Singapore couple fined after four dogs scuffle with Labrador
A court in Singapore on August 25 fined a married couple whose four dogs ran out of their home through a faulty gate and got into a scuffle with a Labrador being walked by its owner’s domestic worker. The incident occurred on January 9, 2024, in the Bedok area. The Labrador suffered a deep open wound on its neck measuring 9 cm in length and 7 cm in depth, as well as puncture wounds on its body.
According to Channel NewsAsia, 51-year-old Marissa Leow Hui Li was fined S$3,100, while her 52-year-old husband Lionel Tay Wei Yuan was fined S$5,400. Leow must also pay the Labrador’s owner about S$4,000 in compensation for veterinary and medical expenses.
Scuffle on the street
At about 9 p.m., the domestic worker was walking the Labrador in a residential area and was passing Sennett Road when two Rottweilers and two Cane Corsos ran out of Leow and Tay’s house. The dogs got into a scuffle with the Labrador, after which Leow and the owner of another dog ran to the scene. Together with their domestic workers, they separated the animals.
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The Labrador’s owner felt pain in her legs and sought medical attention. She spent about S$3,360 on veterinary treatment for the dog and about S$700 on her own medical expenses. She then filed a complaint with the authorities.
Breaches of pet-keeping rules
The investigation found that none of the four dogs had a valid licence: one had never been licensed, another’s licence had previously been revoked, and the licences of the other two had expired. Leow pleaded guilty to two charges — allowing her dog to be unattended outside the home and keeping a Rottweiler without a valid licence. The court took a further seven charges into consideration during sentencing.
Tay pleaded guilty to three charges: keeping a dog without a valid licence, keeping more than three dogs at home, and keeping more than one restricted-breed dog. Rottweilers and Cane Corsos are restricted breeds in Singapore, and only one such dog may be kept without a special permit. The couple’s lawyer said the gate malfunctioned on the day of the incident, although it had recently been serviced.
