PUBLISHED ONNovember 16, 2025 4:15 AMUPDATEDNovember 16, 2025 11:47 AMBYCandice Cai
A video clip of several stray dogs being handled aggressively while being captured at a Seletar West Farmway nursery has gone viral, prompting angry responses from netizens.
In an Instagram post by user Germtay on Friday (Nov 14), which was later reposted by Wakeupsingapore and Rescuewithlovesg on their platforms, Germtay claimed that the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) had sent four lorries to catch the dogs after an alleged biting incident, even though “it was not proved who bit the stranger who reported”.
The user later added: “Why does AVS need to capture all dogs when only one dog bit someone? What did they do wrong? Exist?”
According to Germtay, the contractors were hired by the AVS, which is under NParks, to capture the dogs. “They also refused to say how will the dogs be treated and where they will go,” Germtay alleged.
“Is this how NParks, AVS treat animals?” captioned the user in one part of the clip which showed a dog being forcibly pushed into a crate by two men using long poles.
Germtay also showed poo left behind by the dogs, indicating that the animals “were so scared”, while another photo captured purported blood stains on the ground.
“This old dog was already injured and now he can’t stand up after the shock,” wrote Germtay showing one captured animal lying prone in the cage.
Another clip showed a different dog in a crate that was too small for it. “I’m sorry I should have hidden you,” expressed Germtay in regret.
The video — which has garnered 320 comments and over 1,400 ‘likes’ so far — has drawn the ire of netizens, many of whom were upset at how the dogs were treated.
Wrote one user: “Heartbreaking to see this… why are we allowing this cruelty to exist in Singapore. Singapore needs to have strong laws against animal cruelty and people here need to have a checklist in how to handle dogs.”
“Omg so sad… heartbreaking to see the dog’s face”, said another. “I can’t see this,” one user stated.
Actions complied with international standards: AVS
In a statement from NParks obtained by AsiaOne on Sunday (Nov 16), the agency confirmed that the men were from an animal management contractor engaged to trap and remove the free-roaming dogs “for public safety reasons”.
According to Dr Anna Wong, Group Director of Community Animal Management at AVS, there had been incidents of dog bites reported in Seletar West Farmway 8 from May to November 2025.
Two victims have since confirmed that one of the trapped dogs had bitten them in separate incidents, while the two remaining dogs had chased one of the victims, said Dr Wong.
The injuries ranged from scratches to puncture wounds requiring medical attention.
Dr Wong stated that the farm where the bites occurred had told AVS that the dogs were not owned by the farm and requested AVS to remove them.
The trapping operation took place on Nov 14 under supervision by AVS staff.
“Due to the earlier bite incidents and high risk to public safety, the contractor used restraining poles to secure the dogs during the operations,” said Dr Wong.
She also stated that “no uncovered wire loops or potentially harmful devices” were used.
According to Dr Wong, the action complied with international standards such as the World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines on stray dog population control.
The amount of force used was also “within acceptable parameters, considering the dogs’ history of aggression”, according to AVS.
“Trapping was achieved with reasonable force to safely secure the dogs and all equipment deployed supports humane handling practices,” said Dr Wong.
Regarding one of the videos being circulated that looked like the contractors were pushing the dog’s head, Dr Wong stated that based on a review of the video footage, the dog had bitten and latched onto both the catch pole and snare pole during the restraint process.
The contractor thus applied controlled pressure to the poles to loosen the dog’s bite and reduce tension on the restraining devices.
“This was carried out to prevent injury to both the dog and the contractor by avoiding forceful pulling that could cause harm to the dog’s mouth or neck. The manoeuvre was carried out with full regard for both animal welfare and personnel safety,” Dr Wong clarified.
Regarding another video which looked like the contractor was using a pole to lift the dog up, Dr Wong stated that the contractor used a catch pole to guide the dog’s head toward the carrier while another staff provided support to lift the dog’s hind legs to facilitate safe transfer.
“The catch pole was not used to lift or suspend the dog at any point during the operation. This technique is a standard dog handling procedure to minimise stress on the animal while ensuring safe containment,” said Dr Wong.
She added that AVS is currently taking care of the three trapped dogs and they will be assessed for suitability for rehoming under the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme. Members of the public who are interested to adopt dogs from the programme can approach TNRM’s rehoming partners.
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candicecai@asiaone.com