Pet Grooming Director Charged After Unattended Poodle Dies

 

A 51-year-old man named Chan Yew Heng appeared in a Singapore court on September 23, 2026, where he was handed an animal cruelty charge following an incident that led to the death of a four-year-old standard poodle. At the time of the alleged offence, the accused served as a director at Pawsome.sg, a pet grooming facility located along Tanjong Katong Road.

The alleged incident occurred on October 30, 2025, between approximately 9:15 AM and 10:45 AM at the grooming facility's premises. Court documents and charge sheets state that the white standard poodle, named Buddy, was allegedly left completely unattended inside a playpen for about 90 minutes. During this period, the four-year-old dog became trapped by its forelegs within the playpen structure while no staff members were present to attend to or assist the animal.

The prolonged period during which the dog remained trapped resulted in extensive traumatic injuries to its forelimbs. The severe nature of the physical trauma sustained while entangled ultimately caused the animal's death shortly thereafter.

Account details provided by the dog's owner revealed the timeline leading up to the fatal discovery. On the morning of October 30, 2025, a pet transport service picked up the standard poodle from the owner's residence at approximately 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM. The transport service subsequently delivered and dropped off the dog at the Tanjong Katong Road pet grooming store at around 9:15 AM.

Later that morning, at approximately 11:45 AM, the owner received a phone call directly from representatives of the pet grooming facility informing him that his dog had passed away.

Following official investigations into the circumstances surrounding the dog's death, formal legal charges were filed against the former director. The accused was charged under animal welfare regulations concerning animal cruelty and failing to care for animals properly. Court records indicate that the accused is expected to enter a guilty plea during his next scheduled court session on October 21, 2026.

Under relevant legislation, a first-time offender convicted of animal cruelty charges faces statutory penalties that include a maximum prison term of up to two years, a fine of up to 40,000 dollars, or both penalties combined.