SINGAPORE – Pet owners should leave their companion animals at licensed boarding facilities when they are away, said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).

The service’s advisory was in response to The Straits Times’ query about the death of a dog at an unlicensed pet boarding facility, which AVS is looking into as a case of alleged animal neglect.

Miso, a four-year-old Singapore Special, was declared dead on Jan 2 by a vet after the dog was found unresponsive while at an unlicensed boarding service in Serangoon Gardens, which Miso’s owners did not name.

The owners, Ms Jazsica Law and her husband, Mr Steven Phua, boarded the dog there on Dec 27, 2023, expecting to pick it up on Jan 5 after they returned from their holiday in Taiwan.

Midway through the trip on Jan 2, Ms Law said she received a call from the boarding facility’s owner about Miso’s death.

According to the vet’s report, Miso had no heartbeat and was not breathing when it arrived at the clinic. Vets were also unable to perform resuscitation as rigor mortis had set in on Miso’s carcass by then, the report added.

Rigor mortis is the stiffening of joints and muscles when a human or animal dies, and occurs between two and six hours in dogs after death.

Ms Law, a photographer in her 30s, put up a series of Instagram posts about the matter from Jan 6.

She told ST: “Her sudden and premature death at the boarding place is something that we never anticipated in a million years. Her death has left an irreplaceable void in our hearts.” 

Ms Law said she was aware that the boarding facility was not licensed when she first used its services in 2021 on the recommendation of a friend, as the business was operating out of a Housing Board flat in Tampines at the time.

She said: “He was taking in only a couple of dogs and we felt more assured as there were people at the home almost round the clock.”

Following its move to a shophouse at the end of 2022, Ms Law said she assumed that the business had been licensed as a pet boarding facility as it now occupied a commercial space.

She said: “We trusted that the owner had taken the proper route (in applying for a licence), and that falls on us for not double-checking it.”

The boarding facility declined ST’s request for comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

AVS said licensing for such services is put in place to safeguard animal welfare, and encouraged pet owners to place their pets in the care of these service providers.

AVS group director Jessica Kwok said: “AVS officers conduct regular inspections at licensed pet boarding facilities to ensure compliance with licensing conditions.”

A person found guilty of operating an unlicensed pet boarding facility can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.

Under the Animals and Birds Act, a person found guilty of neglecting animals under his or her care can be fined up to $15,000, jailed for up to 18 months, or both.

Pet owners can check the AVS website for a list of licensed pet boarding facilities.