Domestic worker jailed for beating & hanging dog on employer's instructions: NParks & AGC considering taking action against other persons

The National Parks Board (NParks) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) are considering taking action against other persons involved in the abuse of a poodle who was beaten and hanged by a domestic worker at her employer's instructions.

26-year-old Myanmar national Junny Lal Awm Pui was sentenced to jail for nine months on Nov. 26.

NParks & AGC told Mothership that they are "assessing whether prosecutorial action should be taken against any other persons involved in this matter".

Court documents previously only revealed the employer's identity as a 37-year-old woman surnamed Heng.

Employer told her to treat dog 'separately'

The incident happened in a Fernvale condominium on Jan. 22, 2024.

Junny had been working for her employer, surnamed Heng, since Dec. 16, 2023.

In 2015, Heng's boyfriend picked up Boyboy along Rochor Road with his ex-girlfriend.

As they couldn't find its previous owner, they adopted it, with Heng's boyfriend keeping the dog after their relationship ended in 2018.

When Heng's boyfriend got together with her, they agreed that Heng would keep the poodle at her condominium from Jul. 5, 2023.

Heng instructed Junny to treat Boyboy separately from her own two dogs.

It was to be confined to the balcony and rarely permitted inside. It was also to be fed on the balcony away from the other dogs.

She also instructed Junny to hit Boyboy if it started to eat without being told to do so.

Beat dog and hung it on balcony railing

Junny's offences were captured in footage from a CCTV camera installed by Heng's boyfriend on the balcony.

On Jan. 22, 2024, at about 9:52am, Junny filled Boyboy's food bowl, and when she was putting the food packet away, the poodle came over to eat.

Seeing that the poodle had started eating without being allowed to do so, Junny grabbed it by the neck and pinned it to the ground.

She then hit it three times on the head with her right hand and once with her left.

When Boyboy vocalised out of pain, Junny grabbed a makeshift rod devised by Heng from rolled-up pet food packaging and hit it forcefully on the head as it struggled.

At around 11:03am the same day, Junny then hung Boyboy by its harness from the balcony railing in midair under the sun.

She was following Heng's instructions to tie and hang Boyboy on the balcony railing in order to expose it to the sun, apparently to reduce its odour.

At around 11:46am, Junny hit the dog with the rod again while it was panting and lying on its side on the ground.

She also removed some bandages that were tied to its legs before tying it to a short leash on the balcony under direct sunlight.

Dog died two hours later

About two hours later, Heng told Junny to check on Boyboy, and she found that it was biting its tongue and bleeding from its mouth.

When they checked again, the poodle had died.

Shortly after, Heng arranged for Boyboy's carcass to be collected for cremation by Mandai Pet Sanctuary.

That evening, she also went to her boyfriend's house to celebrate his birthday, and after the celebration, informed him of Boyboy's death.

When Heng's boyfriend viewed Boyboy's carcass prior to its cremation on Jan. 23, he saw that its limbs were straightened, which raised his suspicions as it had been very active the day before.

Traumatic beatings 'likely' caused death: Vet report

After seeing the CCTV footage, Heng's boyfriend met with his ex-girlfriend to show it to her.

By then, Heng had already disposed of Boyboy's possessions, including its bowl, soap, brush, towel and toy bone, rod, and CCTV camera.

Heng's boyfriend's ex-girlfriend lodged a report with NParks.

However, no autopsy could be performed as Boyboy had already been cremated.

A veterinarian report found that Boyboy experienced “severe pain and suffering” from the abuse and that it was "very likely" that the blows to the head would have caused "painful head trauma and subsequent incapacitation”.

One vet consulted opined that in the absence of any other contributing factors, the repeated traumatic beatings would have "very likely" caused its death.

Junny was arrested on Aug. 26.

On Nov. 26, Junny pleaded guilty in court to three charges under the Animals and Birds Act.

She was sentenced to nine months' jail.

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Top image from Derrick Tan/Facebook & AGC website.