Serangoon woman says neighbour's dog smells bad, spends more than S$1,000 on deodorants

A woman in Serangoon claimed that the odour from her neighbour's dog was so foul that she was contemplating moving out.

She claimed she had tried all sorts of methods to remove the smell, but they were not working.

Started when neighbour brought home a dog

The woman, surnamed Wang, 67, lives at Block 124 Serangoon North Avenue 1.

She told Shin Min Daily News that her next-door neighbour had brought a small, elderly dog home and had been taking care of it since January 2024.

Since then, a bad smell has emitted from her neighbour's doorstep, causing Wang to be afraid of opening the doors or windows.

She said she lives in a corner unit with her daughter and they need to keep their doors and window open for ventilation.

"But as soon as we open the door, we can smell the dog's stench",Wang said

She said that since her heart surgery in February and April this year, she needs more "fresh air" to "help her recover".

"Poor ventilation makes me anxious, so I can't always keep the door closed."

Spent at least S$1,000 on deodorants

Wang said she started buying aroma diffusers at the beginning of the year and also used fabric softener to wash the floor in front of her house.

She bought spices and incense to burn to mask the dog's odour and spent around S$75 on a lemongrass water spray.

"I have bought three or four aromatherapy machines, spending nearly S$100 monthly. So far, I have spent at least S$1,000," she said.

Wang tried to convey her concerns to her neighbour but claimed that her neighbour wouldn't listen to them.

"I love animals too. If necessary, I can pay for her dog to see a doctor or change its kennel, but I'm worried that she won't accept it," Wang bemoaned.

She said if the problem weren't solved soon, she would have no choice but to move out.

Owner claims no problem

The dog's owner, a 62-year-old woman, told Shin Min that the authorities had previously visited her house and found no problem.

"If many people were complaining, I would believe it and try to improve it. But so far, only that neighbour has complained, and the authorities said it was okay," the woman said.

Other tenants living in Chen's house said that it is normal for pets to have some odour, but it was not "unbearable" to them.

The tenants also added that the dog wasn't home most of the time.

However, a downstairs neighbour told Shin Min they could smell the dog's odour from their unit.

The smell would only worsen on windy days, especially when the things used by the dog were hung outside to dry.

Shin Min reported that the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council had received feedback from the National Parks Board (NParks) and is in the process of understanding the situation.

Pet odour may be caused by skin diseases

A pet groomer from Fluffy Paradise told Shin Min that if an elderly dog has bad body odour, it is most likely due to skin diseases.

Ageing dogs also tend to have stronger odour, which might not improve with frequent bathing.

The groomer recommended the owner take the dog to a veterinarian to treat skin issues.

Targeted skin treatments may also help.

Top photo via Shin Min