Sharp rise in animal nuisance reports

HDB using mediation services of Agency for Animal Welfare to deal with grouses
David Ee Straits Times 7 Apr 13;

The Housing Board is trying mediation to deal with a sharp increase in complaints about pets in HDB estates.

Most concern dogs, especially those that bark incessantly, sometimes for hours and often when their owners are not home. There are also complaints about dogs that urinate in lifts and pester residents along corridors.

The number of animal nuisance complaints quadrupled over two years, from 200 in 2010 to more than 830 cases last year. There were 57,000 dogs in Singapore last year.

Last week, the HDB started a six-month mediation trial using the services of the Agency for Animal Welfare, which has been mediating dog-related disputes in Nee Soon GRC since January.

The welfare group, formed in February last year, has 128 members. Its volunteers will now help out in cases referred by the HDB from anywhere in Singapore.

The board told The Sunday Times it decided to work with the animal welfare group "to see if mediation is feasible and effective" in dealing quickly with complaints.

It said the group had the experience and enough volunteer mediators trained by the Community Mediation Centre.

The Sunday Times understands that in the past, pet owners sometimes had to give up their dogs when the HDB's efforts to resolve complaints failed.

Senior nursing consultant Eunice Nah, the welfare group's chief advocate, said her team had proposed to spread its mediation efforts constituency by constituency, but the HDB decided to go ahead across Singapore right away.

The group has 20 volunteer mediators and will need more help as the workload looks set to rise. The HDB said it will refer only cases of "persistent" complaints involving the same dog or same owner.

The only other nationwide pet mediation effort is run by the Cat Welfare Society.

MPs contacted by The Sunday Times welcomed the HDB's move to try mediation, but some thought members of an animal group might not find the going easy.

Said MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Zaqy Mohamad: "Some neighbours may think they are biased and pro-animal. There has to be that objectivity."

He added that while mediation may help prevent fresh conflicts from worsening, more deep-rooted ones, where animosity between neighbours has developed, would be hard to resolve.

Ms Nah is optimistic, given her group's experience in Nee Soon GRC. She said they mediated successfully in 48 out of 52 cases.

"I tell all my mediators, go in as a community person. Don't go in as animal welfare activists. This way, we're fair and we're able to gain their trust," she said.

In most cases, she said, dog owners are prepared to do anything to keep their pets. Most people who complain do accept the dogs' presence, but just want some peace from the disturbance.

One resident thought she would have to give up her two-year-old japanese spitz after neighbours complained repeatedly about its barking.

When Ms Nah's mediators stepped in, they found it was a case of mistaken identity - the nuisance barking was from another block.

The pet owner, a coffee shop assistant, said in Mandarin: "We're just happy that it's been settled. Everyone should try to get along as neighbours".