Old, blind dog found in plastic bag in Siglap

An old, blind dog, believed to have been abandoned, was found in a plastic bag in Siglap on Sunday morning.

The male Japanese chin, which is not microchipped, was found on a grass patch near Palm Road.

Animal lovers are up in arms over what some call the "sickening" incident, which came to light after Derrick Tan, founder of animal welfare group Voices for Animals, uploaded photos of the dog to Facebook on Sunday night.

The 34-year-old wrote that the dog, which was smelly and covered in dirt, was found in a frail condition by a passer-by. It was unable to walk and appeared "very lost". She passed it to Mr Tan's friend, who then appealed to the animal rescuer for help.

"It was very weak and did not make a sound," Mr Tan told My Paper yesterday. "It was just lying there in the plastic bag."

Netizen Elaine Wong slammed the actions of the "heartless owner", adding that the dog "might have suffered heatstroke or suffocation".

The dog, which Mr Tan has named Max, is being treated at a veterinary clinic. It tested positive for heartworms and was found to have cataracts in both eyes.

"The dog is still at the clinic because it keeps coughing. When it recovers, we will put it up for adoption under Voices for Animals," said Mr Tan.

The animal welfare group, which rescues and rehomes dogs, will have an adoption drive at 11 Pasir Ris Farmway 2 tentatively in the middle of next month.

Spokesmen for both the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Singapore and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said that they are aware of the case and are following up on it.

Anyone who abandons a pet for the first time can be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to a year or both. The penalties can go up to $20,000, two years' jail or both for the second and subsequent convictions.

If you have information on this case, contact AVA on 1800-476-1600.

lydialam@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.