Man fined after his off-leash bull terrier attacked another dog, injuring owner

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean man was fined $4,500 after his dog, a male bull terrier, attacked another dog belonging to a member of the public, resulting in the latter being injured.

Ng Boon Siong was sentenced on Nov 26 for not leashing or muzzling his dog in a public place. Bull terriers are a scheduled species, which means they are required to be muzzled and leashed in public places by law.

Investigations revealed that Ng was playing fetch with his bull terrier near a playground along Jalan Taman on Oct 23, 2023, at about 8am. Ng had repeatedly thrown a ball for it to chase after and pick up.

His dog was unleashed and unmuzzled – which meant that it was not under Ng’s control at the time, noted court documents.

At the same time, a member of the public identified only as Ooi was taking his leashed dog, a shiba inu named Miso, for a walk nearby.

Ng’s dog then charged towards the pair and attacked Miso. This caused Ooi to immediately pull his dog away.

However, at that point, the bull terrier was already biting onto Miso’s harness. Ooi struggled to pull his dog away, and was dragged down the road by the bull terrier.

Ng then came over to the scene to attempt to pull his bull terrier away, and also tried hitting it on its face with his fist to stop the attack, both to no avail.

The bull terrier released its bite on Miso only after Ng’s domestic helper came over with an object that resembled a whip and a leash and hit it. The domestic helper then pulled the bull terrier away into Ng’s house.

Court documents showed that Ng had previously been issued three fines under the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board.

Two of them, fines of $200 each, were issued on Dec 21, 2022, for not leashing and muzzling his dog in a public place. The third fine of $1,000 was issued on Sept 14, 2023, for having his dog being found at large – meaning that it was found off its owner’s premises, without the owner being in control of it.

Following the scuffle, Ooi found that Miso’s harness was damaged, with his dog suffering an abrasion on its snout.

Ooi suffered a deep abrasion wound on his left knee and sprain on his right ankle. He also had scratches on his torso and abrasions on his fingers from being dragged onto the road during the scuffle.

Following this, Ooi sought medical attention at Kallang Polyclinic the next day, incurring charges of $122.68. He also purchased a replacement harness for Miso at a cost of $26.65.

In a statement on Nov 28, AVS reminded all pet owners to be considerate and practise responsible pet ownership.

“Leash your dog in public places, and when encountering other pets, always ask the other pet owner before allowing any interactions,” said an AVS spokesperson. “For meetings with non-pet owners, be mindful of personal space and keep your dog close to prevent any unwelcome advances.”