Dog left in enclosure, lived in faeces for 5 years after owner died

What happens to pets which outlive their owners? 

One Pomeranian was left to live in his faeces-filled enclosure inside a HDB flat for five years after his owner died. 

Hope Dog Rescue, the organisation that rescued the dog, shared its story on their social media pages on Tuesday (Feb 20). 

"A prisoner in his own home," wrote the post's caption. 

The dog, now named Archie by his rescuers, was found by a property agent who was visiting a nearby flat in Bendemeer. 

"She saw this dejected dog lying in the corner of a filthy enclosure. She sent us a photo of the dog and asked if we could help." 

According to a blog post by Hope Dog Rescue, the dog's owner died five years ago. 

Archie was then given to the owner's son, who also unfortunately passed away shortly after. 

The owner's brother then took custody of Archie.

"He wasn't into dogs so he fed the dog daily, but didn't bother to clean up the enclosure," said the rescue organisation. 

After some negotiation with the owner's brother, he finally agreed to let Hope Dog Rescue take Archie. 

When some volunteers went to the house to pick Archie up, they noticed that the owner's brother had mopped the entire floor with antiseptic, except for the dog enclosure. 

Due to the neglect, Archie's fur was badly matted. He was also found to be unsterilised, and his testicles were "hard and swollen", causing him to be in pain. 

After shaving off his matted fur, Archie also underwent surgery. 

In their Facebook post, Hope Dog Rescue shared that they are currently looking for someone to adopt Archie, and are also collecting donations to pay for his medical expenses. 

When contacted, Hope Dog Rescue told AsiaOne that Archie has been discharged to a foster, and is adjusting to his new environment.

The organisation said that they are unable to report the incident to the authorities as Archie was not microchipped or licensed.

80 to 90 reports received about animal cruelty every month: SPCA 

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said it receives about 80 to 90 reports of alleged animal cruelty every month. 

They added that many of these reports they receive are about neglect, where pets are housed in cages, fed inadequately or left to survive in dirty conditions. 

"Excuses often cited for such cases of neglect are that the animal is destroying the house, cannot be toilet trained or is too active, said the society. 

According to them, there are currently no laws in Singapore that address cases of animal neglect.

However, a person found to be guilty of cruelty to animals, including the abandonment of any animal, can be imprisoned for up to 18 months, fined up to $15,000 months, or both. 

Members of the public who witness an act of deliberate cruelty can call the police and SPCA. 

They are also advised to take a picture or video of suspect, and note down any distinguishing features or vehicle numbers. 

AsiaOne has contacted the SPCA for more information. 

READ ALSO: East Coast pet shop fires staff who caned dog; AVS investigating

claudiatan@asiaone.com