Sheralyn Tay, Today Online 24 May 08;
THEY'RE all barking mad — about animals that is — and on Saturday, more than 300 animal lovers and activists will gather for the first Singapore Animal Welfare Symposium.
It's an "encouraging" response, said Mr Louis Ng, president and founder of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres). "We are already overbooked, so whoever comes on Saturday, we try to squeeze them in, " he told Weekend Today.
Calling it the first "national platform" for local animal groups, the symposium aims to share ideas, build partnerships and elevate awareness about animal rights and conservation. According to Mr Ng, about 15 local animal welfare organisations will be participating. There will be three main topics, on domestic animal welfare, leading a cruelty-free lifestyle, and wildlife protection.
And in another first, the symposium will also launch the Animal Protectors Grant. Funded by the Lee Foundation, it is the first national animal welfare grant that seeks to help fund projects related to animal welfare.
"Often, we have students or groups which want to start small initiatives, but have to raise funds on their own," explained Mr Ng. For example, a group of students from Raffles Institution have an idea for a book on the dolphin and turtle trade, he said. "They can tap on this fund as a starting point."
There will be six $1,500 grants awarded this year and any group of at least three individuals, with an idea that will have a "positive impact on animal welfare" here can apply. Interested parties can download the application from www.animalwelfare.sg starting from from May 31.
On Friday, Acres held a gala dinner, in celebration of seven years of wildlife protection in Singapore. According to Mr Ng, they hope to raise some $80,000 towards their wildlife protection programme.
