A free AVA service that is unfair to taxpayers

Letter from Dr Tan Chek Wee, Today Online 18 May 09;

I know an expatriate who lives in a condominium in a prime district. She has several neighbours who think that the presence of cats devalues their properties. These neighbours request the loan free cat traps from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). Cats trapped, whether they are strays or free roaming pets, are euthanised free at AVA (www.ava.gov.sg). This does not resolve the problem as “new” cats will move in to fill the “vacuum” and hence an endless cycle of killing is perpetuated.

This is ironic as there are people like myself who have to borrow traps from the Cat Welfare Society (www.catwelfare.org) to trap cats in our estates, bring them to the vets for neutering and then release them back to the estate, all at our own expense.

However this T(rap)N(euter)R(elase) is an evidence-based method of controlling the cat population, humanely and effectively. Yet we fail repeatedly to get AVA to provide free sterilisation at its premises.

Would the AVA provide free service if the complaint is about rats or cockcroaches? If people who live in private estates feel that cats are “pests”, then they should pay for private pest controller services.

I appeal to the AVA to stop this free service that is unfair to taxpayers.