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A video of a woman seen cycling with a leashed dog running behind her on a busy road has sparked outrage from netizens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The footage of the Shiba Inu along Serangoon Road near Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital was posted in the Facebook group Shiba Inu Club Singapore on Wednesday (May 6).<\/p>\n
“It has come to our attention that one Shiba owner tie the poor Shiba and cycle along the busy road. If anyone happens to know this lady, please let us know,” captioned the post by Evan Lim.<\/p>\n
Lim told AsiaOne that the video was recorded at 6.18pm on the same day.<\/p>\n
He said that he was shocked and worried for the dog, which was forced to keep up with the cyclist’s pace.<\/p>\n
“In the first place, the owner should not be doing this on a busy road. This is exposing the dog to unnecessary danger,” said Lim.<\/p>\n
“Why would a pet owner or any human expose their beloved pet or animal to this?”<\/p>\n
He and his friends reported the incident to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).<\/p>\n
In the comments section, netizens expressed anger over the dog owner’s actions.<\/p>\n
“Please report! This is ill treatment and dangerous for the dog as driver’s blind spot,” wrote one user.<\/p>\n
“With a poor doggy running with all its breath to catch up on busy road is even worse. A vehicle may not see this poor doggy with the driver height in vehicle,” another similarly commented.<\/p>\n
“What’s wrong with this lady, is she insane or what?! It’s very dangerous for the poor dog and it is cruel to do such things. This is not exercise this is abuse,” added another netizen.<\/p>\n
When contacted by AsiaOne, SPCA said it is aware of the incident and has escalated the matter to the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) under NParks for further investigation.<\/p>\n
“Such incidents can endanger the lives of both the animal and humans in the vicinity. Leashed to the moving bicycle, the dog is forced to keep pace whether or not they are physically able to.<\/p>\n
“If they fall behind even slightly, the collar\/harness could dig painfully into their skin and cause injury. Especially in our hot climate, heatstroke is a real possibility for dogs subjected to strenuous activity,” the society said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dog owner would also not be able to tell if the animal is in distress or experiencing discomfort, SPCA added.<\/p>\n
SPCA advised members of the public who witness incidents where animals are placed in situations that endanger their welfare to document such incidents with clear photos and videos that are timestamped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The exact address and photos of the location can also help establish the context of the incident when making a report to SPCA and NParks\/AVS.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the situation is more persistent and there is reasonable time to mobilise the relevant officers, members of the public can also call SPCA and NParks at their emergency hotlines after documenting the evidence, said the society.<\/p>\n
AsiaOne has reached out to AVS for more information.<\/p>\n
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helmy.saat@asiaone.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n