Woman Fined $21500 After Keeping 79 Dogs In Her Home In A Landmark Animal Welfare Case in Singapore

A Singapore woman has been fined S$21500 for keeping 79 dogs in her private home without licences or microchips. Officials described the case as unprecedented in scale and seriousness, raising major concerns about animal welfare and compliance with pet ownership laws.

The woman, Julia Nicole Moss, aged 50, kept far more dogs than the legal household limit of 3. Over 2 years, officers from the National Parks Board and the Animal and Veterinary Service carried out repeated inspections and issued multiple official directions, but the number of dogs continued to grow.

How Authorities First Discovered The Dogs

In June 2022, the Animal and Veterinary Service received information from a law firm representing a bank that was repossessing Moss’s property due to a mortgage issue involving her husband.

During the first inspection, officials found 65 unlicensed and non-microchipped dogs, mostly toy poodle mixes. Moss was instructed to microchip, license, sterilise and rehome the animals according to Singapore’s laws.

Despite reminders and 4 inspections, she failed to comply. By 2024, the number of dogs had increased to 79, and none of the required steps had been taken.

Moss repeatedly claimed she planned to move to Dubai with all 79 dogs, but authorities noted that no genuine preparations were made. Around the same period, Moss was declared bankrupt.

Attempts To Microchip And Monitor The Dogs

In May 2024, NParks issued a directive ordering Moss to microchip every dog within 90 days. Moss claimed she could not afford the procedure.

In September 2024, veterinarians from the Animal and Veterinary Service visited her home and microchipped 61 dogs in one session. 8 dogs had already been microchipped earlier. NParks paid more than S$1400 for the procedure, and the amount has never been repaid by Moss.

Relocation Without Permission

During this period, Moss and her husband were also facing eviction. Despite this, Moss secretly relocated all 79 dogs to another property without informing the authorities, which is an offence under Singapore’s dog control laws.

For months, NParks had no knowledge of the new location. In April 2025, members of the public provided information that allowed officers to trace Moss and the dogs to a rental property. At that time, the dog population had increased again by 10 more dogs.

Shortly afterward, the landlord terminated the tenancy due to unpaid rent. Moss then allowed NParks to remove 37 dogs for rehoming. All were placed with the help of an animal welfare organisation.

However, Moss refused to surrender the remaining dogs. In July 2025, NParks seized the rest of the animals, and a court approved their forfeiture later that month.

In total, 52 dogs have been rehomed and 3 dogs were returned to Moss after she finally obtained valid licences for them.

The Court Hearing And Sentence

Moss pleaded guilty to 28 charges, most of which involved owning unlicensed dogs. Other charges involved failing to microchip the animals, keeping more than 3 dogs, and failing to inform authorities before relocating the animals. Another 72 charges were taken into consideration.

The NParks prosecutor requested a fine between S$21500 and S$26500, stating that Moss had consistently ignored official instructions and allowed the situation to worsen.

Her lawyer argued for a fine between S$15000 and S$20000, saying her actions came from compassion rather than malice.

The judge stated that the potential harm to public health and the safety of the dogs was significant given the overcrowded conditions and constant refusal to comply. The court imposed a fine of S$21500.

Why This Case Is Important

This case highlights why Singapore requires strict licensing, microchipping and sterilisation rules. These measures ensure:

• every dog is identifiable
• overcrowding is prevented
• health risks are controlled
• authorities can respond quickly in problem situations

Penalties for violations can include fines of up to S$10000 and jail time of up to 12 months, depending on the specific offence.

The Moss case is now seen as an important example of how serious non compliance will be handled in Singapore.