Out in the Cold
Pet Project , Jan/Feb 2003
Text by Anne Seah

Every year, hundreds of pets are abandoned by their owners. Where do they go? How do they end up?

What becomes of a cute cuddly creature after it's left to fend for itself?

A couple of weeks ago, Angie Lai, 37, real estate agent, decided to picnic with her dog at Lower Pierce Reservoir. Almost immediately after reaching their favourite spot, three men in their fifties passed by and told her that they had just seen three rabbits roaming freely farther up. All thoughts of a cosy little picnic fled from Angie's mind.

She recalls,” I was quite upset to hear of yet another case of rabbit abandonment. My immediate reaction was to find them before they wandered farther away into the forest. I wanted to save them. I couldn't bear the thought of them fending for themselves and living in fear. These are domesticated rabbits - it's impossible for them to survive out in the wild."

With the help of the park attendant, Angie managed to recover all three rabbits. Even though they appeared to be in good condition (Angie guesses that they were abandoned only that very morning), she brought them to the vet immediately to make sure they did not have any communicable diseases before bringing them home. She later put them up for adoption on the House Rabbit Society of Singapore's forum (www.hrss.net/forum/).

Angie's rescue of the rabbits that fateful day is not an isolated case.

Opening page and this page: Every year hundreds of animals are abandoned and rescued by animal havens such as the SPCA. Seasonal celebrations such as Christmas are often the worst times for animal abandonment as the novelty of a new pet quickly wears off and owners realize that they have neither the time nor patience to look after an animal.

Just in the month of October 2002 alone, the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) dealt with 1100 cases of unwanted animals, out of which 574 were cats, 350 were dogs, and 176 were small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.

More focused and specialized animal welfare groups have also been formed to deal with the worrying problem of pet abandonment.

Each month, the pleas flood in. ASD (Action for Singapore Dogs) receives an average of I5 requests to help abandoned dogs. Canine Love Rescue and Rehoming receives an average of 4 similar requests whilst the MettaCats; receives an average of 20 requests. The CWS (Cat Welfare Society) is similarly deluged. The HRSS (House Rabbit Society of Singapore) receives an average of 8 requests to help abandoned rabbits.

All these animal welfare groups agree with Angie that a large part of the cause behind pet abandonment lies in the owners' lack of knowledge about their pets. This, coupled with a casual attitude towards pet ownership finally leads to pet abandonment.

Ms Deirdre Moss, Executive Officer of the SPCA, explains, "Ignorance about the behaviour and maintenance of their pets leads them to perceive their pets as inconveniences."

Mr. Ricky Yeo, president of ASD, elaborates, "What is inconvenient is usually a burden."

"With the very pragmatic approach that most Singaporeans have towards life, these inconvenient burdens are casually disposed of, becoming abandoned pets," concludes Ms Saliehana Mohamed Sallel secretary of the MettaCats.

What can be done to tackle the intensifying problem of pet abandonment in Singapore?

Mr. Yeo proposes an enforcement of the law dealing with pet abandonment where offenders may be fined up to $10,000 and jailed up to 6 months, so as to set a deterring example. Mr. Kapil Sharma, president of HRSS, goes so far as to propose mandatory microchipping for all pets. He explains, "An animal found wandering on the streets would be traced back to its owner and if it had not been reported lost, the owner can reasonably be suspected to have abandoned his pet."

Mr. K Madhavan, Head of Control and Pet Licensing Branch of the AVA (Agricultural and Veterinary Association of Singapore), strongly encourages education. He says, "The AVA gives talks on responsible pet ownership to the children in schools. We also publicize through newspapers. We hope to create more awareness about acquiring pets so that people will have more information and knowledge when they go to pet shops."

He agrees with the animal welfare groups that more education by pet shops at the point of sale would probably lead to more careful consideration about acquiring a pet and more responsible pet ownership. "That is why," he says,” the AVA has advised pet shops to provide informative leaflets on the behaviour and maintenance of different kinds of pets, and on responsible pet ownership." Pet shops may obtain such leaflets free of charge from the AVA for distribution or come up with their own.

Finally, Mr. Madhavan urges all pet owners to seek help from the AVA and the animal welfare groups when behavioral and maintenance problems arise with their pets. "These organizations will be able to either advise you on how to deal with the problems, or direct you to experts such as obedience trainers. Very often, with effort on the pet owners' part, the problems can be solved. One should never resort to abandoning one's pet."

If you would like to adopt an animal, contact the SPCA. Tel: 62875355, email feedback@spca.org.sg or visit www.spca.org.sg