Pasir Ris pet farm owner fined $180,000 for keeping 8 dogs in poor health
The owner of a Pasir Ris pet farm was fined a total of $180,000 on Wednesday (7 June) for keeping eight dogs in poor condition.
Edwin Tan Guowei, 29, will also be disqualified from engaging in animal-related businesses for six months from 7 August.
Last month, Tan was convicted on six counts of failing to provide proper care of the dogs under the farm’s watch. He has been the licensee of the Top Breed Pet Farm since 2015 and was caring for more than 100 dogs at the time of the offences.
On 9 March last year, eight of the dogs in his care were found to be in poor condition during a surprise inspection by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
AVA officers found that the dogs – which included a schnauzer, a pomeranian, a bulldog and several shih tzus – had chronic eye conditions and skin diseases.
Tan was told to take the dogs to a veterinarian for immediate treatment and to produce the vet’s report during the next inspection. A report was produced in March last year and another July after a follow-up inspection.
In the first report, the vet found that one of the dogs – an unsterilised male husky – was suffering from muscle wastage and had open wounds on its left hind leg and posterior. Several dogs had corneal swelling and discolouration in their eyes.
A female shih tzu that had a discoloured right eye and a fur condition, had passed away by the time of the follow-up inspection.
Care for animals was ‘grossly inadequate’: judge
In sentencing Tan, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said that as the owner of the pet farm, Tan had a” greater obligation” to care and provide for the dogs.
The DJ described Tan’s attempt to manage the dogs through self-medication as “grossly inadequate”. He added that animal owners had to ensure that their animals’ welfare is not compromised for profit.
In a previous hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Selene Yap sought a fine of at least $30,000 per charge, and a disqualification order to prevent Tan from engaging in animal-related businesses for 12 months.
She asked for the disqualification order to begin two months after the sentencing date to allow Tan time to re-home the dogs.
In mitigation, Tan’s lawyer Daniel Ho said that this was “not a case of maltreatment”. He said that the mistreated dogs were already isolated before the 9 March inspection after Tan noticed that they needed treatment.
Tan was set to $8,000 of his fine on Wednesday and the remaining sum in instalments. As a first-time offender, Tan could have beed fined up to $40,000, jailed for up to two years, or both, for each charge.
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