Guide dogs now welcome in HDB homes

Channel NewsAsia 1 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has asked the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to allow visually-impaired people to keep guide dogs in their HDB flats.

The HDB said that, currently, guide dogs are not on the "approved dog list", but it has made exceptions for families who appealed.

Writing on his blog, Mr Khaw said: "I told them to make it an open policy: Guide dogs are welcome in HDB homes of their masters."

To further simplify the process, HDB residents requiring guide dogs now need only approach the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) for licensing.

AVA will coordinate with HDB, thus there is no need for the resident to submit a separate application to the housing authority.

Mr Khaw added that the Building and Construction Authority has also included a design guide in its Code on Accessibility for the Built Environment to help architects and design professionals understand space requirements for a visually-handicapped person with a guide dog.

He said that to visually-handicapped people, a trained guide dog can be a "life saver".

He cited the story of how a black Labrador guide dog named Orlando made the news recently when he protected his visually-impaired master who had accidentally fallen onto a New York City subway track.

Mr Khaw noted that because guide dogs are "not common (yet) in Singapore, our society is not yet as guide dog-friendly as in many developed cities".

In New York, for example, such dogs are welcome in restaurants.

Mr Khaw said: "It is the Year of the Horse. But let's be kind to all beings, including guide dogs."

- CNA/nd