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'.
