Man admits to causing dog's death by hitting its head against bathtub, placing it in ice water

SINGAPORE: In an attempt to discipline his dog, a man struck the animal until it collapsed and tried to revive it by hitting its head against a bathtub.

He then placed the poodle in ice water and showered it in cold water, before placing it in a pail and dropping it into a river.

The dog later died.

Yeo Wee Soon, 48, pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Aug 21) to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal, resulting in its death.

Another charge will be taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Yeo had bought the dog To-Bi online a week before the incident.

On the night of Feb 6, 2018, Yeo's mother was unhappy because To-Bi's fur was smeared with faeces.

While Yeo was washing To-Bi, it struggled, and Yeo struck it twice to discipline it. When the dog bit his finger, he struck it harder a third time, and the dog collapsed.

In an attempt to revive the dog, Yeo then hit its head twice against the bathtub and placed the dog in ice water.

He also showered it in cold water, and it stopped moving. He then placed the pet in a pail and dropped it into a river along Delta Avenue.

His parents heard the dog wailing and saw their son taking a pail out of the house and returning without it.

They could not find To-Bi after this and reported the matter to the police, suspecting that something was amiss.

Yeo's defence lawyer told the court that he did not intend to cause any harm to the dog.

She said he was undergoing medical evaluation and treatment, and is "in no position to be behind bars".

District Judge Eddy Tham called for reports to assess if Yeo was suitable for a mandatory treatment order and community service order.

He will return to court for sentencing on Sep 17.

For causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, Yeo can be jailed up to 18 months, fined up to S$15,000 or both.