Woman charged over abuse of poodle seen hanging from balcony railing

SINGAPORE: A woman seen in videos hitting a poodle, and leaving it tied up and hanging from a balcony railing was charged in court for animal abuse on Tuesday (Aug 27).
Junny Lal Awn Pui, a 25-year-old Myanmar national, was handed four counts of animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act. 
She is accused of four acts of cruelty at a Fernvale flat on the morning of Jan 22. The dog reportedly died on the same day. 
The court heard that Junny Lal Awn Pui cruelly beat a male brown poodle known as “Boyboy”. She allegedly grabbed its neck, pinned it to the ground, hit its head thrice with her hand and also with a makeshift stick made with rolled papers. 
She is also accused of placing her leg on top of the dog while trying to bandage it, causing it unnecessary pain and suffering. Junny Lal Awn Pui allegedly hit the dog on the head twice with the makeshift stick a while later. 
The court also heard that she hung the poodle by its harness on a balcony railing to “sun” it. 
Junny Lal Awn Pui, who appeared in court via video link, said she would be pleading guilty or admitting to three of the charges.
But she will contest the charge involving hanging the dog as this was what her employer had asked her to do, she told the court through an interpreter. The accused did not have a lawyer.
A National Parks Board prosecutor told the court that it would proceed on three charges and have one taken into consideration. It does not have a sentencing position yet. 
Junny Lal Awn Pui’s case will return to court on Sep 5. 
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) earlier said on social media that it was alerted to the case.
A Facebook post by Derrick Tan, the president of the charity Voice for Animals, showed closed-circuit television footage of the woman hitting the dog. 
In one video, she can be seen hitting the dog with her hand and holding it down on the ground by its neck. As the dog struggles, she uses a bundled stick to hit it twice.
In another video, she is seen using the stick to hit the dog’s head while it is tied to a tap. The dog is also seen leashed and left to hang from the balcony railing.
The owner told CNA during an interview in February that before the maid was employed, he had installed CCTV cameras in the house to look out for his dog, which he had for nine years. 
The maid had been working with his family for around three to four weeks. 
If convicted as a first-time offender for animal abuse, Junny Lal Awn Pui may be jailed up to 18 months, or fined up to S$15,000 (US$11,500), or both.