Dog owners demand justice in deadly dog training case
Several heartbroken dog owners are speaking out and seeking justice after an Irvine dog trainer was charged with the death of 11 dogs.
IRVINE, Calif. – Several heartbroken dog owners are speaking out and seeking justice after an Irvine dog trainer was charged with the death of 11 dogs.
The backstory:
Dog trainer Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, 53, and his girlfriend Tingfeng Liu, 23, appeared in court Tuesday pleading not guilty. Last week they were formally charged with multiple felony counts after an investigation revealed that 11 dogs died while in his care.
Sit is facing 11 felony counts of animal cruelty, 11 felony counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven misdemeanor counts of attempting to destroy evidence, and one misdemeanor count of destroying evidence. Liu is facing one felony count of accessory to a felony, one misdemeanor count of destruction of evidence, and two misdemeanor counts of attempted destruction of evidence.
Tingfeng Liu and Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit in court Tuesday, July 1, 2025
According to Irvine Police, they recovered the bodies of 11 dogs from different crematoriums that had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu. Autopsies performed on some of the animals show they died of heatstroke and at least one from blunt force trauma.
Sit was a trainer at Happy K9 Academy.
Families demand answers
What they’re saying:
Multiple dog owners report getting a text message from Sit saying their dog had died in its sleep and was already cremated… without the owner’s knowledge.
One after another, dog owners spoke Tuesday at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach as Sit and Liu sat in court.
“On the day we were supposed to pick him up, June 18th, I got a text message from Tony Sit, who was the trainer… that he’s been lovingly cremated,” dog owner Mariz Arcangel said crying. “I was trying to get him to become my service dog since I am veteran.”
Aimee Gutierrez was expecting to get a progress video of Saint but instead got the heartbreaking message many other also received.
“We went public on Facebook with the story of not knowing what to do and finding out there were so many other victims that was definitely a shock,” said dog owner Yadira Adan.
It’s unimaginable for the adults and heartbreaking for the children.
“This is the hardest part, is them [kids] not understanding what happened, why it happened and losing a friend like that,” Adan added.
What’s next:
Both suspects are fighting their very high bail, which is over half a million dollars.
Prosecutors explain they were packed with passports to China when they were arrested, so they are considered a flight risk.
Investigators also believe there are additional victims and urge them to come forward.
