SINGAPORE – A woman who kept 79 dogs at her landed home – more than 26 times the limit of three dogs – was fined $21,500 in a case that the prosecution described as “unprecedented in scope and severity”.
On Nov 19, the court heard that the 78 poodles and one golden retriever were not licensed as at Oct 7, 2024, and that 71 of the canines had not been microchipped.
Julia Nicole Moss, 50, will have to spend one month, four weeks and 24 days behind bars if she fails to pay the fine.
The Singaporean had pleaded guilty to multiple charges for offences including having unlicensed dogs and unlawfully keeping more than three of such animals at her home.
Details about the property have been redacted from court documents.
National Parks Board (NParks) prosecutor Muhd Shafiuddin Ong said that on June 7, 2022, a law firm acting on a bank’s behalf told the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) about numerous dogs at Moss’ home.
The property was then undergoing repossession through the High Court Sheriff because of her husband’s mortgage default, the court heard.
NParks officers conducted their first inspection of the premises eight days later and found 65 unlicensed and non-microchipped dogs.
Court documents stated that in 2022 alone, AVS and NParks conducted four inspections and engagements with Moss.
During these engagements, AVS officers repeatedly told her that the dogs had to be microchipped.
However, Moss continually failed to adhere to AVS’ advice and, over a two-year period, the number of dogs went up to 79.
Throughout that period, she repeatedly informed NParks of her intention to relocate to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with her family and the 79 dogs, citing her husband’s employment there as a reason.
Mr Ong told the court: “She consistently attributed her inaction, failure to relocate and non-compliance with regulatory requirements to the purported non-payment of funds to her husband.”
However, Moss had given no proof of such incoming funds to substantiate her claims, he added.
