SINGAPORE — A 21-year-old Malaysian man was sentenced to eight months’ jail on Wednesday (Dec 28) for attempting to smuggle 23 live puppies to Singapore on a yacht. He will also serve a concurrent four-month sentence for animal cruelty.

According to a statement by the the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), on the afternoon of Oct 28, Police Coast Guard officers had found Yeun Jian Iun and his accomplice Cheow Yon Siong onboard a Singapore-registered yacht during a patrol at the sea off Changi General Purposes Anchorage.

In a routine inspection, the authorities discovered the puppies — comprising nine poodles, five shih tzus, four pomeranians, three French bulldogs, and two golden retrievers — kept in six pet carriers in cramped conditions and concealed under bath towels.

The two men did not have an AVA import permit or health certificate for the puppies.

Investigations showed that no food or water were provided to the puppies during their journey, and some of the puppies showed clinical signs of lethargy, inappetence and diarrhoea.

Despite veterinary treatment, 11 of the 23 puppies later succumbed to illnesses and died. The 12 surviving puppies were cared for and quarantined at AVA’s Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station (SAQS) while the case was under investigation.

Cheow was also charged in court for illegally importing animals and for animal cruelty. His case will be mentioned again on Jan 18 next year.