Domestic worker in Singapore charged with animal abuse after employer’s poodle dies

The helper, Junny Lal Awn Pui, a Myanmar national, was charged on Tuesday with four counts of cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act.

The incident took place on Jan. 22, when Pui allegedly assaulted a male poodle at her employer’s home.

According to court documents, she grabbed the dog by the neck, pinned it to the ground, and struck it multiple times on the head with her hand. Pui is also accused of hitting the dog with a makeshift stick made of rolled papers and placing her weight on the poodle while attempting to bandage it, causing further pain.

Additionally, the court documents state that Pui allegedly hung Boyboy by its harness from a balcony railing to “sun” the dog, later striking it again with the makeshift stick.

The poodle died later that day, according to Channel News Asia.

Pui appeared in court via video link and, through an interpreter, expressed her intention to plead guilty to three of the charges. However, she denied the allegation of hanging the dog from the balcony, claiming that her employer had instructed her to do so.

The case drew public attention after Derrick Tan, founder and president of the Singapore-based charity group Voices for Animals, posted security camera footage of the incident on his Facebook, showing the helper abusing the dog.

Boyboy’s owner, who had installed surveillance cameras to monitor the pet, discovered the abuse after being informed by his girlfriend of the dog’s death. At the crematorium, he noticed a crack in the dog’s skull, leading him to review the footage and report the incident to authorities, Malay Mail reported.

Pui had been working for the family for three to four weeks before the incident occurred. Her case is scheduled to return to court in September.

If convicted of animal abuse, Pui could face up to 18 months in jail, a fine of up to S$15,000 (US$11,500), or both.