Bidadari dog ‘Pointy’ found dead outside NParks barrier, caregivers raise concerns over design

SINGAPORE: A senior Bidadari dog known as Pointy was found dead on 5 September, just outside a National Parks Board (NParks) barrier. Pointy, who was half-blind and had lived in the area for years, was part of a small group of stray dogs quietly cared for by volunteers. She was last sighted at her usual feeding spot on 1 September, before NParks installed the new hoarding. Caregivers shared video footage with The Online Citizen (TOC) showing her at the location where she regularly ate. On 3 September at noon, NParks’ CCTV captured Pointy along the pavement in the heat, instead of resting in her usual shaded hideout. Caregivers said they were puzzled as to why she was out in the afternoon sun, noting that she had usually been seen resting with the other dogs in her hideout. From the footage, Pointy appeared to stop at the place where food was usually placed, seemingly in search of a meal. NParks later commented that Pointy had looked “generally well”. Two days later, on the morning of 5 September, she was found deceased near the barrier, at the spot where she had once crawled under the old canvas to return to her hideout. “When she was found, her body was wet, drenched from the rain,” a caregiver said, adding that she must have been hungry and desperately trying to find her way back. In a letter to TOC, a member of the public who had been monitoring the strays alleged that Pointy’s death was avoidable. The writer said the new hoarding had blocked her access to food, water, and shelter, and that volunteers’ requests to leave a gap at the base of the barrier for safe passage were ignored. “Pointy went three days without food and water after the barriers went up,” the letter stated. “On 5 September, she was found lying just metres away from the food and shelter she could no longer reach.”

Post-Mortem Declined

Following Pointy’s death, NParks offered to conduct a post-mortem examination. However, caregivers declined. They explained that CCTV footage, both from their own recordings and from NParks, showed Pointy to be generally well before her death. They also noted that no visible abnormalities, such as foaming at the mouth, were found on her body. As her caregiver for the past eight years, they felt it would be distressing and intrusive to subject her to the procedure.

Caregivers’ Concerns Over Barriers

Pointy’s death came after caregivers had urged NParks to modify sections of the new fence by removing the bottom metal bar, which would have allowed the dogs safe passage. Their requests, however, were not accepted. On 29 August, NParks informed the caregivers via email that replacement works on the canvas barriers would begin that day. Caregivers had specifically asked that works start at a location within the park to minimise disturbance and prevent the dogs from being trapped outside their hideouts. They also requested that a small section of canvas be left unsealed at the bottom so that any dogs caught outside could re-enter. According to the caregivers, none of these suggestions were taken into consideration. The only adjustment made was at a small stretch, where the lowest strut was placed 300mm above the ground instead of flush to the ground. They argued that this hoarding design, with struts fixed at 300mm or even lower in some areas, posed risks for medium to large Singapore Specials — especially for senior and visually impaired dogs like Pointy. NParks has since begun on-site discussions with the caregivers about rectification works but has not confirmed a timeline for improvements. Caregivers have urged the agency to act swiftly to safeguard the remaining Bidadari dogs.

NParks’ Plan to Remove the Dogs

Pointy’s death has intensified the debate over NParks’ management of the Bidadari strays. The agency has maintained that the dogs pose risks to public safety, citing more than 60 complaints since the park reopened — including around 20 reports of the animals chasing members of the public. While no direct attacks were recorded, NParks said a young child was injured while running away from the dogs. To address residents’ concerns, NParks introduced measures such as U-shaped blue canvas hoardings to act as visual barriers between parkgoers and the dogs. It has also begun preparing trapping efforts, saying it will use internationally recognised humane methods similar to those in its Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) programme. However, caregivers argue that these measures have instead heightened stress for the animals and, in Pointy’s case, may have contributed to her death. They are calling on NParks to urgently review its approach and work with the community to safeguard the remaining dogs.