Irvine Dog Trainer Convicted of Killing 11 Dogs

An Irvine dog trainer has been convicted of killing 11 dogs left in his care and attempting to conceal the crimes by having the animals cremated. Kwong Tony Chun Sit, 54, owner of the Happy K9 Academy, was found guilty on June 17 of multiple felony counts of animal cruelty and related misdemeanor charges for destroying and attempting to destroy evidence.

The investigation began in June 2025 after a dog owner received a text message from Sit claiming his pet had died peacefully in its sleep and had already been "lovingly cremated." Suspicious, the owner contacted Irvine police, triggering an inquiry that uncovered the deaths of 10 additional dogs. Authorities traced animal remains to multiple crematoriums, finding that one dog's body had been delivered days earlier and 10 others on the same day.

Forensic examinations determined that eight of the dogs died from heat stroke and one, a sheepdog-poodle puppy named Rosie, died from blunt force trauma to the head. The causes of death for two other dogs could not be determined because their remains had been cremated before authorities intervened. Prosecutors alleged the dogs died after being kept in small crates inside a hot van.