SPCA 'deeply disturbed' by video of man smacking dog's head repeatedly
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has condemned the action of a man who was caught on camera repeatedly hitting a dog on its head.
It is also appealing for more information and the identity of the man for investigations.
The incident occurred at the Weekenders Market in Jurong Play Grounds on Sunday (Dec 4), at around 5pm.
Stomper Z, who witnessed the incident, said it left him feeling "helpless and angry".
He also shared a video that shows the dog barking and yelping, while being smacked on the head multiple times by the man.
A woman seated next to the man watches but does not intervene.
The Stomper recounted: "He was smacking the dog’s head so many times just because it barked at the other dogs passing by.
"This went on for 10 to 15 minutes, with him hitting the dog many times but stopping in between. He then continued smacking the dog’s head for some time before they left.
"Nobody stepped forward to stop, not even his wife."
In response to a Stomp query, Ms Aarthi Sankar, executive director of SPCA, said on Thursday (Dec 8): "Animal abuse has no place in our society. We are deeply disturbed by the actions portrayed in the video as such methods to train our animals are aversive and unacceptable from a welfare standpoint.
"Unfortunately, cases of choking, strangling, suspending, kicking, beating and shocking a dog with electric collars are still being practised when training an animal. These methods are archaic and cause more harm than good.
"If you are facing trouble managing your pet, we believe that sending your pet for force-free, positive, humane training classes that focus on rewarding good behaviour instead of punishment, is the best option."
Ms Sankar added: "The owner of the video/witness can contact us by calling our 24/7 hotline at 6287 5355 (ext. 9) or e-mail inspector@spca.org.sg. Information provided will be treated in the strictest of confidence."
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