Ironically, the man who’ve essentially became the most hated Singaporean individual in the last 24 hours for beating up a dog… is a dog rescuer.
The man of the hour, Alan Chiam, was caught on tape scolding, punching, kicking and choking a dog in his Jalan Loyang Besar residence backyard as two other canines leashed nearby simply watched the abuse unfold. Facebook user Maimunah Mohadi uploaded the two short yet harrowing videoclips online, where it went viral.
The thing is, Chiam’s an active dog fosterer and rescuer, despite displaying behaviour that demonstrates the opposite. The New Paper reports that he had done so to discipline the black-and-white husky — the dog had gotten into a fight with a golden retriever after going for a morning walk near his house. When Chiam’s helper tried to separate the two fighting canines, the husky started growling and attempted to attack the woman.
According to Chiam, he managed to stop the husky’s attack when he used the wheelbarrow method, in which he lifted the dog’s back paws up and dragged it away. Though the fight stopped, the husky was said to have continued growling at both the golden retriever and the helper, showing further signs of wanting to attack her.
And that’s when he took the dog to the back for a thumping. “In a moment of anxiety, I then resorted to such an action,” he said.
Though initially he defended his actions (“My conscience is clear,” he stated), he apologised later on for his harsh actions, explaining that he made sure to control his strength. Sure didn’t seem like it, bud.
After witnessing the incident, Mohadi had reported to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) about the abuse, and they’ve promptly responded yesterday. AVA officers removed the dog from Chiam’s home, and has placed the husky under the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), where it underwent thorough physical examination.
“The SPCA condemns this blatant act of animal abuse and will work closely with the authorities for stern action to be taken against the perpetrator,” they stated.
Chiam on the other hand has lodged a police report on his own, claiming that his family had been harassed since the videos went viral. He pleaded to the public to leave his family members out of the matter.
