Woman charged with keeping unlicensed pet farm and dogs

SINGAPORE — A 39-year-old woman was charged in court yesterday after she was found to have operated a pet farm without a licence and kept unlicensed dogs.

Lin Xiaoqun, a Singapore permanent resident, faced one charge of owning a farm without a valid pet farm licence, given that she was breeding puppies for sale at her pet shop. She also faced eight charges of owning dogs without licence. The prosecution is proceeding with five charges.

Lin is the licensee of Ethans Pet Resort, a pet shop located in Farmart Centre at Sungei Tengah near Choa Chu Kang. 

On Feb 3, officers from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) showed up unannounced at her shop for an inspection. During the checks, they discovered a female Shiba Inu dog with four puppies. 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the AVA said that Lin admitted to breeding puppies for sale in her shop.

She then voluntarily surrendered a total of nine adult dogs and four puppies to the AVA, and admitted that the adult dogs were used for breeding and they were unlicensed. 

Some puppies found at her shop include a female Chow Chow and two female Golden Retrievers, all about three months old. 

The AVA then pressed charges against her, because a pet-farm licence is required for breeding.   

In court on Wednesday, Lin showed no emotion as her charges were read to her. She intends to plead guilty, the court heard. 

She will return for a hearing on June 14.

If found guilty of keeping or maintaining a pet farm without a licence, Lin could be fined up to S$10,000, or jailed up to 12 months, or both. 

For keeping an unlicensed dog, she could be fined up to S$5,000 per charge. 

(Photos: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority)