Wild dogs in Bishan divide residents

Are they an 'incident' waiting to happen?
But other residents say the dogs don't bother people and should be left alone
Shree Ann Mathavan, The New Paper 19 Apr 08;

THEY intimidate and strike fear in the hearts of some residents, roaming the estate in a pack of six to eight.

These stray dogs have made the grassy areas near the SMRT Bishan depot their haunt.

Some residents also say that the dogs have been attacking and killing stray cats in the area.

And resident Raj N Nagarajan, 50, who is self-employed, is worried.

He said: 'They attack cats now. Later, they may attack people. We shouldn't wait until that happens.'

Every evening, the strays can be seen making their daily trek across the canal and running track to the HDB flats on Bishan Street 13.

It is not known when the pack formed, but some residents said they started noticing the dogs late last year.

One of the recent cat attacks happened last week, resident Theresa Low said.

The 34-year-old told The New Paper that she saw a pack of six dogs attacking one of the stray cats.

Although she chased the dogs away, she said the cat was left with wounds near its spine and a dislocated leg.

She sent the cat to the Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital and Clinic for treatment, but it died earlier this week.

Madam Lily Wee, 66, a housewife who feeds stray cats in the area twice a day, is especially upset.

Earlier this week, she discovered a dead cat's mutilated body with its intestines spilling out. She believes that the dogs could have been responsible for the cat's death.

While she has not seen the dogs attacking any cats, she has seen them behaving threateningly towards them.

Madam Wee said: 'There were about 16 cats in the area. Now, there are only about nine left because the dogs have been biting these cats.

'I cry every time because these cats are like my children.'

Other residents said the dogs are a nuisance because of their barking.

Mrs Meow Ng, 27, a teacher who has been living in the area for the past 20 years, said the dogs bark loudly almost every night.

'At night, I can hear them howling and barking. That keeps me awake. It's a disturbance to residents here.'

A regular jogger who uses the running track thrice weekly, Mrs Ng said that she feels 'intimidated' whenever the pack crosses her path.

'It's quite scary to see a pack of dogs, so I try to avoid them as much as I can.'

Another resident, Mr Desmond Ng, a sales manager in his late 40s, said that it is 'definitely not okay' to have stray dogs in the area.

But he said he would make a report only if the dogs harm someone.

NOT BOTHERED

Not all residents we observed were as wary of these canine visitors, who also roam the void decks of the HDB blocks.

When The New Paper visited the area, a group of about four dogs were seen near the running track, while the others remained on the opposite side where the depot stands.

During the hour or so that we were there, there were about 30 joggers, cyclists and power walkers - and all of them carried on exercising, barely glancing at the dogs.

Madam Jessie Sim, 42, a physical education teacher who jogs along the track three times a week, said: 'They don't come over and threaten me, so their presence doesn't bother me.'

A 50-year-old resident, who wanted to be identified only as Mr David, has lived in the area for 20years, and he noted that the dogs have been around for a decade.

He said: 'They don't bite and are well-behaved. I pity the dogs. I think they are just hungry.'

He said that the strays were quieter than some yapping pet dogs.

He asked: 'Singaporeans should learn how to love animals more. How are we going to face the world if we can't even tolerate a few dogs?'

His point is echoed by Mr T Z Ang, a retiree in his 50s who occasionally feeds the dogs with leftover food.

The Bishan resident said: 'I think it's no big deal, as long as they don't injure or bite others.

'Life is so boring, at least the dogs provide some wildlife.'

Madam Wee claimed that she has called the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority six times since the start of this year, asking that action be taken.

She said: 'I also love dogs. I don't want them to die. I'm just reporting them because they have been biting the cats.

'I just hope they can be taken to the SPCA or an animal farm.'