Businessman handed maximum $10,000 fine for dog abuse - 24Apr2014

SINGAPORE: A businessman who failed to seek timely treatment for his pet dog has been fined the maximum $10,000 under the Animals and Birds Act. Lim Soo Seng, 76, was convicted of "unreasonably omitting" to bring his female cross-breed dog to the vet for treatment in May last year. Court documents stated that the dog was "found to be emaciated", and appeared "to have been chronically starved or malnourished, possibly for months". The dog died before treatment was sought. The post-mortem found that the dog had multi-organ dysfunction. Lim had adopted the dog from the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) about seven years ago and it was mainly taken care of by his helper. He said he had instructed his helper to feed it, along with other pet dogs he owned, twice a day. But the helper noticed that the dog grew thinner, and later stopped eating altogether. It was too late by the time Lim decided to seek treatment. For not bringing the dog to the vet sooner, Lim could have been jailed up to a year, in addition to the fine. www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/businessman-handed/1081714.html