UPDATE on Jul. 25 at 8:10pm: This article has been updated to include a statement from SPCA and NParks.

When Sonia dropped off her two pets, Fendi and Hades, for their grooming at Pawkins SG, she could never imagine returning with only one pet.

On Jul. 24, 2024, Fendi, the corgi, fell off the grooming table and struggled with a leash over its neck for a minute before passing away.

Fendi was only one month shy of its fourth birthday.

Speaking with Mothership, Sonia shared the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage that captured Fendi's last moments.

Six dogs unattended

At 1:41pm, Fendi could be seen lying on the grooming table. It was leashed and muzzled.

Sonia's other pup, Hades, was lying on the next table.

In the same room, one pup was in a playpen, two others were roaming around the room freely, and another was leashed up.

There was no staff in the room with the dogs.

At 1:42:03pm, something off-camera triggered all the dogs to start barking.

Fendi stood on the grooming table and barked before it fell off around 1:42:08.

The short leash around Fendi's neck left it struggling as it stood on its hind legs.

At 1:43:13, Fendi became motionless, and its tail stopped moving.

30 minutes

At 2:17pm, the first employee entered the room and noticed Fendi was motionless.

It had been about 30 minutes since Fendi stopped moving.

The employee lifted it onto the grooming table and knocked on a door to alert another employee.

A second employee came in and checked on Fendi before rushing out and getting a third employee.

The third employee came in and saw Fendi before leaving the room.

At 2:19pm, the second employee started to perform chest compressions on Fendi.

At 2:20pm, the first employee wrapped a towel around Fendi before carrying it out.

Owner informed later

Sonia shared with Mothership that she was only told about Fendi's passing at 3:14pm.

One of the owners of Pawkins SG called her and told her that Fendi had been found unconscious.

They did CPR on Fendi while rushing it to the vet.

"From the video, it is clear my other dog, Hades, was also left on the grooming table leashed up. Fortunately, he was not harmed."

Sonia added that she had been going to the same groomer since Jun. 14, 2022, and she had not had any issues with them before.

She has since reported the incident to the police, who linked her with the National Parks Board (NParks).

"[Fendi] was my first ever dog, I don't think I will ever get over this," Sonia said.

"I will do whatever it takes to spread awareness and ensure that the Animal & Veterinary Service, NParks [and] Singapore Kennel Club knows that over the past few months, multiple dogs have died over the negligence of groomers and do something about it."

Closed

According to Google, Pawkins SG is temporarily closed.

Pawkin's Instagram also stated that it is closed.

The comment section under its posts has also been limited.

Mothership has reached out to Pawkins for comments.

SPCA's response

In a statement, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) executive director Aarthi Sankar said that SPCA was notified of Fendi's incident by a concerned member of the public and has since escalated the case to the authorities for their action.

She pointed out that there are currently no regulatory or educational requirements for pet grooming service providers in Singapore.

While the Code for Animal Welfare for the pet industry does specify some minimum standards, failing to comply with them is not considered an offence, she added.

"While breaches of the code can be used to support prosecution or enforcement action, the resulting penalities often fail to serve as effective deterrents."

Sankar noted that short disqualification periods meant that service providers may re-enter the pet industry soon after their offence, posing a risk to animal welfare if these service providers were not adequately retrained and rehabilitated.

"The SPCA believes that there is an urgent need for stronger legislation in animal welfare and has been actively lobbying the government on multiple issues to better protect our animals. These include upholding high standards of animal welfare within the pet industry."

NParks' statement

In response to Mothership's query, Jessica Kwok, the group director of NParks, said that they take all feedback received from the public on animal health and welfare seriously.

"NParks has received feedback on a case where a dog allegedly died at a grooming salon and is investigating the matter," she said.

Top photos via hadesfendi/Instagram & Sonia