Man seen hitting pet dog with walking stick at Boon Lay, dragging it by its leash

Update on Jan. 27 at 7:30pm: This article has been updated with a statement from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

A man was accused of hurling vulgarities at, strangling, and hitting his dog by a resident at Block 187 Boon Lay Avenue.

When he was seen hitting his dog again on Jan. 25, 2025, the resident, who wishes only to be known as Tan, caught his deeds on camera and shared the footage with Mothership.

What video shows

In the video, the man, dressed in black, could be seen walking a brown dog along a sheltered walkway.

When the dog slowed down to sniff its surroundings, the man hit the dog in the rear with his walking stick while screaming at it.

He then pulled the leash towards him, forcing the dog to move forward.

The man subsequently made a stop near a stroller.

However, when he noticed the dog was still sniffing the floor, he pulled the leash again to drag the dog towards the stroller.

Although three passers-by walked past the scene at the time, he continued yelling at the dog.

After cleaning his dog, the man held onto its collar and picked it up forcefully. At one point, the dog's front paws appeared to be in the air.

The video ended with the man walking away with the dog in the stroller.

Man allegedly abused dogs for years

Speaking to Mothership, Tan surmised that the man lived in the area, as it was not the first time she had seen him in her estate.

She claimed that such incidents happen "too often" and had been ongoing for at least three years.

Tan said she would witness such incidents several times a week, and described the scenes as "heartbreaking".

She alleged that what she had filmed was not "the worst", and that she witnesses the man hurling vulgarities at his dog "all the time" and even hitting it with his hand at times.

She also recounted one instance where he "screamed at the dog while shaking the dog's neck".

Hopes to raise awareness of animal abuse

Tan shared that this was the first time she had managed to catch his deeds on camera, as the sheltered walkway would block her view during previous incidents.

She added that she had encountered the man and his dog on her way home previously but did not film him out of fear that he would hurt her.

While she had yet to report the man to the authorities, she hoped to publicise the footage to raise awareness of the abuse.

"Dogs are a companion for us, and we should also treat them well," she said.

SPCA 'pursuing leads' to identify man

In response to Mothership's queries, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Executive Director Aarthi Sankar confirmed that they received a report regarding the incident on Jan. 27 morning.

However, the information provided did not include the particulars of the person who witnessed and filmed the incident, said Sankar.

According to her, SPCA inspectors are pursuing various leads to identify the dog's owner.

Those who have credible information are encouraged to contact SPCA's 24/7 hotline at 6287 5355 (ext 9) or via email at [email protected].

All information provided will be treated with the strictest confidence, added Sankar.

Public advised to report animal cruelty immediately & responsibly

In her statement, Sankar reiterated that "the use of force has no place in our interactions with animals".

She added:

"Like humans, they are sentient and can feel distress when subjected to suffering.

Even isolated incidents of forceful handling can have a lasting impact on their mental well-being and impair their relationship with their owner."

Sankar also advised members of the public who encountered incidents of animal cruelty to report such cases immediately and responsibly.

Likewise, the National Parks Board (NParks) told Mothership that it has received feedback involving the alleged abuse of a pet dog at Boon Lay and investigations are ongoing.

Members of the public can share information on this case with NParks via the website or at 1800-476-1600 to reach out to the Animal Response Centre.

All forms of evidence are crucial to the process, NParks said, and photographic and/ or video-graphic evidence provided by the public will be helpful in supporting investigations.

Top images via Mothership reader