Environment
Husky allegedly confined to Toa Payoh HDB service yard, heard crying for hours by neighbours
Huskies are not HDB-approved dogs.
September 02, 2025, 11:07 AM
[Update on Sep. 3, 11am: This article has been updated with NParks’s statement. NParks has also identified the breed of the dog as an Alaskan Malamute.]
A husky was seen allegedly confined to the service yard of a Toa Payoh HDB unit.
On Sep. 1, the Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore (CDAS) Facebook page shared a video they received from a resident, which shows the husky trying to claw his way inside the house through the window.
Huskies are currently not allowed to be kept in HDB flats.
According to a Mothership reader who lives in the estate, from Jul. 13, several residents started expressing concern in the estate group chat about hearing a dog howling in distress for hours.
Some said they had seen the husky tied up in the small service yard often all day or all night.
It had been happening for some time, and the howling became more frequent in August, the Mothership reader said.
She added that it was "heartbreaking" to witness it herself.
They also shared videos where the husky's howls can be clearly heard.
— Mothership (@MothershipSG) September 2, 2025
In their post, CDAS shared that the husky was in a unit in Blk 130B Toa Payoh Lor 1, and called for urgent help to contact the owners.
A representative from CDAS told Mothership that they and the resident who shared the video have contacted the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) separately about the situation.
According to the CDAS representative, when a group of residents identified the unit and went over, the owner would not open the door, and said that they would only deal with AVS, if necessary.
Some time before 6pm on Sep. 1, AVS responded that they will act to take over the dog, the CDAS representative said.
The Mothership reader affirmed this, saying that AVS arrived at about 5:30pm on Sep. 1 and entered the unit to speak to the owners, as witnessed by several neighbours who had gathered nearby.
The dog was taken away by AVS around 8:15pm that night, according to the Mothership reader.
NParks's response
On Sep. 3, NParks told Mothership they have seized the dog, and identified it to be an Alaskan Malamute.
The Group Director of Enforcement & Investigation at NParks, Jessica Kwok, said that on Sep. 1, NParks was alerted to an Alaskan Malamute confined to a service balcony of a 35th floor HDB unit in Toa Payoh in a potentially dangerous way.
NParks officers inspected the unit that same day and found the dog in cramped conditions on the service balcony.
"Given the unsafe housing conditions and concerns over the dog’s welfare, NParks seized the dog," Kwok said. "The dog is well and currently under our care. Investigations are ongoing and NParks is in touch with the owner."
Kwok also reminded pet owners to take responsibility and provide appropriate care throughout their pet’s lifetime.
CDAS advises members of the public who notice pets in distress to document the situation by taking photos and videos with clear timestamps as evidence.
If the situation is urgent, they can call the AVS Hotline at 1800-476-1600 for immediate help, and reach out to CDAS for follow-up support.
Top images from Mothership reader and Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore's Facebook page
