'Welcome to hell, my friend': Dog handler caught hitting canine with food bowl on camera

[UPDATE: July 16, 10.30 am]

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) told AsiaOne that it is aware of the video where a dog at K9 Connection was seen being abused on March 20.

AVS said it has suspended the handler from its list of accredited dog trainers since March 25, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) also told AsiaOne that it has received several reports regarding this incident and they are currently assisting with investigations.

“We are deeply disturbed by the actions portrayed in the video as they are both abusive towards animals and insensitive towards humans. Based on the audio, we are also concerned that the perpetrator may have treated other animals under his care in a similar manner,” said SPCA’s executive director Aarthi Sankar.

She added that such methods are “aversive” and “unacceptable” from an animal welfare standpoint.

“Unfortunately, cases of choking, strangling, suspending, kicking, beating, and shocking a dog with electric collars are still being practiced within the animal training industry,” said Sankar. “These methods are archaic and cause more harm than good.”

The society said that any member of the public who has credible information or further evidence of abuse related to this case can contact them at their 24/7 hotline at 6287 5355 (ext. 9) or e-mail inspector@spca.org.sg.

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A man has been caught on camera verbally and physically abusing a dog, hitting it repeatedly with what looks like a metal food bowl.

The two-minute clip was uploaded onto Facebook by animal welfare group Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore (CDAS) yesterday (July 13) and has since gone viral, garnering over 26,000 views, 1,100 shares and 488 comments as of the time of writing. 

The entire clip was shot in a small bricked enclosure for pets and on the floor was a red pet bed as well as a food bowl.  

At the start of the video, the man could be heard shouting at the dog, saying: "Welcome to hell, my friend. Four weeks of hell." 

The dog looks like a mixed-breed or Singapore Special.

The man then proceeded to threaten the dog by saying: "Tonight you make a single noise see what happen to you [sic]." 

There seemed to be others in the room as a child could be heard crying in the background.

In the video, the man could be heard hurling Hokkien profanities at the dog and threatening to shove what looks like a metal rod at the animal's face. He also accused the dog of trying to bite him earlier. 

He also said: "Xiao Hei will tell you how the f*** he suffer", with Xiao Hei presumably another dog that had been under this abuser's care. 

He then started hitting this dog with an unknown object, causing the dog to shrink back and growl.

The man responded by saying: "You want to try me? I will smash another bowl for you to see." 

He then took that metal food bowl and hit the dog multiple times with great force and also used that metal rod to hit the dog and pull at its collar. 

A spokesperson from CDAS told AsiaOne that the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is aware of the case and have interviewed all the parties concerned.

CDAS shared that "reliable sources have confirmed that the incident happened at the premises of K9 Connection", which is a dog school that provides training and boarding services. 

AsiaOne has reached out to K9 Connection and the company said that they "can't provide comments since [the incident] is under investigation". 

We also contacted Matthew Ng, the executive director of K9 Connection, who referred to the email response provided by the company. 

AsiaOne has also reached out to AVS for their comment. 

On K9 Connection's Facebook, the company said that their trainers are IAABC and AVS accredited, and they use a science-based approach when they train their dogs. 

Many netizens left angry comments on the page as well, with some saying that the abuser was "disgusting and heartless". Others also said that he was not fit to be a dog trainer. 

K9 Connection also has over 200 reviews on Google, with 1.6 out of five stars Google ratings. However, many of the negative reviews were posted just hours after the video clip went viral. 

Understandably, many netizens on Facebook were horrified by the video and took to the comments section to express their shock and anger. 

Some suggested that the abuser may be doing other harmful things to the dogs when the CCTV camera was off, while another said that his heart broke when he saw the dog being hit by the food bowl. 

Some dog owners came forward to share that they had sent their pets to K9 Connection before. 

One expressed her shock and said that she recognised the green walls, while another mentioned that he didn't have a good experience there. 

Under the Animals and Bird Act, individuals found guilty of animal cruelty may be liable to a fine of up to $15,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 18 months.

According to information on AVS' website, the amount of feedback that they have received relating to animal cruelty and welfare rose from 2,490 to 3,025 cases from year 2018 to 2021.

This isn't the first time that dogs have been abused in Singapore.

In March last year, AVS investigated a case where a dog trainer was filmed kicking a corgi.

Last October, another man was jailed for eight months after a video of him punching and swinging a poodle went viral. 

Dogs aren't the only animals that have been abused either. Earlier this year in June, a boy was caught on camera stepping on two stingrays. 

ALSO READ: AVS scheme allowing HDB dwellers to adopt larger dogs now permanent 

melissateo@asiaone.com