On the way out of the car park at IKEA Alexandra, a shopper noticed a pet dog tightly leashed to a black van.

"He was barking to get people's attention as the leash was too short, and he has to stand on [his] two hind paws to get some air," the shopper wrote in a video that was shared on Sgfollowsall's Instagram page on May 26.

In the video, the dog could be seen standing on its hind legs, with its front legs propped against the van.

Eventually, it slid to the ground, but is tugged closer to the van due to the length of the leash.

"Why bring your dog when you know IKEA is not pet-friendly?"

Possibly jumped out of window

According to the video, the shopper alerted the IKEA staff, who dispatched its security team to help the dog.

The incident was also reported to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

While some online commenters called the owner out for leashing the dog too tightly, others pointed out that as the window of the van was open and it was possible that the dog had been leashed to the driver's seat, but jumped out.

"Overlook/ careless [move] by the dog owner thinking their dog would not jump out of the window," one user said on Facebook.

Yet others commented that regardless of the tether, it is still dangerous to leave the dog inside the car for an extended period of time.

SPCA's response

In response to Mothership's queries, executive director of SPCA Aarthi Sankar confirmed that a report was lodged on May 26 at around 3pm, but that the van departed before the team arrived.

She added that the case had been escalated to the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) for investigation.

Aarthi explained that when tethering is needed, the length of a tether should be at least twice the dog's length — from nose to tail — and allow the dog to lie down comfortably.

In this case, regardless of the length of the tether, conditions in a car park were "neither safe nor comfortable due to the presence of moving vehicles and poor ventilation", she pointed out.

"We appeal to all pet owners to abide by the Code of Animal Welfare," she said.

Jessica Kwok, group director of enforcement and investigation at the National Parks Board (NParks), confirmed separately with Mothership that it is looking into the matter.

"AVS (Animal & Veterinary Service) does not condone mistreatment of pets and first-time offenders caught abusing an animal may be charged under the Animals and Birds Act, and could be fined up to $15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both," she said.

If you witness any cases of animal cruelty or compromised welfare, you can contact the SPCA at its hotline at 6287 5355 (ext. 9).

Members of the public can also report suspected animal cruelty cases to NParks at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or by calling the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

Top image from Sgfollowsall/Instagram