A couple who kept four dogs without valid licences have been fined after the animals escaped and attacked a Labrador being walked by a domestic helper in Bedok.
On 25 August 2026, Merissa Leow Hwee Li, 51, was fined S$3,100. Her husband, Lionel Tay Wei Yuan, 52, was fined S$5,400. Leow was also ordered to pay about S$4,000 to the Labrador’s owner for veterinary and medical bills.
Shin Min Daily News and Lianhe Zaobao reported the case. Mothership carried it in English on 27 August.
Two Rottweilers, Two Cane Corsos
At about 9pm on 9 January 2024, a maid was walking her employer’s Labrador retriever around a private estate in Bedok.
As they passed Sennett Road, four dogs from Leow and Tay’s house ran out through a faulty gate: two Rottweilers and two Cane Corsos.
Both breeds are restricted in Singapore. Without prior permission from the Director-General of Animal Health and Welfare, a person may keep only one dog of a restricted breed.
The four dogs scuffled with the Labrador. The owners and their helpers rushed out and pulled the animals apart.
The Labrador was left with a wound 9cm long and 7cm deep on its neck, plus puncture wounds on its body, rump and ear. The owner also developed pain in her feet and sought medical attention. Veterinary bills came to about S$3,360. The helper’s medical bills were about S$706.
None Of The Four Dogs Had A Valid Licence
Investigations found that all four dogs belonged to the couple, and none had a valid licence.
One had never been licensed. Another had its licence cancelled. The other two had expired licences.
Leow herself had asked the authorities in May 2020 to cancel one dog’s licence, saying the family could not get along with it. The licence was cancelled. The dog stayed in the house.
The couple also did not have approval to keep more than three dogs.
Leow pleaded guilty to two charges under the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules, with seven more taken into consideration. Tay pleaded guilty to three charges, with two more taken into consideration.
True Dog Lovers, Said The Lawyer
Their lawyer, Benjamin Gabriel Sew, told the court they were not running an illegal farm. He said they were “just true dog lovers”, that one dog belonged to a cousin who has since died, and that another was adopted so it would not be put down.
He said the gate had recently been serviced and malfunctioned that night, so the escape was not negligence.
The couple paid the fines in full.
If your idea of loving dogs is four unlicensed restricted breeds behind a gate that can fail, the Labrador on Sennett Road has already paid the price.
