Animal protection
groups in Singapore have protested moves by town councils to catch and
cull more stray cats as part of the ongoing "Singapore's OK" campaign to
improve public hygiene.
For the first time, cat lovers and dog lovers have come together for a
common cause -- to raise public awareness and try to stop an intensified
campaign to kill stray animals, mainly cats.
They say the initiative by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and
town councils is distressing.
"This could escalate to the culling of thousands of cats. We heard a few
days ago about cats gone missing -- it's not just one or two cats, its
tens of cats from each of these caregivers which adds up to hundreds of
cats," said Dr Lynn Yeo, president of the Cat Welfare Society.
Authorities say they have intensified the culling of stray cats in
housing estates, food centres and markets as part of the "Singapore's
OK" programme to clean up the environment and improve public hygiene.
"The animal welfare societies are saddened by these actions as they're
sending out the wrong message," said Deirdre Moss, executive officer of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
"This Singapore's OK campaign is extending to strays and by rounding and
culling them more intensively. So are we sending the message animals
spread SARS?"
Veterinary surgeon Dr Grace Heng added, "There's no need to throw
anxiety, panic and look at animals in a different perspective. Killing
is not the solution. We have to act responsibly to our own pets ...
there's no evidence pets can transmit the virus to humans."
A check by Channel NewsAsia found only two stray cats in one
neighbourhood, which used to have many more.
The authorities estimate there are about 80,000 stray cats in Singapore.
AVA has also stopped its sterilisation service, which animal lovers say
is a more humane way to manage strays.
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