A Singaporean man has been fined S$15,000 (US$11,800) after being convicted of conspiring to smuggle puppies into the country and keeping dogs for sale without a licence.
Eswaran Rajasevran, 44, was implicated when authorities intercepted three toy poodle puppies hidden in a backpack inside a motorcycle’s storage compartment at Tuas Checkpoint. The seizure occurred on March 1, 2025, when Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers stopped Rizal Rakesh Abdullah, who was transporting the puppies from Malaysia.
Investigations revealed that Eswaran’s fiancée operated Pawhaus & Dognassium Doggie Daycare, a licensed dog boarding facility without a pet shop licence. Eswaran, who managed daily operations, coordinated with Rizal and a Malaysian breeder known online as “Jivah” to receive smuggled dogs for sale.
Court documents showed Eswaran arranged for toy poodles from Jivah and bred them with dogs he had in Singapore, intending to sell the puppies for at least S$1,000 each. In early January 2025, one of the poodles gave birth to six puppies, which were kept at Pawhaus. He had also agreed to sell two puppies for S$1,800 each, but the transaction was halted after Rizal’s arrest.
During an inspection of Pawhaus’ premises, authorities discovered eight toy poodles aged either three years or eight weeks.
Eswaran faced charges under the Animals and Birds Act for conspiring to import a dog and keeping animals for sale without a licence. The offences carry potential penalties of up to 12 months in jail and fines of up to S$10,000 for smuggling, and up to six months’ imprisonment and S$5,000 for keeping dogs without a licence.
His lawyer argued that Eswaran was not a “fly-by-night operator” but was pursuing long-term goals, including becoming an internationally licensed dog trainer and a commercial dog breeder.
The National Parks Board had sought a fine between S$17,000 and S$22,000 for Eswaran.
