SINGAPORE - The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is identified the man who was caught on video hitting and kicking a dog early Wednesday (Feb 17) morning.
The incident, which took place near Block 148, Meiling Street, in Queenstown estate at about 1.20am, had been filmed by a "concerned resident", SPCA said in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon.
In the 60-second clip, the man is seen slapping the dog's head repeatedly. He later aims a kick at it as it flinches several times from the repeated abuse.
SPCA's post has since been shared nearly 1,000 times since it was put up.
In an update on Thursday (Feb 18) morning, SPCA said it learnt that the man was not the dog's owner.
"The owners of the dog were very upset when they found out about the abuse and were cooperative with the investigations," it wrote. "We sought assistance from the police who attended and interviewed the suspect."
The dog appeared physically unharmed but an SPCA investigator brought it to a veterinary clinic for a physical examination and X-rays as a precaution.
SPCA added that it was providing all investigation findings to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) for their enforcement action.
The man had earlier been described as having a dark complexion, short-haired and was wearing a black T-shirt with shorts. He is approximately 1.75m to 1.8m in height.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, anyone found guilty of cruelty to animals, including abandonment of any animals, can be imprisoned for up to 18 months, fined up to $15,000, or both.
