SINGAPORE — A 22-year-old dog groomer was fined S$8,000 on Wednesday (May 3) and disqualified from running any animal-related business for nine months, after a maltese under her care died when she left it unattended for seven minutes while on a smoke break.

Boon Regine Vienna pleaded guilty to one charge related to causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal.

The white maltese, aged 10, was hanged by the neck on a short leash until it died. Boon had placed the dog on a grooming table and it accidentally slipped off the edge.

National Parks Board's prosecutor Desmond Lua said that on Nov 9 in 2021, Boon was working as a pet groomer at the Raku Inu pet shop along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.

Around 2pm that day, the dog owner, whose name was not disclosed in court documents, had left the pet at the shop for a grooming session.

After the owner left, Boon placed the dog on a grooming table and secured it with a short leash around its neck that was attached to the table.

After grooming the maltese for some time, Boon decided to take a toilet and smoke break at around 3.35pm, Mr Lua said.

Instead of securing the dog with an extra sling under its arm, she observed the dog for half a minute before assessing that there was no need to restrain or move the animal to a safer position since it “did not seem active”.

However, at about 3.40pm, after Boon had left the animal alone, the dog slipped off the table as it tried to lie down.

“As the leash was not long enough to reach the ground, (the maltese) was hanged by the leash in mid-air for an extended period of time before it stopped moving,” Mr Lua said, while he played surveillance footage in court showing part of the incident.

Boon returned to the grooming table only at around 3.45pm and found the dog motionless.

She immediately called a colleague for help, and the dog was taken to a nearby veterinarian who was unable to revive the pet.

MADE A POOR JUDGEMENT

Seeking a fine of S$8,000 and a disqualification period of 12 months, Mr Lua said that Boon had a high degree of culpability because she had taken a calculated risk that led to the dog’s death when she left for her toilet and smoke break.

In seeking a lighter sentence for his client, Mr Vinodh Visvanathan of Hin Tat Augustine and Partners law firm agreed that while Boon could have averted the death, she did not make a “conscious decision to take a risk on the life of an animal”.

Rather, she had made a “poor judgement on the safety aspect of the situation, which she deeply regrets”, Mr Vinodh said.

He similarly sought a fine of S$8,000, but asked the court to consider imposing a disqualification of seven months instead. He made a note of Boon’s passion for pet grooming, of which she hopes to make a career for herself eventually.

Mr Vinodh also said that Boon has been grooming many dogs over the years, having begun at the age of 18, and highlighted how she has received “satisfied reviews” from pet owners for her skills.

He added that immediately after the dog’s death, Boon contacted the owner and apologised, which the owner accepted.

Boon offered to compensate the owner for the loss, but was told by her employer that the firm would offer compensation of S$20,000 instead.

Mr Vinodh said that this was the first time a “mishap” had happened under Boon's watch and it made her aware that “she had much to learn to groom an animal safely”.

She has plans to enrol herself in a grooming course, the lawyer added.

In delivering her sentence, District Judge Lorraine Ho said that people who are given responsibilities to care for animals for their living ought to exercise due care and diligence to ensure the animals' welfare.

“I hope that the accused will take this time to… upskill and upgrade herself such that she will return to this pet industry confidently,” the judge added.

“(And then) she will be able to contribute even more effectively and with greater passion, and reciprocate the trust and confidence her customers have in her.”

Anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$40,000, or both.