Dog rescuer charged with kicking and punching Siberian Husky, unlawfully keeping 22 dogs

Dog rescuer charged with kicking and punching Siberian Husky, unlawfully keeping 22 dogs

SINGAPORE - A 41-year-old dog rescuer who allegedly mistreated a Siberian Husky at his terrace house was on Wednesday (Nov 23) charged with ill-treating an animal.

Alan Chiam Choon San is accused of kicking the dog's body thrice, punching its head once and lifting it into the air by its collar at about 7.05am on May 23, at Loyang Green at Jalan Loyang Besar in Pasir Ris.

He also faces one count of keeping 22 dogs at a place which is not a dog farm, without the permission of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

Chiam told the court he intends to plead guilty and wants to engage a lawyer to help mitigate his sentence.

The case will be mentioned again on Dec 28.

Chiam was flamed online after two video clips of him allegedly mistreating a husky went viral on the morning of May 23.

By that evening, one video had garnered over 400,000 views, while the other got more than 225,000 views.

He posted an apology on his Facebook page that afternoon.

In a statement on Wednesday (Nov 23), the AVA said the dog was taken to a vet for a medical examination and is currently being cared for by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

The maximum punishment for ill-treating an animal, for a first conviction, is a fine of up to $15,000 and up to 18 months' jail; and for keeping more than three dogs in a place that is not a dog farm without AVA permission, a fine of up to $5,000.

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amirh@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Nov 23, 2016.
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