Missing sheepdog Prince died while boarded at Platinium Dogs Club: AVA

SINGAPORE - A dog reported missing from the Platinium Dogs Club died while boarded at the facility, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) revealed on Wednesday (Jan 9).

Prince, a Shetland sheepdog, was reported missing by his owner Ms Elaine Mao on Dec 30. She appealed for information about him on Facebook and offered a $2,000 reward to anyone who found him, sparking a hunt among members of the public.

However, the AVA, which raided the Bukit Panjang boarding facility following complaints of mistreatment of pets in its care, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that preliminary investigations revealed that Prince "had died while boarded there and was cremated by a pet cremation service provider".

The 30-year-old owner of Platinium Dogs Club, whose name has not been revealed, was arrested following the raids late last month.

The AVA took temporary custody of the 18 dogs and one rabbit found inside the facility.

It added on Wednesday that it had managed to reunite 17 of the dogs with their owners, while the owner of the remaining one is overseas. It has yet to identify the rabbit's owner.

Investigations are continuing.

Under the Animal and Birds Act, convicted offenders who fail in their duty of care towards animals while conducting an animal-related business can face a fine of up to $40,000, a jail term of two years, or both.

"The public is advised not to speculate and let the investigation take its course," the AVA said. "AVA takes animal welfare seriously and will take enforcement action against any offenders to safeguard animal welfare."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.