SINGAPORE: A man who operated a pet shop without a licence, kept unlicensed dogs and exceeded the maximum number of dogs allowed in a non-pet shop or farm was fined S$6,600 in court on Wednesday (May 23).
Desmond Phua Ju Liang, 44, had been investigated by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) in May 2017 after the authorities received feedback that there were illegal sales of dogs and alleged welfare issues at his pet grooming and boarding services shop My Pet Store.
AdvertisementAVA said in a news release on Wednesday that during its inspection, 12 dogs were found caged at the rear of the shop. While there were no animal welfare issues, eight dogs were found to be unlicensed, said AVA.
Of the other four dogs, one belonged to a customer using Phua's boarding services. Additionally, Phua was found to have sold seven dogs despite not having a pet shop licence, which is required to display any animal for sale.
Phua could have been fined S$5,000 each for operating an unlicensed pet shop and for keeping a dog that is older than three months or keeping more than three dogs in any premises that is not a dog farm.
"Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared responsibility that needs the cooperation of all stakeholders, including the public. Members of the public can play their part by being vigilant," said AVA.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"The public should promptly report cases of illegal pet shops or animal cruelty to AVA via our 24-hour hotline, 1800-476-1600, or via our website. Providing photographic and/or videographic evidence will help us in our investigations.
"All information shared with AVA will be held in strict confidence."
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