An Irvine dog trainer and his girlfriend have been convicted in Orange County court in connection with the deaths of 11 dogs left in their care, a case that has shaken a tight-knit community of local pet owners. Prosecutors told jurors the pair tried to hide what happened by arranging cremations and sending messages to owners claiming their animals had “died peacefully,” reopening painful questions for families who thought they were leaving their dogs with a trusted professional.
The guilty verdict followed a trial in Santa Ana, according to CBS News Los Angeles. Jurors saw evidence that multiple animal remains were taken to crematoriums, which prosecutors argued was part of an attempt to conceal how the dogs actually died. In closing arguments, they urged jurors to view the cremations and text messages as an intentional cover-up and to hold the defendants accountable.
At trial, prosecutors described how trainer Kwong “Tony” Chun Sit and his girlfriend, Tingfeng Liu, transported dogs in small carriers and left many of them in a van where they later died, according to reporting by KFI-AM/City News Service. An officer who searched Sit’s residence testified that the vehicle was packed with containers and smelled strongly of bleach. Prosecutors also told jurors that two of the dogs had already been cremated before authorities were notified.
Necropsies performed on three of the animals showed that two died of heat stroke and one died of blunt-force trauma, with examinations on the remaining dogs still pending, the Associated Press reports. Investigators said Sit operated under several business names, including Happy K9 Academy, and that a website for the business listed a public park in Tustin as its address. Authorities believe at least nine of the deaths occurred on or around June 18 of last year.
Owners Respond, Investigation Continues
Grieving pet owners told reporters they were stunned to learn that trainers they trusted had allegedly ordered cremations without permission. “We were not given details. We were not given the chance to say goodbye,” one owner said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Irvine Police Department’s Animal Services Unit recovered remains from multiple facilities and says the investigation remains active. Officials are asking anyone who left a dog with Sit or has information about his operation to contact the department.
Charges And What’s Next
Sit was arraigned last year on a mix of felony and misdemeanor counts tied to animal cruelty and destroying evidence. Prosecutors previously outlined 11 felony counts of animal cruelty and 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, according to the Associated Press. They said Sit could face around 14 years in prison if convicted on all counts, while Liu could face up to four years. Defense attorneys for both have denied any intentional wrongdoing, and the court will schedule sentencing after the verdicts are formalized and post-trial motions are handled.
During the trial, defense lawyers argued the deaths were the result of a tragic chain of mistakes rather than criminal intent and challenged the causes of death presented by prosecutors. The case now moves into the post-trial phase as families and local animal-welfare advocates digest the outcome. Irvine police and prosecutors say their investigation is still open while they review additional evidence and testimony from the courtroom, according to KFI-AM/City News Service.
