AVS investigating case of dog allegedly tied to vehicle with a short leash at Ikea carpark

SINGAPORE – The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is looking into a case involving a dog that was allegedly tied to a vehicle with a short leash at a carpark on May 26.

Photos and a video shared on social media, reportedly taken at the carpark of Ikea’s Alexandra Road store, showed the leashed dog standing on its hind legs outside a black van or sitting on the floor.

“NParks (National Parks Board) has received feedback on a case whereby a dog was allegedly tied with a short leash to a vehicle and is looking into the matter,” AVS said, in response to queries from The Straits Times.

A passer-by, who gave her name as Mrs Lim, told ST that she was about to leave Ikea when she noticed the dog at about 1.30pm.

She noted that its barking attracted “some attention”, but did not observe anyone coming to check on the dog.

“We drove over to take a closer look and the dog looked like it could still sit and breathe, so (it was) not in immediate danger, albeit in an awkward and uncomfortable position,” she said.

She added that she and her companions stayed in the vicinity for about five minutes. However, they did not see the dog’s owner so they decided to report the matter to Ikea.

“Ikea said that they would send the security team to assist with the situation,” she said. “When we followed up with a call, they mentioned the team was handling it but they would inform the security team again. I think a few of us made separate calls and the last update from one of our friends said the dog and the driver had driven off.”

A spokesman for Ikea said its staff “searched the carpark in vain” after receiving five calls about the incident between between 2.31pm and 3.32pm. “Further investigations through closed-circuit television (CCTV) revealed that the vehicle had already left our premises at 2.16pm,” the spokesman added.

The furniture giant also advised members of the public against leaving pets unattended in or outside stationary vehicles without supervision.

Some social media users criticised the move to leave the dog on such a short leash, but others suggested the van’s window might have been opened to allow for ventilation and the dog jumped out of the vehicle.

Posts showing the incident were uploaded on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit, garnering about 700 shares, 1,400 reactions and 450 comments in total. It was also reported by at least three media outlets, including The New Paper and AsiaOne.

“Looks like the leash was tied and extended from inside the car, so this means the driver-side window was opened for ventilation, but it seems that the owner didn’t count on the dog jumping out,” one commenter said.

AVS said it takes all public feedback on animal health and welfare seriously.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) executive director Aarthi Sankar appealed to pet owners to abide by the Code of Animal Welfare, which states that they should ensure that the equipment, area and means of tethering are safe and comfortable for the pet.

“In this case, a carpark is neither safe nor comfortable due to the presence of moving vehicles and poor ventilation,” she told ST.

“For dogs, the tether should be at least twice the dog’s length (nose to base of tail) and the anchor point should be low enough that the dog can lie down comfortably.”

She also asked members of the public to report cases of animal cruelty or compromised welfare to the organisation as soon as they observe the incident.

“This enables us to gather as much information as possible to build the weight of evidence,” she said, adding that all information will be treated with strict confidence.

Individuals who are caught abusing an animal may be charged under the Animal and Birds Act. First-time offenders could be fined up to $15,000, jailed for up to 18 months, or both.