Dog trainer arrested in US after death of 11 dogs

A court in California has found 54-year-old dog trainer Kwong Chun Sit guilty of the deaths of 11 dogs that had been left in his care for training.

According to the Daily Mirror, investigators found that the animals were kept in tightly packed carriers inside a closed van in hot weather and died from heatstroke.

Sit was found guilty on 11 counts of animal cruelty, as well as destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice. His 24-year-old partner, Tingfeng Liu, was also convicted for assisting in concealing the crime.

Investigators said that after the dogs died, Sit attempted to cover up the incident by posing as the owners, contacting crematoriums, and arranging for the bodies to be cremated at different facilities to avoid suspicion.

The case began after owners received messages claiming their pets had suddenly died. In one message, Sit told a family that their dog named Miko had “passed away peacefully during the night while resting.” Suspicious relatives alerted the police, which later uncovered the true circumstances of the case.