8 hours ago
Irvine police arrest animal trainer and his girlfriend after 10 dogs die in his care
Irvine police arrested an animal trainer and his girlfriend on Thursday after 10 dogs died in his care.
Detectives began their investigation into trainer Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, 53, and his girlfriend Tingfeng Liu, 23, after the dog's owner received a text message from the suspect on Wednesday saying that their dog had died in its sleep and had been cremated, according to the Irvine Police Department.
After determining that at least 10 dogs died in Sit's care, officers recovered some of the animals' remains at different crematoriums, according to investigators.
"We are working closely with veterinary professionals who will perform necropsies to determine how the dogs died. Our priority is determining if the death of the dogs was accidental or intentional," said in a statement.
Officers booked Sit and Liu in Orange County Jail for animal cruelty and destruction of evidence after the attempted cremation of the dogs, according to Irvine PD.
Detectives believe Sit worked with other pet owners in Southern California, under several company names, including "Happy K9 Academy."
Irvine police urged any owners whose dogs died while under Sit's care or anyone with information about the case to contact investigators at rsteen@
