PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Singaporean man caught on camera brutally attacking a guard dog at a housing estate in Puchong has apologised for his actions, saying that he just "snapped" after having been attacked by the dog numerous times in the past.

Mr Terry Yee, who was identified as the man in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that went viral on social media on Thursday (April 6), expressed remorse for his actions and claimed that he was in fact an animal lover.

"I went overboard. I do apologise that I went overboard and hit the dog to the point I shouldn't have," he told TheStarTV in an exclusive interview on Friday (April 7).

On Mr Yee's lap was his pet dog which he had brought over from Singapore. He also claimed to own other animals such as cats, fish and birds.

"I love animals, but I just snapped that day. (Last) Saturday, I was attacked in the rain and lost my engagement ring. On Sunday, I got attacked again.

"Prior to that, I was attacked another six times. They (the management) have the videos, but they only showed the one where I defended myself, to the point that I became the aggressor," he said.

Mr Yee said that he had no intention to hurt the guard dog, and had acted out of frustration after repeated attacks and the lack of effort from the security guards to protect him.

But he is now eager to help the dog recover and get back on its feet.

"I am very eager to see what I can do to help the dog recover and rehabilitate. I have nothing against the dog, I really don't," he added.

Mr Yee earned the ire of Malaysians after the two-minute-43-second video that was shared online and showed him violently beating the dog.

He was earlier seen in the video falling off his bicycle as the guard dog broke free of its leash and barked at him, leading to the violent beating.

Serdang Assistant Commissioner Megat Mohd Aminuddin Megat Alias said they have since interviewed Mr Yee and are working with the Department of Veterinary Services on the investigation.