A forty-one-year male was charged in court on Wednesday for mistreating a husky in May this year.
A press release from Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) on 23 November, stated that Chiam Choon San Alan was charged with one count of animal cruelty and one count of non-compliance with dog licensing and control rules.
Chiam said he is going to plead guilty and wants to engage a lawyer to help mitigate his sentence.
The case will be opened again in court on 28 December.
Two separate videos posted by Facebook User, Maimunah Mohad showed Chiam, shirtless the back of his house with three dogs, including a black and white husky on a leash. In the videos, Chiam can be seen slapping and kicking the husky.
Chiam publicly defended himself that he was expecting some contractors to fix a glass panel at his house front, and had moved his husky, golden retriever and Japanese spitz to a space behind the house. Saying that it was the first time their husky, which joined the family when it was just two months’ old, grew so aggressive.
He said that the husky had a fight with the golden retriever after their routine morning walk. His helper then tried to stop them from biting each other and the husky starts growling at the helper and attempted to charge and attack her. He started off with pouring ice cold water on the Husky in an attempt to divert his attention to stop the fight but to no avail. Then he separated the fight using the wheelbarrow method from the back.
He also said that after the fight stopped, the husky still continued growling at his helper and the golden retriever and still tried to charge at his helper. In a moment of anxiety, he then resorted to kick and hit it.
It is noted that the video did not feature the said helper.
His wife, Mrs Peline Chiam, told TNP, “After my husband did that, he came to apologise to me. He knew it was wrong.”
“Had the husky bit their helper, the injury would have to be reported, possibly resulting in the dog being taken away,” she said.
She explained that she and her husband were not professional dog trainers.
“We learned how to take care of dogs from our experience with the first few dogs we took in,” she said.
Chiam was reproached online after two video clips of him allegedly mistreating a husky went viral. He posted an apology on his Facebook that afternoon.
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.
