Dog dies after allegedly being left unattended at Tanjong Katong pet groomer, NParks investigating
NParks is investigating the death of a poodle named Buddy at Pawsome Singapore after CCTV footage showed the dog left unattended and in distress. The family has lodged a police report and sent Buddy’s body to AVS for an autopsy.
- NParks is investigating a dog’s death at Pawsome Singapore after CCTV footage showed the poodle, Buddy, left unattended and in distress.
- The family has sent Buddy’s body to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) under NParks for an autopsy and has also lodged a police report.
- Pawsome says it is cooperating fully with the authorities as investigations continue.
SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) is investigating an incident involving a pet groomer along Tanjong Katong Road, following the death of a dog that was allegedly left unattended on Thursday (30 Oct).
The dog's owner, Tanish Dhillon, shared a 12-minute closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording on 1 November showing his pet poodle, Buddy, in apparent distress while caged at Pawsome Singapore, a pet retail and grooming facility located at 320 Tanjong Katong Road.
Buddy had been a regular customer at the salon for four years and was originally purchased from the same establishment.
According to the footage, recorded between 9.50am and 10.02am, no staff members were present in the room during that period.
Buddy could be seen wriggling, panting, and crying repeatedly, while continuous barking was also heard.
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“This is very hard to write,” Tanish said.
“On Thursday this week, I handed my dog to the care of his groomers of four years — the same people we bought him from. At 11.50am, I received a call telling me that my dog had died. When I asked how, they told me he just collapsed.”
He added that, according to Pawsome, Buddy had arrived at around 9am via their transport service, but the groomer only came in at 10.30am — meaning Buddy had been left alone for more than an hour.
When Tanish arrived at the groomer’s premises around noon, he was shown CCTV footage of Buddy’s final moments, where he said he could hear his dog’s cries and screams, but no one appeared to check on him.
“Their answer was that they were cleaning as part of their standard operating procedures. They placed my dog in a room alone and ignored his cries. They had CCTV in that room, but apparently no one was watching it. Buddy died at 10.01am and was left alone for an hour after his death.”
Tanish said the shop contacted him on 31 October, a day after Buddy’s death, asking what arrangements the family had made for the dog, and whether he had shared the story online because they “didn’t do a good job”.
“I would say putting it as ‘you didn’t do a good job’ is an understatement,” Tanish said.
“Buddy died because you all were busy doing your operational work instead of checking the CCTV where my dog was. You messed up lah," Tanish said.
Family Seeking Answers
Tanish’s sister, Tanya Dhillon, 27, told CNA that she had arranged for Buddy, a three-year-old standard poodle, to be sent to Pawsome for a routine grooming session that day.
She claimed that Buddy was left unsupervised in a cage while waiting for his appointment.
Pawsome reportedly informed the family that Buddy was discovered unresponsive by a groomer at 10.33am, and that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed.
Tanya said the salon had not shared the full CCTV footage of the incident.
“My first few questions to them were: when did Buddy arrive? How long was he in the cage for? Was there anyone supervising him, and for how long was he left alone?” she said.
According to her, Pawsome later sent Buddy’s body to a veterinarian, where he was pronounced dead.
“When I lifted his ears, I realised there were blood splatters inside,” she said. “It didn’t seem natural at all. Why would there be blood splatters if he was fine?”
The family has since sent Buddy’s body to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster under NParks, for an autopsy. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
The family has also lodged a police report and is planning to pursue legal action.
Pawsome Responds
Pawsome Singapore issued a statement via Instagram Stories on Saturday, saying that it was “heartbroken” over what happened to Buddy.
“He brought so much joy every time he visited, and our team cared for him deeply,” the statement read. “At Pawsome, every dog is treated with love, respect, and attention — just as we would our own.”
The company told CNA that it was cooperating fully with the authorities and that its team was “deeply affected” by the incident.
NParks Statement
In response to media queries, NParks’ group director of enforcement and investigation, Jessica Kwok, confirmed that the agency is “looking into a case involving a dog at a pet grooming facility”.
“NParks takes a serious view of the case and will take stern enforcement action if the pet grooming facility is found to be negligent,” Kwok said.
She added that AVS’ Code of Animal Welfare (for the Pet Industry) outlines the minimum standards for pet businesses, including housing, management, and care.
The code also lists best practices, such as not leaving animals unattended during grooming, bathing, or drying.
“All owners in the pet industry are encouraged to adopt these standards. Any non-compliance may be used as evidence to support enforcement actions,” Kwok added.
Animal Welfare Context
According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Singapore recorded a 12-year high in animal cruelty and welfare cases in 2024, with 961 confirmed cases — up from 915 in 2023.
Under Singapore law, those found guilty of animal cruelty while operating or working in an animal-related business face up to two years in jail and/or a fine of S$40,000 (US$30,730).
