'Treated like roadkill': Family horrified after pet shih tzu's body thrown into Toa Payoh HDB trash compactor

[UPDATE: June 2, 5.17pm]

The Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council will take disciplinary action against the staff and service provider for failing to adhere to standard operating procedures, a spokesperson said in response to AsiaOne's queries on Thursday (June 2).

In order to prevent any lapses in the future, the town council will "tighten [their] measures" in the area.

"[We are] deeply saddened by the misadventure of deceased pet dog, Cindy," the spokesperson added.

"We have visited Cindy's family to express and offer our apologies, sympathy and assistance."

For some, dogs have become family, and they would expect others to treat their pets like they would.

Imagine the horror when one family discovered that their pet shih tzu's body was disposed of via a trash compactor following her death at an HDB block in Toa Payoh).

The owner, who declined to be named, said last Thursday (May 26) that she and her mother were unable to retrieve the body of their dog Cindy even after roping in a town council officer, trash disposal management and a cleaner.

In her post in Facebook group Lost and found pets in Singapore, the owner said that her dog "passed away due to misadventure" at the void deck of Block 241, Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on May 25.

According to her, the entire family was out working and could only begin their search for the missing Cindy that evening. They discovered their pet's collar at the void deck but couldn't locate her. 

They only learnt about Cindy's death through a phone call and photo taken earlier that day, the owner said.

"We later found out from EMSU (Essential Maintenance Services Unit) that Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council was informed earlier about the body and it was taken away," the owner wrote. "But we were not sure where."

The family contacted the town council again the following morning, and learnt "the horrible news that Cindy was thrown into a trash compactor the day before, as 'no one claimed the body'."

"A six-hour window was all it took for a town council officer to decide that a trash compactor was right place to dispose [of] our dog," she said.

The owner claimed that no effort was made to contact the owners even though Cindy's collar had her name and license, as well as a family member's name and contact number.

"Cindy was family to us," she said. "We failed her by not bringing her back home with us to rest. No pet deserves to be treated like roadkill."

"We cannot do much for her at this point," the owner admitted, "but we can prevent this from happening [again]."

According to her, the Animal and Veterinary Services and the Town Council are currently investigating the matter.

When contacted by AsiaOne, the family declined to give further comment on the incident.

Whose responsibility?

While many netizens sympathised with the owner, others felt that the dog owners shared some responsibility in this incident.

"[The] owner was irresponsible and never chained [the dog] or closed [the] door," one speculated. "[What do they] expect town council workers to do?"

Another netizen questioned whether it was negligence on the owners' part. "I would find it extremely odd for my dog to escape from the flat while everyone is away, escape to the void deck and somehow pass away there."

"The owners must be responsible for their pets and saying they are busy with work is no excuse," one added. "She is definitely to blame for [this incident] in the first place but the way town council handled it is also not right."

On May 27, the family posted an update on the situation. According to them, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Singapore approached them to offer assistance.

The general manager of Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council also reached out to them to meet and speak with them that night.

"All we want is some accountability in this matter and that proper protocols are in place," a family spokesperson said.

READ ALSO: Woman seeking witnesses after dog gets run over at Paya Lebar, netizens tell her to stop blame game

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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