Singapore — Clement Chia Tian Xiang, now 42, pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday (Sept 8) to four charges of abusing his dog between Oct 2016 and Nov 2017.
The court saw multiple videos of Chia’s dog, a brown toy poodle called Leslie, being hit with a hanger or punched, many times while the dog’s legs and mouth were bound.
In one video, the poodle was seen with a fan directed on it while the dog’s fur was wet.
Leslie can be heard whimpering several times in the videos, which range from between 25 seconds to one and a half minutes each.
The acts of abuse were carried out at Chia’s flat at Farrer Park Road.
Chia either had filmed the abuse himself or had it recorded by his cousin, Chia Yong-Quan, who was fined $4,500 in Jul for his participation in the incidents.
The poodle was around four years old when Chia purchased Leslie in 2016 for S$2,000.
Chia has previous offences for which he was convicted. These include possession of obscene films, rioting and theft. He was last found guilty of rioting and indecent behaviour in Sept 2015.
In 1996, he was given 18 months’ probation for rioting, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Norine Tan told the court.
The incidents of abuse first came to light in Jul of last year, after a Facebook user named Brenda Tan shared them on her page.
Her post went viral, with many netizens condemning Chia’s acts of cruelty. Some commenters tagged the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Animal Veterinary Services, which falls under the National Parks Board.
Fortunately, in 2017, Leslie was given to a former partner of Clement Chia and is in good condition today. This information concerning the current state of the dog was obtained upon a request from District Judge Lorraine Ho, who asked the prosecution to determine the condition of the dog at the time the former partner took over Leslie’s care.
Chia returns to court for sentencing on Oct 7. He could be made to pay a fine of as much as S$15,000 and be sent to jail for as long as 18 months, for each count of animal abuse.
He can also be disallowed from owning an animal for up to one year.
For his sentencing, the judge will also consider two other charges. These include failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the dog was protected from injury or disease, which are skin lesions and, skin and ear infections. /TISG
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