Boy adopts pedigree dogs, then sells them

Animal activists up in arms over teenager's scheme
Judith Tan Straits Times 26 May 11;

A 13-YEAR-OLD secondary school student has gotten animal activists worked up over his scheme to adopt dogs for free, only to later sell them for pocket money.

With his baby face and glib tongue, he has cast himself as a grieving dog owner and approached several pet owners online, pleading with them to let him adopt their pedigree toy dogs.

To milk their sympathy, he would remark that their dogs reminded him of his dog which had just died.

But as soon as he received the dogs, he would go into businessman mode, putting them up for sale online and raking in a handsome profit.

He told The Straits Times he did it for the money.

His scam was exposed when a dog owner who had handed her dog over to him called a day later to ask him how it was. He claimed it had run away.

Ms L.S. Zhang, a 39-year-old administrator, doubted his story and went to the police. Police confirmed she had lodged a report, and would only say that investigations are ongoing.

The boy, protected as a minor under the Children and Young Persons Act, cannot be named.

But Ms Zhang's Facebook post on her dealings with him has gone viral. Animal activists and dog-loving netizens are incensed, and want the authorities to take action.

Ms Zhang said it all began when she was looking to give up Precious, her three-year-old Maltese, because she had recently had a baby and moved in with her parents-in-law.

She posted notes on the Facebook pages of two animal shelters, Mutts & Mittens and Madam Wong's Shelter, as well as on her own Facebook page, and also put up advertisements at several pet portals.

'Then this 13-year-old contacted me to express his interest,' she said. He told her his 16-year-old Maltese had died and he wanted to adopt another.

She handed him her dog on May 14 for what was meant to be a 'trial adoption period'.

The next day, he claimed that the dog had run away. Later, when she questioned him in front of the police, he denied there was ever a dog.

His neighbours in Lorong 5 Toa Payoh told The Straits Times that he had often been seen with a dog - but a different one every two to three days.

Lawyers who were contacted said it is possible that certain 'dishonesty offences' could have been committed.

An offence of cheating is said to have taken place when one party dishonestly induces another to deliver a property to him, causing damage or harm to the latter in body, mind, reputation or property.

Lawyer Chia Boon Teck said in this case, it all depends on how the boy represented himself to the dog owners. If it was clear that he told them he wanted the dog for himself but later got rid of it, 'he may be then accused of cheating them of their dogs'.

Among animal activists pushed into action are volunteers from the non-profit Zeus Communications, which rescues strays and runs a blood-donor database for dogs. They have run a sting operation to gather information on the boy and his family.

Volunteer Alycia Yee said the group had been close to rescuing a pregnant Maltese that the boy had advertised for sale online, but that when they went to the boy's home, the dog had already been sold.

However, they recently managed to rescue a Yorkshire terrier named Elmo that was kept in a small cage outside the boy's HDB flat. It cost them $300 to get the dog as the boy drove a hard bargain.

Ms Lynda Goh, an animal communicator with Zeus, said: 'It was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on how much he wanted for the dog. When we finally agreed on the price, he went with me to the ATM and refused to issue a receipt, but I managed to get him to commit via SMS.'

A check online revealed that the boy has 'dealt' with breeds such as Jack Russell and Yorkshire terriers, Japanese Spitzes, Chihuahuas and Malteses - posting about 20 advertisements in all. Animal activists believe he started his activities around six months ago.

When The Straits Times visited him at his flat, he had just returned home from school. Also at home were his grandparents.

He denied any wrongdoing and said Ms Zhang's Maltese was the first dog he sold. He said matter-of-factly: 'Once she gave it to me, it became my property to sell.'

He denied carrying out similar transactions earlier, but changed tack when shown copies of previous advertisements he had posted online. Asked why he was doing this, he replied: 'So I can have money to go out.'

His grandparents declined comment.

Ms Zhang said she was relieved that she had managed to track down Precious' buyer, adding: 'It's doing fine and I'm glad it's now with a loving family.'

Dog adoption scam: 2nd police report lodged
Judith Tan Straits Times 4 Jun 11;

A SECOND pet owner has made a police report against the 13-year-old boy who adopts dogs for free and sells them for pocket money online.

This time, the teen is said to have roped in his grandfather to help with the ruse.

The pet owner, an expatriate who wanted to be known only as Ms Jones, told The Straits Times she gave her Maltese to the boy after he answered her online adoption advertisement. His grandfather also signed an adoption form she drew up.

But her dog, named Poppy, has not been seen since, and the boy has not been answering her calls.

The secondary school student, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is believed to have started his scam six months ago. He was exposed when an owner who had given her dog to him for a 'trial adoption period' was told it had run away.

News of the scam went viral and incensed animal activists and dog lovers.

But the boy told The Straits Times on May 24 that he had done nothing wrong and that once the dog was adopted 'it became my property to sell'.

Ms Jones, in her 30s and a mother of one, said Poppy belonged to her daughter who is now in boarding school abroad. She and her husband are both working and cannot look after the dog.

The boy called her on April 30 after seeing her online adoption ad. He told her he had looked after a dog for his aunt and he now wanted one of his own.

'He first turned up on his own in a taxi, and when I insisted he return with an adult, he came back later with his grandfather,' she said.

She printed an informal adoption form 'to ensure that Poppy would be going to a good home'.

She said the boy's reason for wanting to adopt the pet seemed genuine. 'As his grandfather signed the form on his behalf, it seemed a legitimate situation to my husband and me,' she added.

She realised she had been scammed after reading the ST report on the first case, and made the police report on Tuesday evening after much anguish. Her family is in despair, she added, and is hoping to track the whereabouts of the dog.

Ms Jones said her main concern was Poppy's welfare. 'We are hearing tales of forceful breeding, pets being doused in bleach to whiten the fur for better resale, and being housed in cramped and torturous conditions,' she said.

She said that minutes after posting the online ad, she received more than 20 text and e-mail messages from people wanting to adopt the pet. However, she was suspicious of them, so it was ironic that she ended up falling for the boy's scam.

The first dog owner to lodge a police report was Ms L. S. Zhang, 39. She handed Precious, a three-year-old Maltese, over to the boy on May 14.

The police confirmed that Ms Zhang had lodged a report. But they declined to confirm the latest one, saying they cannot do so without the report number from the person who makes the complaint. They are continuing their investigations.

Criminal lawyer Chia Boon Teck said if the teen had used lies to persuade the dog owners to give him their pets, then he had cheated them.

'Should the dog owners persist on the police taking action, then the police would have to classify the reports as cheating for the purposes of investigation,' he added. 'Ultimately, the police could recommend that the Attorney-General's Chambers gives the boy a warning.'

The boy's principal said the school has counselled him and will continue to do so. 'He is also required to undergo a programme this June holidays to help him handle various issues in a positive and correct way,' the principal said in an e-mail reply to The Straits Times.

'We have met the adults in his family and have suggested to them various means of helping him.'