Maha Christopher
A California dog trainer has been convicted over the deaths of 11 dogs entrusted to his care, with prosecutors accusing him of attempting to conceal the incidents by cremating some of the animals.
According to People, 54-year-old Kwong “Tony” Chun Sit was found guilty of 11 felony counts of animal cruelty, seven misdemeanour counts of attempted destruction of evidence and one misdemeanour count of destruction of evidence.
Sit, who operated Happy K9 Academy in Irvine, California, could face a maximum sentence of 13 years and 11 months in prison.
His girlfriend, Tingfeng Liu, 24, was also convicted of one felony count of accessory to a felony, one misdemeanour count of destruction of evidence and two misdemeanour counts of attempted destruction of evidence. She faces up to four years in prison.
Authorities said the case came to light in June 2025 after one dog owner contacted police when Sit informed him that his pet had died unexpectedly while under his care.
“There were no signs of pain or struggle, and it was truly unexpected. I am deeply saddened by this loss,” Sit reportedly told the owner in a text message.
An investigation by the Irvine Police Department’s Animal Services Unit later led to the recovery of multiple dog remains from different crematoriums.
According to prosecutors, two of the dogs had already been cremated before authorities were alerted, making it impossible to determine their exact causes of death.
Investigators found that eight of the remaining dogs died from heat stroke, while another died from blunt force trauma.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the actions of the defendants and praised law enforcement for pursuing justice in the case.
“The greatest fear dogs have is that you will never return when you leave them behind, and because of the unbelievably cruel actions of Mr. Sit and Miss Liu, that fear became a tragic reality for 11 dogs who will never have the chance to reunite with their families,” Spitzer said.
“The abuse of animals will never be tolerated, and their abusers will be held accountable under the full weight of the law,” he added.
Sentencing is expected at a later date.
