Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 19 Jul 14;
SINGAPORE: A 15-member committee comprising animal lovers, parliamentarians, and grassroots leader have come up with guidelines on what the basic standard of animal welfare in Singapore should be.
The guidelines, collected in two Codes of Animal Welfare which applies to pet owners and businesses, have been submitted to the authorities for review.
Animal welfare has never been clearly defined in Singapore, and it is the first time such guidelines are being drafted here.
For example, owners must give their pets a clean and safe living environment as well as a well-balanced diet. For businesses, there is a separate set of guidelines, such as ensuring animals are comfortable and safe during transport.
"We try not to be too prescriptive when we actually formulate the code. But it's important to set a clear definition of what are good welfare standards,” said Yeo Guat Kwang, patron of Pets Enterprises & Traders Association Singapore, who is also the MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC.
“Because we have already consulted quite widely, I think this will be something definitely not onerous. It'll be something that is quite easy for everyone to comply and more importantly, it's not so much to try to actually make it to be enforceable, it's important for everyone to be aware that this is the basic care standard that we should have for all the pets and animals in Singapore."
In drafting the Codes, the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Committee referred to existing ones in Australia, New Zealand and UK. But it adapted them to fit Singapore's climate and context.
"Singapore is a lot more urban environment. We're a lot smaller in terms of overall space, so we have to take those norms into consideration,” said Alex Yam, chairman of the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Committee.
“Of course some things like free-roaming areas so on and so forth. We're quite a built-up area, so those are some of the things that we're unable to include."
The committee also held a one-month consultation online and received some 2,000 comments from some 600 people. Mr Yam, who is also MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, said 90 per cent of the respondents agreed with what the codes spell out.
Those in the pet industry say the codes are long-awaited and are a positive development for Singapore.
"A lot of pet owners, they buy without doing proper research. And I feel that with the pet industry being on board with this and also educating the staff how to provide point-of-sale education, this can really help in terms of letting the owners know what they're getting into before they actually own a pet," said Veron Lau, vice president of the Cat Welfare Society and member of the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Committee.
"Accreditation is necessary to increase the standard of grooming in Singapore. Definitely it will affect some of the business because currently not all of them undergo proper training. But for myself, I think it's quite good because I will know where my standard is, and I think everybody will know where my standard is as well," said Brana Choy, a pet groomer.
Mr Yeo is hoping to table a Private Member's Bill in Parliament in September to amend the Animals and Birds Act. If the law is amended, authorities enforcing the Animals and Birds Act will be able to refer to the Codes of Animal Welfare, if needed.
- CNA/ec
AVA reviewing animal welfare codes
Cheryl Faith Wee The Straits Times 20 Jul 14;
Pet owners here should provide their pets with a balanced diet and fresh drinking water, monitor their health regularly and not leave them in vehicles in conditions that cause heat stress or distress.
These are just a few of the guidelines from the codes of animal welfare for pet owners and businesses, submitted to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for review by a group looking into the issue here.
"The codes were formulated because there was no clear, agreed definition of what is deemed as good welfare standards," said Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC and a member of the group called the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Committee for Animal Welfare (MSCC).
Animal abuse cases here have gone up 28.3 per cent from 377 in 2008 to 484 in 2012, according to AVA figures. Animal cruelty is now prosecuted under the Animals and Birds Act, but critics said its provisions are vague on how cruelty is defined.
The codes are guidelines for best practices and minimum standards for pets, but they can be used as a reference to support the investigation and prosecution of an offence. A summary of these was put up on the AVA's website yesterday.
Speaking to reporters at a Pet Enterprise and Traders Association of Singapore event at Asia Square yesterday, Mr Yeo said the codes were devised based on feedback from around 600 members of the public in a month-long e-consultation earlier this year.
The committee also looked at the welfare standards in countries like New Zealand and consulted different pet industry stakeholders.
In September, Mr Yeo will table a private Member's Bill in Parliament with a few other MPs to amend the Animals and Birds Act. One of the proposals will be to empower the AVA to issue or adopt the animal welfare codes. Law Minister K. Shanmugam had also said earlier that penalties for animal abusers would be stiffened.
The codes are divided into one for pet owners and another for pet businesses. Specific guidelines are also set out for different animals.
For example, one suggestion for owners of small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters is that they should microchip and sterilise their pets, where feasible.
As for dog owners, the codes suggest they provide cold climate breeds with adequate shade, good fan ventilation or air conditioning.
The guidelines also say pet businesses should check on the health of the pets at least once a day and ensure that all animals are physically fit, healthy and free of diseases prior to mating.
Ms Veron Lau, vice-president of the Cat Welfare Society, said: "On the ground, we see the need for these codes because animal cruelty cases are often not able to move forward due to the lack of guidelines. This is an important first step in crystallising the framework for animal welfare.
