NParks probing video of handler kicking dog on Coney Island
The National Parks Board (NParks) is looking into a case of a dog handler kicking a dog at Coney Island Park.
A five-second clip that surfaced on social media sites on Nov 6 shows two women walking side by side, each handling four leashed dogs. One of the women is seen kicking one of the dogs in the face.
The video was uploaded by @sgfollowsall on Instagram, with a caption stating that the individual who filmed it had witnessed the incident at 10.57am on Nov 6 while on a stroll at Coney Island Park.
In response to queries by The Straits Times, Ms Jessica Kwok, NParks’ group director of enforcement and investigation, said the organisation had received feedback on the incident and was looking into it.
Ms Kwok said: “We will take action against anyone who has abandoned their pet, failed to provide adequate care for it or has committed an act of animal cruelty.”
Ms Aarthi Sankar, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said SPCA had received several reports of the case and escalated them to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) – which is within NParks – for further action.
The dog handlers were identified on social media as being from Stormwoofers Daycare & Boarding, a local pet care agency founded in November 2022.
The agency responded to the video via stories on their Instagram page and revealed that the dog was a shiba inu named Stormi, which belonged to the business owner herself.
The owner posted an explanation, saying she had seen her dog “chewing something” and “needed to stop (the dog) in an emergency”.
She added: “As I didn’t have control over its leash (which was held by the other dog handler), I had to use my foot in the heat of the moment.”
She acknowledged handling the situation “poorly”, and said she acted out of concern that her dog would have to visit the vet if it ate a poisonous fruit or other things off the floor.
In a phone call with ST later on Nov 6, the owner – who declined to share her name or age – apologised for what was shown in the video.
She said she has had Stormi for three years and that the dog has a “very, very sensitive tummy” and previous bowel problems.
The owner said she would normally give a command to Stormi to drop or leave an item if she noticed the dog was about to pick something up from the ground. But in the scenario captured on video, she noticed it too late.
“One more second and it would have been in her tummy,” she said.
She added that the video, which circulated on social media, showed only the kick and “ended there abruptly”.
She said: “It did not show how I attended to (Stormi) and checked if the other dogs were fearful.”
The owner also vowed to explore ways to further educate herself as a trainer.
The AVS website states that first-time offenders found guilty of failure in duty of care of their pets are liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and 12 months’ jail.
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