Loh Chee Kong, Today Online 16 Mar 09;
DESPITE recent laws making itcompulsory for dogs to be licensed and implanted with microchips,the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) received more lost dogs last year, even as the population of stray cats appears to be under control.
The ruling, which animal activists hoped would discourage pet dumping, took effect in September 2007. But it did not stop the SPCA from receiving 1,162 lost dogs last year, a marginal increase as compared to 2007, according to its latest statistics.
Last week the SPCA said in a press statement that most of the lost dogs were “pedigree or pedigree crosses and the majority had no microchip or identification”. Only just over a third was claimed by their owners.
The dumping of such dogs — a concern the SPCA had flagged last year — continue unabated, with 1,550 purebreds received. Mindful that some could have been lost pets, the SPCA reminds owners to microchip their dogs at veterinary clinics.
“More importantly, they mustlicense their dogs with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority for the microchip to be effective,” it said. Jack Russell Terriers, Maltese and Golden Retrievers were some common breeds surrendered or abandoned, as well as a “considerable number” of Huskies.
The Society receives around 700 animals each month, with only two out of every 10 possibly finding new homes. The good news is that the number of cats coming through its doors has dropped by 13 per cent — or 600 cats — year-on-year. The average number of cats taken in each month has also fallen from 500 to 300.
Such a “significant change” was likely due to more stray cats being sterilised, the SPCA said.
Since 1991, the SPCA has implemented a free voucher scheme under which it pays for the sterilisation of neighbourhood cats brought by volunteer caregivers to participating veterinary clinics. More than 2,000 vouchers were distributed last year.
“Although the demand for vouchers always exceeds the supply, many community cats are being sterilised, which ultimately means the number of births should decline,” the SPCA said.
