🐾 Stand With Truffle — Stand With Our Elderly Residents
The Issue
🐾 JUSTICE FOR TRUFFLE and safer neighbourhood for the elderly
The moment that made me start this was realising that my elderly parents and our beloved Truffle were no longer safe simply walking in our own neighbourhood. What happened to Truffle has shaken our family and left us seeking justice for him, while questioning whether our estate is still a safe place, particularly for elderly residents and dog owners.
On 20 August 2026 at approximately 6:45pm, my 78-year-old father was walking our 7-year-old Cavapoo, Truffle, along a grassy pathway in Toa Payoh, accompanied by my 72-year-old mother. Truffle was properly leashed and remained under my father's control.
A man was approaching while walking another dog, described as a Shiba Inu mix. As the two dogs came within proximity of each other, both dogs were barking. However, there was no physical fight between them. Neither dog was attacking, biting or making physical contact with the other.
According to my father's account, the man shouted at him, “I told you not to walk in my way!” He then moved towards Truffle and kicked him twice with significant force directly in the abdomen. The force of the kicks caused Truffle to be propelled several steps away despite being on his leash.
My mother immediately ran towards Truffle and intervened to prevent the man from kicking him again. My elderly parents were extremely distressed and frightened by what happened and were concerned that the situation could escalate further.
At least one eyewitness has independently come forward to corroborate these details. A resident, Ms Lim, witnessed the incident from an upper floor, immediately shouted at the man to stop and threatened to call the Police. She subsequently came downstairs and attended to my distressed parents and Truffle. She has also made a separate report to NParks regarding the incident.
We believe there may have been other residents who witnessed what happened. Additional independent witnesses would help corroborate the incident and strengthen the case, and we therefore encourage anyone who personally witnessed it to come forward and provide their account to the relevant authorities.
The incident has caused significant distress to my elderly parents and concern for Truffle's welfare and safety. We are seeking justice for Truffle and accountability for the alleged harm inflicted upon him.
It has also prompted other residents and dog owners to come forward with concerns about intimidating behaviour they say they have experienced or witnessed involving the same man on separate occasions. Some residents had previously been afraid or reluctant to make formal reports. However, they have indicated that they are willing to provide their own accounts to the authorities if required.
We therefore ask for a thorough, impartial and urgent investigation into what happened, including consideration of available CCTV footage, witness accounts, veterinary records and any relevant previous incidents involving the same individual.
What we are asking for
We are asking our Member of Parliament to raise these concerns with the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) and/or the Police, and to seek appropriate enforcement or prosecution where the evidence establishes that an offence has been committed.
Given the alleged deliberate and forceful kicking of a leashed dog, the vulnerability of the elderly residents involved and the wider concerns raised by other residents, we urge the authorities to consider strong and meaningful penalties available under the law if wrongdoing is established.
Animal abuse should not be treated as a minor neighbourhood dispute. Where serious violence against an animal is proven, the consequences should properly reflect the seriousness of the conduct and provide an effective deterrent against similar behaviour.
We also ask the authorities to consider whether any relevant aggravating circumstances are present, including the alleged use of repeated force, the circumstances surrounding the incident, the distress caused to elderly residents and any potential wider public-safety concerns.
If the allegations are substantiated, we urge the authorities to impose the strongest lawful penalties appropriate to the offence and circumstances.
This petition is not calling for harassment, threats or vigilantism. We are asking for due process, accountability and the strongest lawful consequences where wrongdoing is proven.
We want to ensure that elderly residents, dog owners and other members of our neighbourhood can feel safe in their own community, that animals are protected from violence through meaningful enforcement, and that Truffle receives the justice he deserves.
Please stand with us
Please sign and share this petition if you support a proper investigation, strong enforcement and appropriate lawful penalties for proven animal abuse, while also supporting practical measures to improve the safety of elderly residents and other members of our neighbourhood.
If you personally witnessed this incident or have relevant firsthand information, we encourage you to come forward to the authorities.
Justice for Truffle. 🐾
Safety for our elderly residents and community especially in Toa Payoh
322
The Issue
🐾 JUSTICE FOR TRUFFLE and safer neighbourhood for the elderly
The moment that made me start this was realising that my elderly parents and our beloved Truffle were no longer safe simply walking in our own neighbourhood. What happened to Truffle has shaken our family and left us seeking justice for him, while questioning whether our estate is still a safe place, particularly for elderly residents and dog owners.
On 20 August 2026 at approximately 6:45pm, my 78-year-old father was walking our 7-year-old Cavapoo, Truffle, along a grassy pathway in Toa Payoh, accompanied by my 72-year-old mother. Truffle was properly leashed and remained under my father's control.
A man was approaching while walking another dog, described as a Shiba Inu mix. As the two dogs came within proximity of each other, both dogs were barking. However, there was no physical fight between them. Neither dog was attacking, biting or making physical contact with the other.
According to my father's account, the man shouted at him, “I told you not to walk in my way!” He then moved towards Truffle and kicked him twice with significant force directly in the abdomen. The force of the kicks caused Truffle to be propelled several steps away despite being on his leash.
My mother immediately ran towards Truffle and intervened to prevent the man from kicking him again. My elderly parents were extremely distressed and frightened by what happened and were concerned that the situation could escalate further.
At least one eyewitness has independently come forward to corroborate these details. A resident, Ms Lim, witnessed the incident from an upper floor, immediately shouted at the man to stop and threatened to call the Police. She subsequently came downstairs and attended to my distressed parents and Truffle. She has also made a separate report to NParks regarding the incident.
We believe there may have been other residents who witnessed what happened. Additional independent witnesses would help corroborate the incident and strengthen the case, and we therefore encourage anyone who personally witnessed it to come forward and provide their account to the relevant authorities.
The incident has caused significant distress to my elderly parents and concern for Truffle's welfare and safety. We are seeking justice for Truffle and accountability for the alleged harm inflicted upon him.
It has also prompted other residents and dog owners to come forward with concerns about intimidating behaviour they say they have experienced or witnessed involving the same man on separate occasions. Some residents had previously been afraid or reluctant to make formal reports. However, they have indicated that they are willing to provide their own accounts to the authorities if required.
We therefore ask for a thorough, impartial and urgent investigation into what happened, including consideration of available CCTV footage, witness accounts, veterinary records and any relevant previous incidents involving the same individual.
What we are asking for
We are asking our Member of Parliament to raise these concerns with the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) and/or the Police, and to seek appropriate enforcement or prosecution where the evidence establishes that an offence has been committed.
Given the alleged deliberate and forceful kicking of a leashed dog, the vulnerability of the elderly residents involved and the wider concerns raised by other residents, we urge the authorities to consider strong and meaningful penalties available under the law if wrongdoing is established.
Animal abuse should not be treated as a minor neighbourhood dispute. Where serious violence against an animal is proven, the consequences should properly reflect the seriousness of the conduct and provide an effective deterrent against similar behaviour.
We also ask the authorities to consider whether any relevant aggravating circumstances are present, including the alleged use of repeated force, the circumstances surrounding the incident, the distress caused to elderly residents and any potential wider public-safety concerns.
If the allegations are substantiated, we urge the authorities to impose the strongest lawful penalties appropriate to the offence and circumstances.
This petition is not calling for harassment, threats or vigilantism. We are asking for due process, accountability and the strongest lawful consequences where wrongdoing is proven.
We want to ensure that elderly residents, dog owners and other members of our neighbourhood can feel safe in their own community, that animals are protected from violence through meaningful enforcement, and that Truffle receives the justice he deserves.
Please stand with us
Please sign and share this petition if you support a proper investigation, strong enforcement and appropriate lawful penalties for proven animal abuse, while also supporting practical measures to improve the safety of elderly residents and other members of our neighbourhood.
If you personally witnessed this incident or have relevant firsthand information, we encourage you to come forward to the authorities.
Justice for Truffle. 🐾
Safety for our elderly residents and community especially in Toa Payoh
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 26 August 2026