'He was happiest when eating': Shanmugam puts down pet dog who had 'only a few days to live'

Dogs, as they say, are a man's best friend. And Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam recently took to social media to share the death of one of his own.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 27), the 63-year-old said that Samson, one of his pet dogs, had to be put down due to complications that came with old age.

"He was ill, wasn't eating, had difficulty getting up, and we were advised that he was suffering, had at most another few days to live," Shanmugam added.

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While sharing photos in tribute of his dog, Shanmugam recalled how he had adopted Samson eight years ago after it was found abandoned and "wandering around in some place".

The "sweet natured" Samson was also happiest when eating, according to Shanmugam who described how his pet even had a penchant for a certain tropical fruit. 

"I have a mango tree. He will go and pick the fallen mangoes, eat them until his paws were stained yellow," he said.

In July 2019, Shanmugam had shared a light-hearted video of Samson expertly feasting on a mango.

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In the comments, netizens expressed their sympathies to Shanmugam.

"So sorry for your loss, Sir. When pets go over the rainbow bridge, they take a piece of our hearts with them. It is a deep void, hard to fill," a netizen said.

Shanmugam has been passionate about his pet dogs on social media. 

in a TikTok video shared on September last year, he was asked by a student to choose between buying a small poodle or a large retriever. 

Describing how all of his dogs are adopted – including Samson, and a retired police service dog named Millie, Shanmugam said: "I object to purchasing dogs. 

"I don't really care what breed. It's more that I want to help. We take what we can, and hopefully others can do [the same]."

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ALSO READ: Shanmugam breaks personal deadlift record, jios Tan Chuan-Jin to be his gym bro

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