Irvine Dog Trainer Sentenced to Eleven Years, Ten Months in State Prison for Animal Cruelty, Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deaths of 11 Dogs who Died Trapped in[...]

Irvine Dog Trainer Sentenced to Eleven Years, Ten Months in State Prison
for Animal Cruelty, Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deaths of
11 Dogs who Died Trapped in Small Cages in Hot Van
Trainer's girlfriend sentenced to three years for assisting in cover-up;
the couple dropped off the dogs' bodies at different crematoriums
to avoid suspicion and destroy evidence.

SANTA ANA - An Irvine dog trainer was sentenced today to eleven years and ten months in state prison for 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.

Rosie, a sheep dog poodle puppy, died from blunt force trauma and heat stroke. Eight other dogs died from heat stroke, and two dogs were cremated before a cause of death could be determined.

Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, 54, of Irvine, and his girlfriend, Tingfeng Liu, 24, have remained jailed in lieu of $550,000 bail after Orange County prosecutors successfully argued a significant deviation from the $20,000 bail schedule was warranted given the fact that the couple was packed and ready to flee when they were arrested last June.

On June 18, 2025, one of the dog's owners received a text message from Sit 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.

Sincerely,

Tony"

Irvine police began investigating the couple after Miko's owner contacted police last June to report that he had received a message from their dog trainer saying their dog had died in its sleep and had been cremated.

Based on the call from one of the dog owners, the Irvine Police Department's Animal Services Unit immediately opened an investigation and was able to recover the bodies of multiple dogs at different crematoriums that had been dropped off by either Sit or Liu.

The owners of the other dead dogs were also notified via text that their pet had passed away and had been cremated.

Sit, who operated Happy K9 Academy, was convicted last month of 11 felony counts of animal cruelty, seven misdemeanor counts of attempting to destroy evidence, and one misdemeanor count of destroying evidence. Liu was convicted of one felony count of accessory to a felony, one misdemeanor count of destruction of evidence, and two misdemeanor counts of attempted destruction of evidence.

Necropsies performed on nine of the dogs revealed that eight of the dogs died from heat stroke and the ninth dog, Rosie, died from blunt force trauma. Two of the dogs were cremated before they could be recovered.

All but one of the dogs was dropped off at crematoriums on June 18, 2025. The body of the first dog was dropped off on June 12, 2025.

Happy K9 Academy advertised online a variety of boarded dog training services, including one-to-four-week training sessions ranging from $999 to $3,399 offering an assortment of behavioral training along with daily videos sent to the dogs' owners.

"These were not just dogs; they were family members, childhood companions, and loving protectors. A Christmas present for an 8-year-old boy, picked out of the litter because he licked the little boy first," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "Instead of years of memories with their beloved pets, eleven families must forever relive the horror of knowing their loved ones died stuck in tiny cages and trapped in a hot van with no way out until they died horrifically painful deaths. The defendants then worked methodically together to make the dogs disappear, dropping off their bodies at different times, in different vehicles, and at different crematoriums to hide the evidence of the heartless killing of 11 defenseless animals. This was not an accident; it was an act of evil."

Deputy District Attorney Danica Drotman and Deputy District Attorney Michael Chay of Animal Cruelty Unit prosecuted this case.

Click here for full press release.