2 French bulldogs in S'pore die of heatstroke after being left in car, trainer takes 'full responsibility'

Investigations are ongoing.

Zhangxin Zheng | October 27, 2020, 07:08 PM

Two French bulldogs, both less than two years old, have died due to an alleged case of negligence by a dog trainer.

Photo courtesy of Jun Yi Tay.

Alleged dog trainer's negligence led to 2 deaths

According to the owner, Tay Jun Yi, the two dogs, Chocoby and Hunniby, were left under the care of their dog trainer, Sabrina Sim, for boarding and training on August 4, 2020.

Many dog trainers provide boarding and training services where dogs are given places to stay while they undergo training.

Photo courtesy of Jun Yi Tay.

Tay said that she was informed by Sim that the dogs were with the vets on Aug. 24, three weeks after Tay left the dogs with Sim.

Tay then found out from the vet that the dogs were already dead when they arrived at the clinic.

Tay said that the dog was left in the car for a prolonged period and the car was parked in an open carpark.

The dogs allegedly died after suffering from heatstroke in the car.

Accredited dog trainer's professionalism in doubt

Sim is one of the 27 dog trainers accredited by AVS as of Oct. 1, 2020.

However, the vet's note showed that Sim could have mishandled the dogs' heatstroke by wetting their coats and putting them in a box with ice cubes.

"The coats of both dogs were wet with water and ice cubes were placed in the containers the dogs were in. The top of the boxes were covered with black trash bags."

That did not help cool the dogs down as their body temperature remained high at around 40°C.

Tay said that some websites claim immersing dogs suffering from heatstroke in cold water could worsen their conditions, eventually leading to death.

RSPCA UK, the largest animal welfare charity in the United Kingdom, also cautions against dousing cold water on dogs who suffer from heatstroke.

Trainer: I take full responsibility for the incident

Speaking to Mothership, Sim said she takes "full responsibility" for the incident and "will not run away from what has happened".

She added that she has been completely upfront and transparent with Tay and her family as well as Animal & Veterinary Service, a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks).

However, as investigations are ongoing, Sim says she cannot go into details of the incident.

This is not the first time that Sim has cared for Tay's bulldogs.

Earlier in July, Tay wrote a recommendation on Sim's page and said that Sim was attentive and struck a good rapport with Hunniby.

Sim says she understands the grief that the loss of Chocoby and Hunniby has caused Tay and her family.

Sim told Mothership:

"I know that this will not bring Chocoby and Hunniby back - their lives and the wonderful memories Ms Tay and her family had with Chocoby and Hunniby are simply priceless!"

Tay: They were my motivation for work and purpose in life

Speaking to Mothership, Tay elaborated that while the time she had with Chocoby and Hunniby might be relatively short as compared to other owners, the two dogs had been the centre of her life.

"I'm really happy and thankful for both of them as they gave me the motivation to get out there and meet new people, to go to many places. They were my motivation for my work and purpose in life."

She recalled Chocoby being very "manja" and greedy for food while Hunniby was more chill and independent.

The two dogs also enjoy each other's company.

"They are super sweet when they take naps together and watching them just makes my heart feel so full."

Owner asked for S$88,000 compensation

Sim says she has agreed to compensate Tay, and takes full responsibility for the incident.

Tay asked for a compensation of S$88,000 in their last communication, Sim told Mothership.

Sim said Tay did not explain to her how the family arrived at this sum which has led to a bottleneck in their mediation.

"Honestly, this is a huge sum which I do not have but as mentioned, I have to take full responsibility for my actions and if this is a fair and reasonable sum, then I would have to find a way to raise the money somehow. To this end, I have been asking Ms Tay how the figure is arrived at but they have not responded to the same."

Tay told Mothership that when the family suggested S$88,000 compensation, they were "emotional and angry".

They have since engaged a lawyer to propose a reasonable and fair sum.

However, "no amount of money can take away the pain of losing two puppies suddenly," Tay said.

"I am still devastated," Tay added.

Investigations ongoing

The group director of AVS, Jessica Kwok, confirmed with Mothership that the agency is looking into this case.

She said that AVS is "aware and concerned" about a case where the two dogs had died of heatstroke after being left in a car.

AVS is investigating the case for possible neglect and cruelty.

In addition, Kwok adds that AVS takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously.

She urged anyone who is aware of any suspected cases of animal cruelty to alert AVS via their online feedback form or call AVS at 1800-476-1600.

Information shared with AVS will be kept strictly confidential.

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Top image courtesy of Tay Jun Yi