A Southern California dog trainer has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for the deaths of 11 dogs left in a hot van and subsequently cremated to hide the evidence. Kwong 'Tony' Chun Sit, 54, of Irvine, received an 11-year, 10-month sentence on Friday after being found guilty of 11 felony counts of animal cruelty and multiple charges related to destroying evidence and obstructing an investigation.

Sit operated Happy K9 Academy in Orange County. The district attorney's office stated that the dogs died while in his care, confined in small crates within a van during dangerously hot conditions, leading to fatal heat-related injuries. His girlfriend and accomplice, Tingfeng Liu, 24, 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. Liu was sentenced to three years in county jail.

Prosecutors detailed that Sit attempted to conceal the deaths by arranging for the animals' remains to be transported to various crematoriums across Southern California. He allegedly impersonated pet owners to authorize cremation services, disposing of evidence before families could investigate the circumstances.

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The case began to unravel when suspicious pet owners questioned the explanations they received about the sudden deaths of their healthy animals. Several owners reported being notified via text messages that their dogs had died unexpectedly and had already been cremated, leaving no opportunity for necropsies or further inquiry.

One such message, sent on June 18, 2025, from Sit to a dog owner, 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." The message also stated that the full training fee would be refunded and additional compensation offered, with the dog's body "lovingly cremated."

IMAGE7: One of the text messages owners recieved from Sit during his deplorable mission

Authorities were able to recover the remains of nine of the 11 dogs before cremation. Prosecutors stated that evidence presented in court indicated that some dogs showed signs of pain and struggle, including blood on their faces, fur, or paws, contradicting Sit's claims of peaceful deaths. One victim, a puppy named Rosie, showed evidence of blunt-force trauma in addition to heat-related injuries.

IMAGE1: Evidence presented in court shows that the dogs suffered physical trauma prior to their deaths

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer remarked on the preventable nature of the deaths, stating, "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."

Families present in court expressed a sense of relief. "It's a sense of relief that we got the justice we deserved," said Aimee Gutierrez, one of the owners, adding, "quite frankly I don't think 11 years is enough."

IMAGE5: Kwong 'Tony' Chun Sit, 54, of Irvine faced the courtroom full of devastated dog owners after -killing 11 dogs in his care, leaving them in cramped cages in a hot van to die, before cremating their bodies in a devious attempt to conceal his crime

Liu offered an apology in court, citing negligence and ignorance of the law, while Sit remained silent. The couple had been in custody on $550,000 bail since the previous June, after prosecutors successfully argued for a deviation from a lower bail amount due to evidence that they were packed and ready to flee at the time of their arrest.