When it’s holiday time, pet owners usually find themselves in a dilemma. Do they take their beloved pets along or do they entrust them in safe hands back home?
Recently, we had reported on how a a Singapore family who were taking their dog along with them during their move to Vietnam, were shocked to find that their beloved pet had died, even before boarding the flight.
And now, a ‘dog mummy’ who returned from an overseas holiday was shocked to find her dog severely injured and in pain. The dog had been placed in the care of a pet boarding centre in Singapore.
Pet care in Singapore: Dog allegedly abused
Elizabeth Ting recently shared her ordeal on Facebook, “My dog, Mocha, was dropped off for boarding on 25 Nov at Dpets Centre, Bukit Panjang Plaza. He was a normal happy healthy dog then.”
“When we returned from an overseas trip on 4 Dec, his left hind leg was injured and he was limping in pain on the remaining 3 legs.”
PHOTO: FACEBOOK / ELIZABETH TING
“Unfortunately, we got our helper to pick up Mocha from Dpets Centre one day before our return. When my helper asked (the boss and the lady assistant) why the dog was limping, they didn’t answer her.”
When Elizabeth returned to Singapore, she called up the centre to ask what had happened and if Mocha needed medical attention, “The boss assured me that it was a minor injury he got when he was scratching the cage and it’d heal in a few days.”
“I also asked why there was yellowish discharge and he almost completely lost his voice, the boss kind of brushed it off.”
PHOTO: FACEBOOK / ELIZABETH TING
Hoping that things would get better soon, she decided to wait for a few days before seeking medical attention. When things didn’t seem to get any better, she took the dog to see the vet.
She elaborates, “I brought Mocha to see Dr Lennie Lee at The Animal Clinic in Clementi. He immediately suspected that Mocha might have suffered a joint dislocation. Mocha was X rayed.”
The results were shocking, “My heart sank when Dr Lee confirmed that Mocha had a joint dislocation at his left hip. And to add a thousand tons to my already heavy heart, Dr Lee told me quietly that such joint dislocation didn’t happen easily. To cause such an injury, there must be great impact like he fell from a very high place.”
What could have possibly happened to Mocha while at the pet care?
To make matters worse, there was a fracture on the hip bone and treatment was complicated, “The only possible treatment was to file away the protruding bone and let the muscles and tissues strengthened around the joint.’
“So technically Mocha’s leg would not be in the hip joint (with one leg shorter than the other), he gotta depend on his muscles soft tissues to hold his left leg in place.”
Elizabeth couldn’t come to terms with what had happened to her beloved dog in her absence, “Why wasn’t he given the necessary medical attention straight away? Was it a one off accident or was Mocha being abused throughout his stay?”
So she went to the pet shop again for answers and clarifications. But she didn’t get any, “He (The boss) denied responsibility (as expected), gave lots of justifications and suggested that Mocha’s injury was caused after he left the shop (and probably by my helper).”
“And as usual for drama purposes, the cctv in the shop was spoilt.”
However, there was a CCTV right outside the shop, so with the help of the mall management, they were able to view footage, which showed Mocha limping as he stepped out of the shop.
It meant that Mocha had been injured while at the pet care centre.
Elizabeth and her husband informed the pet care centre of their findings, “We told him that we were going to file a police report on suspected dog abuse and he simply told us that he intended to close down his shop anyway.”
“No apologies, no attempt to investigate, no intention to assume responsibility.”
She has since then filed a police report and a complaint with the AVA as well, “According to the police, only AVA officers can investigate this case. An investigation of such nature by AVA usually takes 45 days. I had filed the case under deliberate negligence and suspected abuse.”
Elizabeth admits that it is quite impossible to find the real culprit and know what exactly happened. But she hopes to raise awareness and ensure that no other dog would have to go through this sort of trauma ever again.
She hopes to seek justice for Mocha and has also called for witnesses, “Any potential witnesses of the accident or abuse do come forward. (Mocha is a mid size poddle. He was under boarding at Dpets from 25 Nov – 3 Dec. He was picked up by my helper between 6-7 pm on 3 Dec).”
We hope Mocha gets well soon, and justice is served.
Mums and dads, how do you make sure your pets are in safe hands when you go on holiday? Do let us know in the comments below.
Also READ: Singapore Mum accuses airline of negligence leading to dog’ s death