News
NParks is investigating the incident.
May 18, 2026, 12:39 PM
A child was bitten while petting a neighbour’s Shiba Inu, suffering a hand injury that required surgery and nearly a month of recovery.
The child’s mother, surnamed Wu, told Lianhe Zaobao that she had tried seeking compensation from the dog owner and assistance through various channels, but to no avail.
However, the dog owner, surnamed Huang, believed the matter could have been resolved privately and was unhappy that the parents had “made a big deal out of it”.
Dog allegedly bit child
The incident took place on Mar. 13 at an HDB flat in Punggol.
Wu said her home serves as a parcel collection point, and the dog owner had come by to collect a package while bringing the dog along.
When her seven-year-old child approached the dog, Wu said she warned the child to be careful of getting bitten.
However, the dog owner allegedly assured them that the dog did not bite, prompting her to let her guard down.
According to Wu, the Shiba Inu suddenly bit the child when the child reached out to pet its head.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV footage, which reportedly showed that the child did not make any aggressive movements before the bite, Zaobao reported.
Surgery and recovery
Wu said the child was left frightened and in pain after the incident, and later underwent surgery.
For nearly a month, the child was unable to move normally, affecting both daily activities and schoolwork.
Wu subsequently lodged a complaint with the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a division under the National Parks Board (NParks), but said she was advised to pursue the matter through legal channels.
When she approached the Small Claims Tribunals for assistance, she was reportedly informed that such cases did not fall under its scope.
“The child is injured, but there is no clear and practical way to deal with it,” she said.
Wu added that hiring a lawyer would be both time-consuming and costly, making the burden difficult for the family to bear.
Dog owner says parents escalated incident
When contacted by Zaobao, the dog owner admitted that his Shiba Inu had bitten the child, but denied telling the family that “my dog doesn’t bite”.
Huang said he felt guilty after the incident and remained at the scene for about seven to eight minutes.
During that time, he asked about the child’s condition and wanted to take photographs to assess the severity of the injuries.
However, he said he saw the child’s parents were very agitated and felt that communication had broken down, so he eventually left.
Huang added that when the child’s parents contacted him later, he was unhappy that the conversation immediately focused on money.
After later learning that the medical bill amounted to about S$8,000, he stopped replying to their messages and did not offer any further apology.
“In my opinion, this was originally a small matter, but the child’s parents kept blowing up the situation,” he reportedly said.
NParks investigating
In response to queries from Zaobao, NParks said that it was aware of the incident and was currently investigating the matter.
The board pointed out that the Animals and Birds (Licensing and Control of Cats and Dogs) Rules stated that dogs must be leashed in public places and properly controlled by a person responsible for their care.
If a dog owner is found to have failed to do so, they may be fined up to S$5,000 upon conviction.
