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Aug 26, 2005
'EXTREME CRUELTY'
Dead dog's owner fined $3,000
Arctic sled dog, deprived of water and shelter, died of heatstroke
By Chong Chee Kin
AN ALASKAN malamute is an Arctic sled dog which has two coats of fur and needs plenty of water to stay cool.
USED TO COOLER CLIMES: The Alaskan malamute was found in the backyard with blood foaming at its mouth. -- SPCA
Yet events manager Lim Bee Leong, 30, left his dog without water and shelter in the backyard of his terrace house in Lorong Pisang Emas, in Bukit Timah.
The three-year-old died of heatstroke.
When found on Jan 29, blood was foaming at its mouth. Faeces littered the small backyard. Empty dish bowls and dangerous utensils and tools such as barbecue skewers and shovels were found around the place.
There was no water in sight. No one was home. Doors to the house were closed.
Lim's neighbour, Mr Wang Teck Kwee, 45, an engineer, rang the police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) when he saw the malamute lying motionless.
After police contacted him, Lim, who lives alone, returned home the same day.
Yesterday, Lim was fined $3,000 for causing his pet 'unnecessary suffering' in a case the SPCA described as one of 'extreme neglect and cruelty'.
It was not the first time he left the dog unattended, Deputy Public Prosecutor Stella Tan told District Judge Liew Thiam Leng yesterday.
Acting on a complaint in 2003, an SPCA inspector went down to his house and told him that the weather here was too hot for an Alaskan malamute and that the dog should be kept in a cool place or in an air-conditioned room.
'The accused was also advised that the dog might die of heatstroke if it was continuously exposed to the hot sun,' she said.
The SPCA inspector also advised Lim to put up a set of blinds to shield his pet from the heat, but the tip was never taken up.
Bred initially to haul cargo over long distances in the harsh Arctic region, malamutes are now domesticated house pets.
They are especially vulnerable to tropical weather because of the two layers of fur, and need a constant supply of water to drink and shade from the sun.
Lim had little to say for himself except to ask the court to be lenient. He could have been jailed up to a year and fined a maximum of $10,000.
Contacted yesterday, SPCA executive officer Deirdre Moss said dogs have a low tolerance for heat, and panting is the only mechanism they use to cool their bodies.
'Ignorance is not an excuse! In this case, it cannot be considered ignorance - the owner was advised by us to provide shade. This is a case of extreme neglect and cruelty.'
Given the hot climate here, all pet owners need to be concerned about the temperature of the environment. Even leaving dogs unattended in cars may lead to them suffering heatstroke, she said.
In this instance, 'not enough care was taken, advice was not followed and the animal suffered the consequences'.
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READERS SAY
Readers reacted with disbelief at the fine of $3,000 given the cruel conditions that the dog was subjected to.
Ms Adelina Lim thinks the fine is too low given the man's affluence and that animal abuse should be classified as a criminal offence.
Ms Seah Bee Cheng said the fine 'shows how little life is valued in Singapore' compared to property. She notes that vandalism carries a more severe punishment which includes canning.
She suggests that AVA restrict the importing of animals of countries with different climates.
What do you think?
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so sad ..
Sometimes I visit pet shops and see the young kids all want that cute animal as pet ... I always wonder if this animal will have a good life or will end up suffering and dead ... or become "feed" for another animal. My office colleague feeds her new born baby hamsters to her pet snake ... but her snake got sick and died...
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Originally posted by browniebaobao:If u dun have the heart and time to take care of ur pet, then dun adopt it! Coz u might kill it indirectly.
yah agree!
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Originally posted by ditzy:I love my dog so much, I feed it chocolates all the time.
time to chk for diabetes
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Originally posted by poon cho tang:he asked for leniency and was granted?
yalor sumore not 1stime
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Sept 2, 2005
Heated debate
Case of arctic dog which died of heatstroke due to owner's neglect angers animal lovers, who wonder if such dogs should be allowed here
By Chong Chee Kin
STRICKEN by a skin condition, Wiskey, a one-year-old Siberian husky, was about to be put down by its owner.
Another arctic dog - an Alaskan malamute - was not so fortunate. It died after being left out in the hot sun and deprived of water by its owner, 30-year-old events manager Lim Bee Leong.
That Mr Lim was fined $3,000 last week, when he could have been jailed for neglect, did not sit well with animal lovers.
A day after news of his conviction broke, broker Jill Hum started an online petition appealing to the Attorney-General's Chambers to seek a deterrent sentence. The petition, which has so far gathered more than 2,800 signatures, closed yesterday.
PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
The two cases have also opened up a bigger issue: Should arctic dogs like the husky, malamute and samoyed even be allowed into Singapore?
Bred for the harsh arctic climate, these dogs have a double coat of fur, which means that they are ill-suited to the heat and humidity here. So ill-suited, some dog lovers believe, that an import ban should be placed on them.
This arctic dog was saved
PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
ONE-YEAR-OLD Siberian husky Wiskey was ill and plagued by a skin condition before the Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) stepped in to care for it, saving it from being put down.
Now, it is recovering well under the care of ASD volunteer Roger Wong and has been fitted with a protective collar to prevent it from scratching its wounds.
Arctic dogs like Wiskey are bred for cold climates. They have a double coat of fur, which means that they are ill-suited to the heat and humidity in Singapore.
The number of licensed dogs here has been rising steadily in recent years, up from 39,200 in 2003 to 43,000 this year. Of this number, about 700 are arctic dogs, the vast majority of them Siberian huskies.
At present, only aggressive breeds like the akita, pit bull and the mastiff are banned here because of the potential dangers they pose to humans. But ASD president Ricky Yeo believes arctic dogs should be banned too.
'Ideally, arctic breeds should not be in a hot and humid climate like ours,' he said. 'The high humidity causes problems for their skin, which becomes a breeding ground for parasites and mites.
'We cannot fathom any reason why these dogs should ever be in our environment. They serve no practical purpose other than aesthetic,' he added.
Ms Hum agreed. 'Sure, they are beautiful. I would love to own one too, but I think it's too cruel to keep them here knowing that they will never be completely comfortable in this climate.'
Their opinions will inevitably draw howls of protest from most owners of arctic dogs, but at least one has voiced his approval.
Former zoo chief Bernard Harrison, who owns a malamute and a husky, agreed that keeping the dogs here is 'crazy'. 'They are simply not designed for this kind of weather,' he said.
Mr Harrison, now a zoo consultant, adopted the two dogs five years ago at the request of his friends because his home in the Upper Thomson area has a large compound that allows plenty of room and shade for them.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said the decision whether to ban arctic breeds should be left to the authorities, albeit after consultation with the SPCA and veterinarians.
Ms Deirdre Moss, SPCA's executive officer, noted that no country had ever banned certain dog breeds because they were not suited for the weather there.
'Whatever happened to the Alaskan malamute could happen to any dog in similar circumstances - subjected to the hot sun without shade and without any water.'
Owners of arctic dogs like Mr Melvin Sim, who owns a husky, agreed.
'A husky, or any arctic dog, can be happy if the owner knows how to take care of it. It would not be fair if all arctic dog owners are punished because of one negligent owner,' he argued.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it is not uncommon for arctic breeds to be kept here and in other Asian countries.
Mr Madhavan Kannan, head of AVA's Centre for Animal Welfare and Control, said: 'These dog breeds have been kept in Singapore for many years and they can adapt to our climatic conditions. Generally, owners should keep them in cool surroundings in view of their thicker coat.'
But Mr Lim, who has now moved out of his Bukit Timah terrace house, did not - and his malamute paid the price.
cheekin@sph.com.sg
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Sept 4, 2005
Hot dogs
Arctic dogs are the latest pet craze, but if you can't keep them cool, don't buy them
By Sherwin Loh
To KEEP his three huskies happy, longtime dog groomer Owen Sim has three 42-inch industrial fans on at full blast 24/7. Water containers are also topped up with fresh water constantly for Dancer, 10, Wolfie, nine, and Red, eight.
ARCTIC CIRCLE: Mr Hubert Tan with Hakan, one of three huskies he owns. While a dog may be man's best friend, in the tropics, a husky's best friend is an air-conditioner set at extra-cool. -- JOYCE FANG
'When the weather gets very hot, I give them cold water and add ice to it,' says Mr Sim, 37, who runs pet grooming centre Best Friends in Telok Kurau Road.
Such cold treatment is necessary to help arctic dogs do well in Singapore's tropical climate, say their owners.
This small but growing group of pet lovers was in the spotlight recently when two arctic breeds - an Alaskan malamute and a Siberian husky - were found to be neglected by their owners.
The former, Max, died after it was deprived of food and water. Its owner, Lim Bee Leong, 30, was fined $3,000.
The latter, Wiskey, was abandoned by its owner and is now in the care of Action for Singapore Dogs, which finds new homes for abandoned dogs.
Angry dog lovers signed an online petition calling for Lim to be jailed as well. Others believe an import ban should be placed on arctic dogs which, given their double coats of fur, are ill-suited to the tropical heat.
But Mr Sim says caring for such dogs is not unlike tending to a Saint Bernard or Bernese mountain dog, which also have double coats of fur. And if such dogs can survive in temperate countries where the summers can be hotter than the weather in Singapore, he sees no reason why such pets cannot survive here.
But potential owners must do their homework before buying the pet and be prepared to care for it in a responsible way, he says.
Because of their beauty, arctic dogs are becoming popular with owners here. There are about 700 arctic dogs licensed here. A moderator from the local forum on arctic pets, Arcticpawzsg.com, notes that newspaper ads for arctic dogs have increased. The number of members at the site has also jumped from about 150 to over 200 in the last six months.
Most of these dogs are bred in Australia and are more expensive than your average breeds. Usually sold when they are three months old, a husky will cost you between $1,500 and $2,000, and a malamute or samoyed between $1,800 and $2,500. A Jack Russell, in comparison, costs from $800.
A malamute is generally bigger than a husky. It was originally bred for pulling sleds, while the husky was used in sled races. The samoyed, distinguished by its fluffy white fur, was also bred to pull sleds.
Dr Ng Siew Weng, a vet with 22 years' experience who operates Pet Care Centre and Clinic, says while arctic breeds are not suited for the local climate, they can be kept here as long as the owner takes proper care of them.
Administrative assistant Carole Poh, 33, who owns a nine-year-old samoyed, believes education is vital for those who insist on owning an arctic pet.
'A ban is unnecessary,' she says. 'As long as dog owners put in more effort to understand and train their pets, dogs of any breed can thrive in Singapore.'
sherwinl@sph.com.sg
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