Dog allegedly left at a mall’s pet parking station for 4 hours, netizens call out ‘irresponsible’ owners

SINGAPORE: In recent TikTok posts, a netizen shared videos of a dog claimed to be left by its owners at a pet parking station outside a mall. It was said that the dog was left for four hours, sparking a conversation online, especially calling out pet owners who are deemed irresponsible. 

The TikToker posted several videos, and the first video has a text saying: “Saw this poor little pup tied up outside the mall today. We ate dinner, and after 1 hour he was still here. How long is too long? I would never leave my dog for 5 minutes.” 

@tonitonitoni675 #furmum #foryou #rescuedog #chihuahua #adoptdontshop ♬ Lonely – Akon

The following post shared an update that they had checked the CCTV footage in the mall and found out that the dog was left at the pet parking station at 5 p.m. They arrived at the mall to have dinner at 7:30 p.m. and left at 8:30 p.m. The dog was only reunited with its owner at 9 p.m.

The person stated that they had filed a report to NParks, which then got the owner’s phone number from the dog’s collar. As per NParks, they would contact the TikToker for updates. 

With this, many netizens expressed their thoughts and opinions on so-called irresponsible pet owners. One netizen commented: “If the dog is gonna be left for a long time at the mall, better to just leave it at home then.” 

Another netizen remarked: “Dear Dog owners, if you cannot ensure your dog’s well-being, please leave your dog at home instead of outside unattended, especially during thunderstorms. Observe your dog’s face; it reflects their distress.” 

Several of the comments also pointed out that the dog looked so confused and sad and that the dog was not left with any water to drink. “It must have been so thirsty waiting there,” a comment said. 

One more netizen stated that pet owners should be mindful that pets are living creatures and that they also have emotions. “It [taking care of pets] requires tender love and care. Raising a pet is a lifetime responsibility,” the comment concluded. 

“Whoever the owner is, they don’t deserve that dog,” another netizen declared. 

In Singapore laws, if a dog causes injury to any person, the dog owner shall be guilty of an offence and will be liable to pay a fine of not exceeding S$5,000. Furthermore, the owner of the dog may also have to pay the injured person an amount up to S$2,000 as compensation. While there is no specific law regarding leaving pets unattended, owners remain responsible for ensuring their animals do not cause harm.