Kwong 'Tony' Chun Sit, 54, who operated Happy K9 Academy in Orange County, California was found guilty of killing 11 dogs which were left for hours in a hot van
21:38, 18 Jun 2026 Updated 22:43, 18 Jun 2026
A pet trainer killed 11 dogs after leaving them for hours in a hot van before burning the bodies in an attempted cover up.
Kwong 'Tony' Chun Sit, 54, who operated Happy K9 Academy in Orange County, California was found guilty on June 17 on 11 counts of animal cruelty, along with multiple charges related to destroying evidence and obstructing the investigation.
His girlfriend, Tingfeng Liu, 24, was also convicted of a count of accessory to a crime, a count of destruction of evidence, and two counts of attempted destruction of evidence.
Sit kept the dogs in small crates in a hot van where they died of heat stroke while one of them, Rosie, a sheep dog poodle puppy, also suffered blunt force trauma. He then pretended to be the owners' of the dogs to get the animals cremated.
"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," District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.
"There is a special place in hell for someone who abuses animals, and there is an extra special place in hell for someone who could beat a puppy to death and then feign being heartbroken over her death knowing full well that he is the reason that puppy died such a horrific death."
Detailing what happened he stated on Facebook : "An Irvine dog trainer has been convicted of killing 11 dogs by keeping the animals left in his care in small crates in a hot van where they died of heat stroke and then impersonating the pets’ owners to have the dogs’ bodies cremated in an attempt to conceal how the dogs died.
"The man’s girlfriend was convicted of assisting in the cover-up. The couple dropped off the dogs’ bodies at different crematoriums in the area in an apparent attempt to avoid suspicion."
The Irvine Police Department began investigating Sit shortly after the dog owners received text messages to say their pets had died, and had been cremated. They shared the text messages with officers.
Article continues below
One of the dog’s owners received a message from Sit on June 18, 2025, which read: “I'm so sorry to let you know that Miko passed away peacefully during the night while resting. There were no signs of pain or struggle, and it was truly unexpected. I am deeply saddened by this loss.
"Out of respect, I will refund the full training fee and offer additional compensation. The body has been lovingly cremated, and I will keep the ashes safe for you until you're ready. Please know my thoughts are with you. If you need anything, I'm here for you."
Read the full article at Daily Mirror →
United Kingdom