Dog rescuer fined $8,000 for animal cruelty, breaching licensing rules

A dog rescuer, who was filmed punching and kicking his pet husky, has been fined $8,000 for animal cruelty and breaching dog licensing rules.

Alan Chiam Choon San, 41, had punched and kicked his pet husky in his residence last May. The incident, where he also "held the dog up in mid-air in a choking position", was caught on camera by a neighbour who then shared the footage online.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a statement that the dog suffered no external injuries as a result of the attack. An abrasion found on the dog could not be conclusively linked to any act of cruelty.

Investigations revealed that Chiam had also breached dog licensing rules by keeping more that three dogs at his home.

Chiam told The New Paper in an interview last year that he and his wife took in 36 dogs at one point. They had to rent a terrace house when neighbours at their HDB block complained, the newspaper reported. He eventually quit his job to care for dogs full time.

The husky seen in the video is currently under the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and will be re-homed.

People who are convicted of animal cruelty for the first time can be fined up to $15,000 and can also be jailed for 18 months.

Those found to have breached dog licensing & control rules can be fined up to $5,000.

ljessica@sph.com.sg