programme on dogs shown over tv some time back. There was a homeless couple living underneath a flyover in Bangkok that has a pet dog. The dog actually belonged to a shopkeeper but developed such an affinity with the homeless couple that he decided to live with them. The couple has no home and not many possessions, yet they have the heart to love and care for the pet dog. The dog is well-taken care of and gets regular baths as well!

Singapore Community Cat said...

The Straits Times, ST Forum
March 8, 2007
What's a husky doing in tropical Singapore?


THE article, 'Pet abuse case leads to family rift' (ST, March 6), begs the question, What is a Siberian Husky doing in Singapore?

Chewie has suffered more abuse than just the injury to its leg. It comes from a long ancestry of canines that natural selection has prepared for freezing temperatures and long runs in open spaces. Its coat is too thick for Singapore's tropical climate and its short, muscular legs will never get the workout they need to maintain health in the city's enclosed spaces.

To own a Siberian Husky in Singapore is to be disrespectful to the nature of this animal. Poor Chewie. It may not be against the law to keep it in a place like Singapore, but it sure is a crime.

Jennifer Eveland (Mrs)