Latest news with #animalabuse
National Post
20 hours ago
- National Post
U.S. deports 70-year-old man after he 'violently' kicked a CBP dog at an airport
Article content A 70-year-old man has been deported from the United States after kicking a U.S. Customs and Border Protection dog at an airport in the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday. Article content CBP agriculture detector dog Freddie, a five-year-old beagle, and his handler were inspecting bags during a routine screening after a flight landed at the Dulles International Airport from Cairo, Egypt. Article content Article content Article content Freddie alerted his handler to a suitcase belonging to the 70-year-old, when the man 'violently' kicked the animal 'with sufficient force to lift the 25-pound beagle off the ground,' authorities said Thursday. Officers handcuffed him and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations agents. Article content The veterinarian who examined Freddie determined the beagle had contusions to his right forward rib area. CBP Public Affairs Officer Steve Sapp told National Post in an emailed statement that Freddie is still recovering. Article content The vet said he needed rest and prescribed low dose pain medication, said Sapp, adding that the beagle should be back to work in a week. Article content Authorities searched the man's baggage and said they found more than 100 pounds of food products, including 55 pounds of beef, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds and one pound of herbs. The items, which are on the prohibited list, were seized, per the agency. Article content Article content The man appeared before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia and pled guilty to harming animals used in law enforcement. He was credited with time served, ordered to pay the veterinarian bill and to report to CBP to be deported. Article content According to court documents obtained by CBS News, the veterinarian fee amounted to US$840. Article content He left the U.S. on a flight to Egypt at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Article content 'Being caught deliberately smuggling well over one hundred pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle,' said CBP's Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. Christine Waugh. Article content She added that Freddie was 'just doing his job.' Article content CBP K9 Freddy: Small dog, BIG impact! 🐶💪 With his handler, Officer Snyder, this talented pup is keeping our food and farms safe at Washington Dulles International Airport #ProtectingAgriculture #PawsontheFrontline #BugBustingBeagles #FarmDefenders #OFOproud🇺🇸🌾🍊 Posted by CBP Office of Field Operations on Friday, March 21, 2025 Article content Freddie, who is part of CBP's Beagles Brigade, helps screen passengers and cargo 'to prevent the introduction of harmful plant pests and foreign animal disease from entering the U.S.,' the CBP said. Article content
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Kitten allegedly stuffed in container and rolled around Singapore canteen, SPCA steps in
SINGAPORE, June 25 — A case of animal abuse in Singapore has been referred to the authorities after the suspected perpetrator's manager allegedly refused to cooperate with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (SPCA) investigations. SPCA Singapore said it had received a report about a kitten that had allegedly been shoved into a plastic container and rolled around repeatedly, according a Facebook post on Monday. The informant, a colleague of the suspected perpetrator, told SPCA Singapore the incident allegedly occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on March 26 between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. According to the informant, the site supervisor was reportedly aware of the abuse. Speaking to AsiaOne, Aarthi Sankar, executive director of SPCA Singapore, said that SPCA Singapore conducted an unannounced inspection on April 1 after receiving the report on March 29. During the inspection, they were informed that the cat had been released. SPCA Singapore inspectors issued a stern warning to the worker involved, but were unable to conduct further investigations as the manager allegedly refused to cooperate and provide CCTV footage. The society subsequently escalated the issue to Singapore's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) for a follow-up. SPCA Singapore also urged the public to report any cases of animal abuse and to provide potential evidence such as photos and videos to the authorities. Under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act, first-time offenders convicted of animal cruelty can be jailed for up to 18 months, fined up to S$15,000 (RM50,000), or both. Subsequent offenders may face a fine of up to S$30,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore's National Parks Board probing kitten abuse at Tuas worksite after video shows animal rolled in plastic container
SINGAPORE, June 26 – Singaporean authorities are reportedly investigating a suspected animal abuse case in which a kitten was allegedly placed in a plastic container and rolled around at a worksite in Tuas. The National Parks Board (NParks) confirmed it was alerted to the alleged mistreatment, which reportedly occurred at a workers' canteen in Tech Park Crescent on the night of March 26. 'NParks was alerted to an alleged mistreatment of a kitten at Tech Park Crescent and is looking into the matter,' Jessica Kwok, NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation, was quoted saying by The Straits Times. Previously, the case was referred to the authorities after the suspected perpetrator's manager allegedly refused to cooperate with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (SPCA) investigations. An informant, a colleague of the suspected perpetrator, told SPCA Singapore the incident allegedly occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on March 26 between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. According to the informant, the site supervisor was reportedly aware of the abuse. Under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act, those convicted of animal cruelty for the first time face up to 18 months in jail, a fine of up to S$15,000, or both. Repeat offenders risk up to three years' imprisonment, a maximum S$30,000 fine, or both.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
Kitten allegedly stuffed in container and rolled around Singapore canteen, SPCA steps in
SINGAPORE, June 25 — A case of animal abuse in Singapore has been referred to the authorities after the suspected perpetrator's manager allegedly refused to cooperate with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (SPCA) investigations. SPCA Singapore said it had received a report about a kitten that had allegedly been shoved into a plastic container and rolled around repeatedly, according a Facebook post on Monday. The informant, a colleague of the suspected perpetrator, told SPCA Singapore the incident allegedly occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on March 26 between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. According to the informant, the site supervisor was reportedly aware of the abuse. Speaking to AsiaOne, Aarthi Sankar, executive director of SPCA Singapore, said that SPCA Singapore conducted an unannounced inspection on April 1 after receiving the report on March 29. During the inspection, they were informed that the cat had been released. SPCA Singapore inspectors issued a stern warning to the worker involved, but were unable to conduct further investigations as the manager allegedly refused to cooperate and provide CCTV footage. The society subsequently escalated the issue to Singapore's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) for a follow-up. SPCA Singapore also urged the public to report any cases of animal abuse and to provide potential evidence such as photos and videos to the authorities. Under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act, first-time offenders convicted of animal cruelty can be jailed for up to 18 months, fined up to S$15,000 (RM50,000), or both. Subsequent offenders may face a fine of up to S$30,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Train police in how pets are used by domestic abusers, says charity
Police should be trained in how pets can be used in coercive control cases, according to a charity that found a 'troubling gap' in awareness about the links between violence against animals and violence against humans. A report from the Naturewatch Foundation found that only 60% of police forces in England and Wales teach officers about pets being used as tools of coercion, punishment and manipulation, even though more than half of UK households have a pet. 'As a police officer, you're more likely to turn up at a household with an animal than not, and there is a very clear link between abuse against animals and abuse against humans,' said Mark Randell, a former senior detective who is a campaigns manager at Naturewatch. He said there were many instances of domestic abusers 'manipulating or punishing an animal' in order to exert more control over their victim. 'It could be to say 'if you leave me I will hurt your dog or your cat', for example. Or it could even be setting down the rules about how you're going to treat that animal, telling someone they're not allowed to take it out,' he said. 'Survivors often form deep emotional bonds with their pets, particularly in the context of abusive relationships. So a police officer who turns up at a domestic abuse crime scene needs to know how to link that pet to the relationship.' He has presented the findings of the report, One Response, to Scotland Yard as part of a call for mandatory training for all frontline officers and for more collaboration between domestic abuse professionals and animal welfare experts. Samantha Billingham, of the Survivors of Domestic Abuse centre, which runs training and support sessions, said there was not enough awareness among professionals about the importance of pets in coercive control cases. She said: 'A lot of people are staying in that situation because of their pets, because there are not a lot of refuges you can take your pets to. In some cases these are dogs and cats that have been in the family for many years. 'And these animals are controlled, they're abused, violent things happen to them because the perpetrator has to be in control all the time. So this has got to be in the training of coercive control where police forces are concerned.' Billingham was in an abusive relationship for many years and witnessed how animals could be used for violence and control. 'I went to bed one night when my partner didn't want me to, and a few minutes later he came into the bedroom and he'd actually killed our pet bird. He brought the bird in on the knife to show me,' she said. Labour's 2024 election manifesto pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and a strategy is due to be published this summer. Naturewatch said rolling out mandatory training could be a key component. 'The government really needs to embrace this, it's not new thinking,' Randell said. 'We need to start looking at the whole picture, and that includes animals. It's not going to solve all the problems, but this is happening in case after case after case and opportunities are being missed.'
