Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 11;
SINGAPORE: Chong Pang constituency has said it will no longer cull stray cats in the area.
In addition, it will set in motion a humane cat management programme in two weeks' time, making it the first in Singapore to stop the culling of strays.
Local groups Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said the programme allows the public to play a more active and vital role, while working with the town council.
It will be launched by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam at a public forum on animal welfare policies on June 18.
The event is organised by Acres in collaboration with Chong Pang grassroots.
The forum will give Singaporeans the opportunity to be engaged in shaping animal welfare policies in Singapore.
This comes in the wake of Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan's blog entry on June 2.
He wrote that the culling of cats in heartland estates is not the way to go.
Last year, about 5,100 stray cats were put down, some 300 less than those in 2009.
-CNA/wk
