Graphic content warning: This article contains depictions of animal cruelty that some readers may find distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.

A foreign domestic worker was recently caught on camera allegedly beating a pet dog to death on the balcony of the owner's home.

Videos of the startling case of animal abuse were shared online in a Feb. 27 Facebook post by the president of dog rescue group Voices for Animals, Derrick Tan.

Tan shared that he was posting on behalf of the distraught dog owner, Jason (not his real name), who wanted to seek justice for his pet dog, and advise others to "not take our pets' safety at home for granted".

Sudden death

Speaking to Mothership, Jason shared that he returned home from work on Jan. 22, 2024, to be informed by his girlfriend that his poodle, BoyBoy, had died suddenly.

His girlfriend was sleeping in a room, and woke up to be told by the worker of the 12- to 13-year-old dog's passing.

In shock and at a loss as to what to do, Jason's girlfriend arranged for BoyBoy's cremation.

When Jason returned from work late at night, he was told by his girlfriend and the worker about what had apparently transpired.

The latter claimed that BoyBoy had woken up as per usual in the morning, but vomited after his meal.

She then claimed that when she checked in on him a few hours later, BoyBoy was motionless.

Also in a state of shock from his dog's sudden death, Jason went through with the cremation service.

However, "[Jason] noticed that his dog died in a stiffened up posture like after a fit or after certain trauma, and upon cremation he noticed a crack in the remains of his skull," Tan's post wrote.

Jason felt that "something was not right" following the cremation, considering BoyBoy had always been in good health and did not show any signs of illness prior to his passing.

After trawling through footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras he had installed around the apartment, Jason found that the domestic worker's account of events was false, and BoyBoy had in fact been beaten to death.

Various clips posted by Tan showed the helper slapping the dog repeatedly.

The abuse took place at around 9:50am, according to the timestamp of the clip, and lasted around two hours, Jason said.

After slapping the dog, the domestic worker was seen using what Jason said was a rolled up pet food wrapper to hit BoyBoy on the head.

At around 11am, BoyBoy was seen hanging motionless from his leash, which was tied to the balcony's railing.

At 11:46am, the abuse continued, with the domestic worker once again beating the dog with the roll.

BoyBoy was seen lying on the floor, panting, but appeared to lay prone after the hit to his head.

Domestic worker initially denied actions

The domestic worker had only been under Jason's employ for three to four weeks, and she had been hired mainly to care for BoyBoy.

Enraged by what had happened, Jason confronted the domestic worker in the days after his dog's death.

"I was so angry," he said. "I also want to find the reason why? You are doing something to a helpless animal. What [was] the cause? Did he bite [the worker] or something?"

According to Jason, the domestic worker "acted blur" at the start, but admitted to the abuse after she was shown the CCTV footage.

The reason she eventually gave Jason for beating his dog was that BoyBoy had urinated on her leg.

However, Jason believes this to be a lie as well, as he did not see any evidence that BoyBoy had done so in the CCTV footage.

He claimed that the domestic worker has lied to him in previous instances.

A previous incident involving the worker and BoyBoy also made him "uncomfortable".

Then, BoyBoy was standing on the edge of the balcony and peering over.

Jason claimed he witnessed the domestic worker using her foot to lift up BoyBoy's rear, almost as if she wanted to "push him down".

Immediately after confronting the worker after his dog's death, Jason contacted her employment agency.

He shared that the agency seemed more concerned about whether he had made a police report, and at the time, all he wanted was for the worker to return to the agency.

Tan shared about the agency's apparent lack of concern about the incident in his post:

"The agency did not show any concern for the seriousness of the case and only asked if Jason made a police report. Thereafter they removed him from a group chat that was to be for conversing with the transfer of the new helper, on the 25th Jan after knowing that Jason has also reported the case to AVS."

Since then, Jason said the agency has not contacted him.

SPCA: "Heinous act"

SPCA shared in a Feb. 27 Facebook post that they were alerted to the case on Jan. 26, four days after BoyBoy's death.

Describing the domestic worker's actions as "appalling", the organisation stated that they immediately contacted the authorities, and advised Jason to file a report with the Singapore police and the National Parks Board's (NParks) Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS).

The enforcement of animal cruelty cases falls under the jurisdiction of the AVS, and SPCA said it understands that investigations are underway.

SPCA added that they have been actively involved in gathering evidence and providing guidance to Jason "on how to navigate this challenging situation".

"The SPCA will continue to monitor the progress of the case and offer Jason our ongoing support," the post wrote.

Animal cruelty is against the law in Singapore.

First-time offenders can be fined up to S$15,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 18 months.

"The SPCA hopes that the authorities will pursue the maximum possible penalty for those responsible for this heinous act. We stand firmly against all forms of animal cruelty and will continue to advocate for justice on behalf of innocent animals like Boy."

SPCA also urged pet owners to "remain proactive and cautious" when it comes to the safety of their pets.

"This is especially so when entrusting the care of their pets to someone else."

Mothership has reached out to AVS and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for more information.

Top photo from Derrick Tan / FB