'My child fought for his life': Owner says pet 'struggled' before allegedly dying at S'pore grooming salon
A dog owner's account of her pet's death during a grooming session has drawn widespread attention and sympathy.
The owner, who identifies herself as Tanya Dhillon (Instagram user @lltanyadhillonll), shared multiple posts and Instagram stories alleging that her dog, Buddy, died on Oct 30 while at a local grooming salon, Pawsome.
Ms Dhillon's posts have drawn attention online and were reposted by actor Fauzi Azzhar and digital creator Keisha Sarah Wee.
'My child fought for his life till the very end'
She claimed Buddy died while left unattended in a holding area. Ms Dhillon wrote: "My child fought for his life till the very end. Because he was a big dog, once both his paws were stuck, his own weight pulled him down."
"There was blood on his mouth and his paws. He struggled. And he died there, on YOUR premises, without us."
An Instagram story posted on Nov 2 showed Buddy lying among flowers, with a note placed beside him.
Ms Dhillon wrote: "My dog died covered in blood and still trying. I watched him fight for a life he loved. I don't sleep, I don't eat. I'm praying to a God I don't even believe in, just in case someone is listening."
Owner questions timeline, requests CCTV footage
In her posts, Ms Dhillon shared she had asked Pawsome to provide the full "unedited" CCTV footage from 8am to 3pm that day, including, "without limitation":
- Buddy's time in Pawsome.sg's premises (from entry to removal)
- The period Buddy was placed in the holding area
- The moment Pawsome.sg staff discovered Buddy was bleeding
- All footage of Pawsome.sg staff attending to Buddy (including resuscitation attempts)
- All footage of Buddy being removed from the room
- All footage of Buddy being taken to the vet
She also shared screenshots of messages to a Pawsome representative, where she wrote: "I'm willing to speak further with you, but only after I receive a full, timed account. Once I have the complete facts, I will consider how best to proceed. Until then, I reserve all my rights, including to publish."
'At least 11 minutes of distress on camera'
According to Ms Dhillon, the CCTV footage segment she was shown captured Buddy in distress for "at least 11 to 12 minutes" before he stopped moving.
She claimed that at 9.50am, Buddy first started whining and showing signs of distress. By 9.51am, he was struggling against the cage, and at 9.54am, he began slamming against it repeatedly.
Ms Dhillon alleged that he "howled for help" around 9.54am to 9.56am, and continued to hit and push against the cage for several minutes.
By 10am, she said the dog appeared exhausted, panting "aggressively", and still moving one leg before screaming again at 10.01am. The owner alleged that throughout this 12-minute period, no staff were seen entering the room on camera.
She later questioned why staff did not intervene sooner, writing that the footage showed what she believed was "escalating, audible, visible distress".
Salon 'heartbroken', urges kindness and understanding
Pawsome, the grooming business in question, later posted a statement on its Instagram story expressing grief over the incident.
"We are heartbroken over what happened to Buddy, a dog who had been part of our Pawsome family for years," the team wrote.
"At Pawsome, every dog is treated with love, respect, and attention - just as we would our own. One difficult moment does not define who we are or the dedication our team puts into caring for animals every single day."
The team added that it was asking for "kindness and understanding" as it continued to provide "a safe, caring, and professional environment for all dogs entrusted to us."
According to its website, Pawsome is a pet grooming business founded in 2018.
Groomers must follow welfare code, but no licensing rules yet
Under current Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) guidelines, pet groomers in Singapore must abide by the Code of Animal Welfare (for the Pet Industry) and the Animals and Birds Act.
The code outlines minimum standards for handling, housing and caring for animals, including ensuring that animals are never left in distress or danger.
Failure to comply with these minimum standards is not a criminal offence, but may be used as evidence to determine if animal welfare has been compromised.
However, there are no licensing regulations for pet groomers at present.
In view of this, SPCA Singapore advises pet owners to look for groomers who handle animals professionally, and to observe how pets are treated during grooming sessions.
Stomp has reached out to Ms Dhillon, Pawsome, AVS, and SPCA Singapore for comment.
