'I just want my baby back': Woman's pet corgi dies after falling off grooming table

A woman was left devastated after her pet corgi died on Wednesday (July 24) while under the care of pet grooming business Pawkins.

The dog, wearing a leash tethered to the grooming arm, slipped off the table and was left hanging by its neck. No staff member was present at the time of the incident.

Fendi's owner Sonia Tan took to social media to mourn, sharing a photo of the corgi's cremation service in an Instagram Story on Wednesday evening.

"I just want my baby back," she wrote.

Tan also uploaded CCTV footage of the incident online, which shows Fendi falling off the grooming table at 1.42pm.

The corgi struggled wildly while hanging from its leash, as five others dogs in the same grooming room barked and ran around. Fendi stopped moving about a minute later.

At 2.17pm, a groomer can be seen walking into the room and discovering the motionless corgi.

The woman then alerted her two colleagues, who rushed to check on Fendi. One of them appeared to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the dog. They later wrapped Fendi in a piece of cloth and carried it out of the room.

According to Tan, the three groomers had left the dogs alone in the room as they went for a lunch break.

She told the media that Pawkins had only informed her about the incident a few hours later. Tan added that she had been bringing Fendi and her other dog Hades to the pet groomer since 2022 and had not encountered any issues.

Tan has since reported the incident to the police, National Parks Board (NParks) and the Animal & Veterinary Service.

Groomers 'distraught', cooperating with authorities

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Pawkins said that they are distraught over the "most unfortunate incident".

"We sincerely hope that all those who loved and cared for Fendi can accept our deepest and most heartfelt condolences and sympathies. We have groomed and cared for Fendi for about 2 years and all of us love her dearly," wrote the groomers.

Pawkins said it has contacted Tan, adding that it is looking into the matter as well as cooperating with the authorities.

"In the interim, we have ceased our operations and will, on request, refund any outstanding packages purchased with us."

Responding to AsiaOne's queries on Thursday, NParks group director for enforcement & investigation Jessica Kwok said they have received feedback on a case where a dog allegedly died at a grooming salon and they are investigating the matter. 

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) also said in a Facebook post on Thursday that it was alerted to the "troubling video" by a member of the public, and it has escalated the case to the authorities.

There are currently no licensing requirements for pet grooming services in Singapore, said SPCA.

"While there are some minimum standards specified under the Code of Animal Welfare (for the Pet Industry), failure to comply is not considered an offence. While breaches of the code can be used to support prosecution or enforcement action, the resulting penalties may not serve as effective deterrents."

SPCA added that there is an "urgent need for stronger legislation in animal welfare", and that the society has been "actively lobbying the government on multiple issues to better protect our animals, including upholding high standards of animal welfare within the pet industry".

AsiaOne has contacted Tan for more information.

ALSO READ: 'Completely our fault': Boss of Jurong pet grooming business shutters store after employee uses cable tie on dog's snout

lim.kewei@asiaone.com