SINGAPORE, Dec 1 — A domestic helper in Singapore was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on Tuesday for abusing a pet poodle, Boyboy, following her employer’s directives.
Media outlet Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that Myanmar national Junny Lal Awn Pui, 26, was convicted of three counts of animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act.
The abuse, captured on CCTV, showed Junny hitting Boyboy, a 15-year-old brown poodle, with her hand and a rod-like object and suspending it by its harness from a balcony railing.
A veterinary report by the National Parks Board (NParks) concluded that the abuse likely caused the dog’s death, with prosecutors stating the blows caused “severe pain and suffering” and likely led to a fatal head injury.
Court documents revealed that Junny had acted on the instructions of her employer, a 37-year-old woman referred to as Heng.
Boyboy, owned by Heng’s boyfriend, only known as Lai, had been kept at Heng’s home, segregated from her other dogs, confined to the balcony, and fed separately.
Heng instructed Junny to hit the dog if it ate without permission and created a rod from pet food packaging for this purpose.
On January 22, Junny hit Boyboy multiple times and left it hanging from its harness in the sun to reduce its odour.
Later that day, Boyboy was found motionless, bleeding, and twitching. It died shortly after.
Heng arranged for the dog’s cremation but informed Lai of its death only after celebrating his birthday.
Suspicious of the dog’s sudden death, Lai reviewed the CCTV footage and discovered the abuse, prompting a report to NParks.
The case has raised questions about Heng’s accountability, with NParks yet to confirm if action will be taken against her.
