A 43-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail and fined S$2,500 on 15 Apr 2025 after pleading guilty to smuggling a puppy from Malaysia and abandoning another dog while on bail.
Mahentharan Ganesan, who owned a transportation company in Malaysia, admitted to one count of importing an animal without a licence and two counts of breaching his duty of care as an animal owner.
Another charge was taken into consideration for his sentencing.
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Puppy Smuggling Operation Linked to Debt Repayment
Court documents revealed that Mahentharan had borrowed money from an unknown Chinese male who was reportedly a client of his company.
This individual later offered Mahentharan a job to repay his debt by bringing animals from Malaysia to Singapore illegally.
Though Mahentharan initially refused because he knew such actions were against the law, he eventually agreed due to his financial difficulties.
The lender introduced Mahentharan to a person known only as “Mr Dog,” who provided job assignments and instructions.
Under this arrangement, Mahentharan would collect animals from various parties and deliver them to recipients in Singapore.
The animals, usually between one and three per trip, were often placed in laundry bags or boxes and appeared sedated.
Mahentharan received S$60 in cash for each delivery within Singapore, regardless of the number of animals transported.
At one point, “Mr Dog” offered Mahentharan S$500 to bring a puppy from Malaysia to Singapore. Mahentharan agreed, allegedly because only one animal was involved.
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On 20 Oct 2023, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers at Tuas Checkpoint found a Labrador Retriever puppy hidden in a laundry bag placed inside the spare tyre compartment of Mahentharan’s vehicle during an inspection.
When stopped, Mahentharan lied to officers, claiming he had nothing to declare and that the laundry bag contained only laundry.
Animal Welfare Violations and Health Concerns
Following the discovery, the puppy was sent to the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) for care and examination.
A veterinarian’s assessment concluded that the puppy had “experienced pain and suffering” as it was transported in cramped conditions.
The report noted that the puppy would have been prevented from standing, turning around, and lying down naturally considering the compartment’s dimensions.
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Additionally, the puppy suffered from poor ventilation as the spare tyre compartment was concealed on all sides.
The veterinarian also diagnosed the puppy with canine parvovirus, a condition that can lead to rapid dehydration, sepsis, and possibly death.
Further Offences While on Bail
While Mahentharan was released on bail on 6 Nov 2024, he accepted another delivery job from someone named “Michael,” whom he met through a Telegram group chat called “SG Pet Discussion.”
Michael arranged for Mahentharan to pick up three puppies for grooming and boarding on 11 Dec 2024, paying him S$150 for the job.
Mahentharan managed to deliver two puppies but failed to deliver the third one—a brown Dachshund.
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Since his family was unaware of his animal delivery jobs, Mahentharan chose to abandon the puppy at the void deck of his HDB flat around 4:00 PM that same day.
A witness reported the abandonment to authorities, leading to the recovery of the puppy by AVS. The puppy had no microchip, and its origin remained unknown.
The Telegram messages between Mahentharan and Michael had been auto-deleted, further complicating the investigation.
The identities of “Mr Dog” and the Chinese male to whom Mahentharan owed money remain unknown, as Mahentharan claimed not to know their real names or where the animals originated from.
It also remains unclear how many similar assignments Mahentharan had completed within Singapore.
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