AVS Has Investigated & Clarified What Happened to ‘Chopped Up Dogs’ in Woodlands

It started like something out of a horror movie.

A group of enthusiastic dog lovers. Injured stray dogs in the area. Strange signs displayed by the critters. Dog carcasses hung up in white gunny sacks. A mysterious man armed with a stick-like object and numerous gunny sacks in his lorry. Installed hidden cameras that were knocked down for no particular reason.

Indeed, you could have told me that it was the plotline for Pet Sematary 3 and I wouldn’t have batted a single eyelid.

And yet, the question begets;

What truly happened to these ‘chopped up dogs’ that were reported in March 2020?

The answer, it seems, has finally been disclosed.

AVS Has Investigated & Clarified What Happened to ‘Chopped Up Dogs’ in Woodlands

According to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), the recent spine-chilling events in Woodlands were not indicative of cold-blooded murder as many had feared…

But instead the acts of a seemingly well-intentioned man.

Here’s their media statement in full:

The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board, had investigated the case of bags of animal remains hanging from trees in the Senoko area in March this year.

We received feedback in early March and conducted an on-site investigation the following day. Based on our interview with the local feeders, our officers intercepted an individual who was observed to be bringing packets of food into the forested area and emerging about 3.5 hours later. We had also searched his vehicle.

There was no evidence to suggest that he had harmed any animals. Based on what we gathered, he is a feeder and had placed the remains of puppies and dogs that had died several years ago in plastic bags as he did not have the heart to bury or cremate the dead animals. This was corroborated by our investigations on site where we found skeletal remains in the bags. There were no fresh carcasses and also no signs that suggested any animals were harmed in that area.

We understand that the article carried in the media is based on Mr Chen’s account of what he witnessed in Feb 2020. We would like to assure the public that we have spoken to the individual on the issue and are in contact with feeders in the area. We have also confirmed that there was no recent incident of missing or injured dogs.

AVS takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously, and will look into the cases reported. As with all investigations, all forms of evidence are critical to the process and photographic and/or video-graphic evidence provided by the public will help. They can alert AVS of any suspected cases via the online feedback form on our website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or call us at 1800-476-1600. Information shared with AVS will be kept strictly confidential.

Misunderstanding

TLDR; the suspicious man in question is apparently not a villain as many may have been led to believe.

Instead, he appears to be a feeder himself, and had placed the remains of dogs and puppies that passed away several years ago in plastic bags.

According to AVS, he chose to do so because “he did not have the heart to bury or cremate the dead animals.”

The statement aligns with the AVS’ findings – they unearthed skeletal remains in the bags and noted down a lack of fresh carcasses.

There were also no signs that animals have been harmed in the area.

The AVS has since spoken to Mr Chen, who raised the issue in March 2020, as well as feeders in the area.

They also stated that the public has no need to worry, as there have been no missing or injured dog cases in Woodlands recently.

However, should possible animal cruelty occur, the public is advised to get in touch with AVS immediately, either through their feedback form here or hotline at 1800-476-1600.

Information will be kept confidential.

What About The Cameras?

Though AVS’ statement has all but cleared up any doubts that we may have, there are still two things that have not been explicitly explained.

What was the man’s stick-like object for, and why were the cameras knocked down in the first place?

Now, though we have no conclusive proof, we speculate that the stick-like object may have been used to fend off wild dogs as the man proceeded to place the remains in the plastic bags.

After all, it’s highly unlikely that they would have just sat back and watched as the man collected remains from their kind.

As for the cameras, it’s possible that they were knocked down because of strong winds. Or maybe some cats were in the area and you should know that cats like to break things, especially cameras and people’s hearts.

But again, it’s all just speculation.

Animal Abuse

In all honesty, Netizens’ worries were not entirely unfounded.

Though Singapore may be a relatively safe nation, animal abuse does occur on a on-off basis.

Just last month, a cat’s mutilated carcass was found in a pool of blood in Sengkang, with one of its limbs severed.

Cleaners found the dead cat at Block 470B in Fernvale Link on Saturday (12 Dec), with its severed hind limb some distance away from its body.

Featured Image: Shin Min Reader