Barking up the right tree

AVA to help improve pet shop standards and owner responsibility with new pet-care course
Ansley Ng TOday Online 30 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE - From next year, pet buyers can expect better service when they go to pet shops. And instead of just getting help to choose a pet, customers can turn to pet sellers for continued guidance on animal care and ownership.

This will be possible when a bid to raise standards in the industry takes effect in January.

Unlike now, all pet shop operators will be equipped henceforth with certifiable skill sets, through a compulsory pet care course taught by Temasek Polytechnic and supported by the Pet Enterprises and Traders Association and the Workforce Development Agency.

Shop owners and staff who have worked for more than six months will bone up on regulatory requirements, animal care and business ethics, among other topics, Parliamentary Secretary (National Development) Mohamad Maliki Osman announced yesterday.

The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) expects about 120 pet shops and farms selling small mammals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters - out of the 277 in total - to sign up in the first half of next year. All operators should eventually do so when they renew their annual licences.

"I believe the new compulsory training programme will be well received by the pet retail industry, as well as by discerning customers who patronise shops that maintain a high standard of animal care," said Dr Maliki at the finale of a series of Responsible Pet Ownership roadshows.

The roadshows, organised by the AVA, come as the number of dog attacks have risen this year. The attacks, numbering 65 so far, have involved not just bigger dogs such as rottweilers and dobermans, but also smaller ones such as shih tzus and Jack Russell terriers.

Last week, a businessman was charged in court after his two rottweilers bit two people in the Toh Tuck Road area.

When asked how the new course will increase pet owner responsibility, Dr Maliki said that improved pet shop standards means that pet buyers get better "after-sales service".

"We want pet shops to have responsibility to ensure that pet owners understand what their roles are as far as pet ownershp is concerned, and therefore, create that awareness and ensure that skills to manage pets when they are at home (are passed down)," he said.

In an ongoing public consultation exercise, there have also been calls for dog owners to buy insurance and for dogs to be categorised according to their breeds, said Dr Maliki.

Mr Owen Sim, a master trainer of dogs and who breeds Siberian huskies in his Telok Kurau shop, welcomed the course, as there were pet shop operators who are like the "blind leading the blind". He recalled a customer telling him that another pet shop owner had advised him to reach into his puppy's mouth and pull its tongue if it was naughty and wanted to nibble him.

"I told him there was no logic behind it," said Mr Sim, who described some pet shop operators as "businessmen ... motivated by profits", not pet experts.

"Having the course would be a boost for the industry, but we need to know what will be taught and how the course will really benefit us."

The lessons, which can be done intensively or part time, include 16 hours of lectures and eight hours of workshops as part of TP's veterinary technology diploma, covering areas of laws, animal health, occupational health and client education.

There will be a fee subsidy of up to 90 percent under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Singapore) education executive Selina Sebastian said: "We're very heartened, and this is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully, the course will have a knock on effect on owners and owners-to-be."

She added that SPCA has received dogs dumped by owners who were frustrated because the pets were disobedient.

"In fact, the first thing you should do when you get a dog is to sign up for an obedience course," she said.

Rabies quarantine requirement to be dropped

Dr Maliki also announced yesterday that as a result of risk management measures such as rabies vaccines, blood testing and microchip identification for animals, the AVA will waive quarantine requirements from Jan 1 for pets imported from countries with minimal rabies risk.

This means dogs and cats imported from places such as Japan, Hong Kong and Norway can enter Singapore without the need for quarantine. Currently, pet dogs and cats imported from countries other than Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are quarantined for 30 days.

Pet shop owners question new rule
They say seasoned retailers don't need mandatory training
Straits Times 1 Dec 09;

PET shop owners are taking issue with a new ruling that from next month will require them to take a course on animal care.

The course, announced by Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman on Sunday, will be compulsory for shop owners and employees who have worked for more than six months. It will teach animal care, business ethics and how to educate customers on pet care.

There will also be workshops on determining animals' sex, proper handling of domestic pets, and checks on animal health.

The course will be conducted by Temasek Polytechnic over three days or six evenings.

Course fees have not been determined yet, but subsidies of up to 90 per cent will be provided by the Government.

The move is part of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's ongoing drive to improve pet welfare, and was announced at the end of a month-long responsible pet ownership roadshow.

There are 277 pet shops here, and about 80 complaints a year.

The authorities are making the education programme compulsory as they see stores as the first link in the chain of responsible pet ownership.

Most of the complaints concern the sale of unhealthy or underage animals, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions.

While pet shop owners contacted yesterday agreed that there were a number of bad hats in the industry, they said the new move was excessive.

They pointed out that shops are already graded when their annual licences come up for review, including checks on cleanliness and how well they care for their pets.

Those given a D grade have to send staff for remedial training and risk being shut down if they get the grade consistently. There are four such shops here.

And some owners asked why even experienced retailers need to attend the course.

Mr Eugene Chua, who has worked in the industry for 15 years and owns Pets City on Koon Seng Road, said: 'Pet shop owners are generally people who love pets and already have some knowledge.'

Pet owners disagreed with operators who think there are enough controls, however.

Flight attendant Samantha Lim, 28, said more needs to be done.

Last month, she bought a mini schnauzer which turned out to be unhealthy. She suggested regulations making stores which sell such pets give refunds or reimburse veterinary fees.

'That way, pet shop owners will be more responsible about selling healthy pets.'

TESSA WONG

Getting dog owners to heel
Fido may be cute, but it has instincts which need to be kept in check
Tessa Wong, Straits Times 2 Dec 09;

LIKE many puppies of her breed, Ziggy the golden retriever can literally bowl you over with her friendliness.

The seven-month-old's over-enthusiasm when greeting people - she lunges and pounces on them - is the reason her owners have sent her to the German Shepherd Dog Club for training.

'We're training her because it's being responsible,' said her owner, Mr Dennis Cheah, 57, as he fondly patted his dog's head.

Not many owners share Mr Cheah's attitude though.

New rules announced this week to train pet store owners in animal care - in the hope they pass on this knowledge to customers - are a step in the right direction. The move will help keep a lid on the number of dog attacks - which have been rising, more than doubling from 28 in 2004 to 65 so far this year.

But tackling pet store owners' ignorance is one thing. It would do little to improve matters if dog owners don't give a hoot about the danger of their pets causing injury to humans.

Take a walk in a park this evening, and chances are you will see dogs unleashed. This despite a law that requires owners to keep dogs on a leash in public places.

With more Singaporeans owning dogs - there are now a record 55,220 dogs here - it is more important than ever to make sure that owners are responsible. Which is why the suggestion of pet associations here that both the animals and their owners are trained is timely.

Right now, there are only basic regulations governing pet dogs - such as compulsory microchipping, leashing them in public places and muzzling certain breeds deemed to be relatively dangerous.

But the Singapore Kennel Club, the German Shepherd Dog Club, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are calling for mandatory training for all breeds and the setting of minimum standards:

# That dogs obey owners when they issue simple commands such as heel, sit, and stay.

# That dogs are adequately socialised, so they are used to the presence of other dogs and humans.

# That owners can assert adequate authority over their dogs.

# That owners are equipped with a suitable method of disciplining their dogs.

Training advocates say all dogs should be trained - no ifs or buts.

Statistics bear this out. The common perception is that snarling rottweilers, dobermans with clipped ears and german shepherds are the dogs most likely to make a beeline for our necks.

But this is not totally correct.

A variety of breeds have been behind the dog attacks here: Mongrels and mixed breeds have, in fact, topped the list of biters in the last two years.

The latter include 'designer dogs' that have become fashionable in recent years, particularly crosses like labradoodles and shetland spitzes. According to experts, such cross-breeding can give rise to dogs with uncertain temperaments.

So-called 'family friendly' dogs can be occasionally nasty too - including golden retrievers, jack russell terriers, and shih tzus.

Here's a startling statistic: Golden retrievers have been responsible for seven attacks this year. By comparison, rottweilers were behind with three.

In February, a three-and-a half-month-old baby in South Wales was mauled to death by a jack russell terrier and a staffordshire bull terrier.

Experts say such incidents should teach us one thing - however cute Fido might be, it has instincts that need to be kept in check.

It is not only about dogs, however.

The SPCA wants new owners to be trained too. If we are serious about stamping out this problem, we need to seriously consider this suggestion.

Not only would compulsory training help first-time owners grasp the basics of pet care, it would also deter those who buy a dog on a whim only to discover they lack the commitment to handle their pooch when it becomes unruly.

Switzerland would be a good example to emulate. A new law there makes it compulsory for first-time dog owners to attend classes. They learn, among other things, how to train their dogs, how to walk them correctly in public, and how to understand their needs.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) could look into similar laws here, and tailor training requirements to different types of owners.

For instance, only first-time owners - or those whose dogs have attacked people in the past - should attend mandatory classes with accredited trainers or dog clubs.

The rest can choose whether to send their dogs for professional training or 'home-school' them to pass a test.

As different members of the family may be responsible for walking the dog, the AVA should make sure that all the main handlers of the dog be trained, and not just the person whose name is on the dog's licence.

Meanwhile, Singaporean owners could ensure they are responsible pet carers by doing research on their breeds and asking the AVA and dog associations for advice on keeping their pets out of trouble.

In this way, they will be following the lead of owners of so-called dangerous breeds, who, with a few exceptions, usually take greater pains to control their dogs, precisely because they realise their pets are dangerous.

If such steps aren't taken soon, dog attacks may increase further, as would tensions between dog owners and non-owners. Already, the AVA has observed an increase in the number of complaints about dogs, from 3,292 in 2007 to 3,924 last year.

The facts are staring at us in the face, and we ought to realise that it is time to bring irresponsible dog owners to heel.