Man seen caning dog in Yishun, dragging it with leash while cycling

A man was caught on camera repeatedly caning a dog and dragging it by its leash while he cycled.

Stomp contributor Heng witnessed the incident that occurred at the traffic junction of Yishun Avenue 1 and Yishun Street 41 last Wednesday (July 20), at around 4.43pm.

Heng had stopped at a traffic light and captured the man's actions on his dashboard camera.

In the video, the man can be seen hitting the dog multiple times. The animal tries to run away and dodge the blows but its movements are limited by its leash.

The man then cycles across the road, dragging his dog in tow.

Heng recounted: "The man was holding a long cane and using it to beat his dog several times. He also dragged the dog on its leash as he cycled.

"My heart ached for that poor dog and I really wanted to get down from my car to save it."

Heng could not tell exactly what kind of cane the man was using, but said it "looked like the one used on children, though longer than usual."

He added: "That piece of Trash really made me feel sick."

In response to a Stomp query, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said it was "deeply disturbed" by the man's actions.

"Animal abuse has no place in our society," a spokesman told Stomp. "We are deeply disturbed by the actions portrayed in the video as such methods to train our animals are aversive and unacceptable from a welfare standpoint.

"Unfortunately, cases of choking, strangling, suspending, kicking, beating, and shocking a dog with electric collars are still being practised within the animal training industry. These methods are archaic and cause more harm than good.

"If you are facing trouble managing your pet, we believe that sending your pet for force-free, positive, humane training classes that focus on rewarding good behaviour instead of punishment, is the best option.

"The SPCA is seeking more information and the identity of the person in the video for investigation. The owner of the video/witness can contact us by calling our 24/7 hotline at 6287 5355 (ext. 9) or e-mail inspector@spca.org.sg. Information provided will be treated in the strictest of confidence."

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.