An Irvine dog trainer and his girlfriend were arrested Thursday, June 19, 2025, on felony counts after investigators linked them to the deaths of 11 dogs, authorities said.

The case began after a dog owner reported that a healthy pet had died under the trainer’s care, a tip that prompted the Irvine Police Department to open an investigation into the circumstances of the dog’s death. Investigators uncovered a larger pattern of deaths, revealing significant legal responsibilities for animal caretakers, including the duty to provide adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office later confirmed the total number of dead animals at 11 and that some were cremated before they could be examined.

Irvine police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp described how the inquiry started. “The one family reached out to us [and] thought it was kind of suspicious that their healthy dog died with this trainer,” he said.

Investigators tracked the first dog being taken to a crematorium on June 13; by June 18 the number of dead bodies under investigation had risen to 11, prosecutors said. Officials reported that two dogs died from heatstroke and one died from blunt-force trauma, indicating a possible negligence on part of the trainers, as they were responsible for ensuring that the dogs were not exposed to unnecessary suffering or injury. Moreover, some animals had been cremated before authorities could conduct examinations.

Authorities arrested Kwong “Tony” Chun Sit, 53, a dog trainer who operated a service called K9 Academy, and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Tingfeng Liu of Vista. Both are in custody and face multiple felony counts tied to animal cruelty and destruction of evidence, according to charging documents described by prosecutors.

“Our dogs love us unconditionally, and to have someone who advertised himself as a dog lover who would treat his clients’ dogs as his own be not only responsible for the deaths of these pets but then to enlist his girlfriend to cover up the animal abuse is beyond repulsive,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

The Irvine Police Department led the on-scene probe and coordinated with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office as the inquiry expanded. Officials identified a pattern of handling and disposal that drew investigators’ scrutiny once additional deaths were reported.

The animals included a 9-month-old Belgian Malinois named Saint, who had been rescued from the pound and later died while in the trainer’s care, authorities said. That case and others prompted the original owner to contact police, setting the investigation in motion.

Detectives pieced together timestamps and records indicating the first cremation on June 13 and the escalation to 11 bodies by June 18. As charges allege both the deaths and efforts to hide evidence, the ongoing situation emphasizes the importance of dog owners verifying trainers’ credentials and practices to avoid such tragedies. The defendants remain in custody as the criminal process moves forward.

The Los Angeles Times reported additional details from the investigation and charging documents about the chronology of the deaths and the alleged attempts to conceal evidence.

Community members and owners whose pets were affected have been identified as the initial source of the complaint that led investigators to the training operation, law enforcement said. Authorities continue to process evidence and to notify owners of affected animals as part of the ongoing casework.