Dog adoption in Singapore: The rules for dogs in HDB flats

Nicholas Yong Yahoo Newsroom 6 Nov 15;

With the popularity of pets and an increasing awareness of animal rights, why aren’t more dogs getting adopted?

Animal welfare groups tell Yahoo Singapore one of the biggest deterrents is the rules governing the breed, size and weight of dogs that can be kept in HDB flats, where more than 80 per cent of Singaporeans reside.

Currently, only 62 toy breeds of dogs – or their crosses – are allowed in flats, including Yorkshire terriers, dachshunds and Pomeranians. Only one dog, standing at 40cm at the shoulders and weighing 10kg or less, is allowed per flat.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) executive director Corinne Fong, calls the current rules “archaic” and in need of review. She notes, “The size of the dog belies the fact that even small dogs bark and can make a din, bite, or cause dis-amenities if the owner is not prepared to train the dog.”

But since June 2011, animal welfare groups have collaborated with authorities on a scheme that allows HDB flat dwellers to adopt larger dogs. Under the auspices of Project ADORE (Adoption and Rehoming of Dogs), residents can adopt a mixed breed dog up to 50cm in height, and as heavy as 15kg.

Ida, a female mixed breed, is now in her 10th year with the SPCA, where she is a favourite with the staff. She has been re-homed twice, but was returned both times as she and the respective families could not adapt to each other.

Among other conditions, adopters must undergo a screening process, and agree to take the dog for basic obedience training. The dogs must also come from any of three participating groups: SPCA, Save Our Singapore Dogs (SOSD) and Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD).

SOSD has a particularly stringent adopter vetting process, including email and phone screenings, home visits and an initial home stay with the dog before the adoption is formalised. SOSD president Siew Tuck Wah says this effectively weeds out adopters who are not ready. He notes, “We would rather this, because we want the dog to have a good home. And we also don’t want the dog to be returned to the shelter, because that’s very detrimental to the dog’s health.”

As of July 2015, some 227 dogs have been re-homed under Project ADORE, which is managed by three agencies – the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the Housing Development Board (HDB). Project ADORE, which began life as a pilot programme, became a permanent scheme in 2014.
[Related: Dog adoption in Singapore: The adopters speak]

But groups like SOSD are calling on authorities to extend the parameters of Project ADORE. Siew says that if the size limit was increased by 10cm to 60cm, it would allow three times more rescued dogs into HDB flats. He adds, “Because most (rescue) dogs fall within the 50 to 60cm range… it’s going to help adoption rates increase tremendously. And that will help to solve the overcrowding and stray problems.”

But meeting the height and weight requirements is not all - the dogs’ temperament, as well as their ability to be trained, must also be assessed.

In response to queries from Yahoo Singapore, an MND spokesman says the weight and size limits for the dogs were set in consultation with animal welfare groups. The Ministry plans to include more groups in ADORE, “gradually and incrementally”, in order to ensure the scheme’s acceptance by residents and the public.

She added, “We are currently reviewing the conditions of adoption and will consider the public feedback that we have received on ADORE. Any policy adjustments will have to be done sensitively so that we can continue to be an inclusive society, and ensure the long term success of the programme.”


Dog adoption in Singapore: The adopters speak
Nicholas Yong Yahoo Newsroom 6 Nov 15;

Of all the issues to consider when adopting a dog, from the financial cost to the lifetime commitment, the most important factor is that of behavioural issues.

Co-founder of Causes For Animals Singapore (CAS) Christine Bernadette says that some rescue dogs have not been properly socialised, as they have only lived on the street.

“They need to be taught how to eat from a dish, to be toilet-trained, how to walk on a leash. Sometimes, when the dogs are fed, they will pour out the food from the dish onto the floor before they eat,” says Bernadette.

Last July, teacher Jasmine Lim, 29, encountered such behavioural issues firsthand when she adopted Merry, a Singapore mongrel. “She is not an easy dog to take care of,” says Lim, who lives in a four-room flat in Ang Mo Kio. “She’s very shy and she doesn’t walk well – she’s scared of the roads, the car, the noise and people. She’s very fussy, and only eats chicken and porridge.”

But 15 months on, Lim has no regrets. “She’s still very slim and more or less the same, just that we have got used to her habits. But she is much better with the family. She will roam around, and let my mom pat her. She likes me.”

Executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Corinne Fong notes that some adopters, unable to cope, have previously returned animals to the shelter. For example, a dog was returned because it bit the domestic helper when she inadvertently moved the food bowl while the dog was eating.
But she adds, “I dare say that there have been more happy adoptions than returns.”

One such happy adopter is Sharon Phua, 34, who adopted Kendall, one of four surviving puppies in a litter of 10. Phua, who works in business development, first met the mongrel at an adoption drive in Bishan last year. Given that she and her husband Andrew spend much of their time at work, she was looking for a dog that could be left alone for at least eight hours per day.

“Unlike the other dogs who were very active, she was just very chill. She was just lying on the floor,” recalls Phua. “We did know that she’s a bit fearful of strangers, but we know that she can be very independent and can be left alone in the house.”

Nevertheless, there were initial teething problems. Even though Kendall was named for one of the Kardashian sisters, she was hardly an attention seeker. Phua says, “She was very fearful. In the beginning, when we bring her out for walks, she panics and she will crouch down, or she will walk faster than usual, just to avoid small kids.

"Even certain movements, like if the wind blows, she will get a bit concerned and she will fidget. She was particularly afraid of skate scooters.”
Today, Kendall is still somewhat “skittish” and doesn’t really warm up to strangers. But Phua adds, “Initially, she doesn’t warm up to us that much, but now when we come home, she wags her tail.”

Phua’s advice to potential adopters: first, consider your lifestyle and priorities. She notes, “If you have a very active social life, you have to sacrifice some of that time to devote to the dog. You have to really be patient with them, and must choose the dog that suits you, rather than go for things like the specific breed or a specific look.”


Dog adoption in Singapore: Elvis is alive, and he needs a home
Nicholas Yong Yahoo Newsroom 6 Nov 15;

Elvis, a Singapore special, has been waiting eight years at the Causes For Animals Singapore shelter to be adopted. His size, which makes him ineligible for an HDB flat, is one of the main reasons he has not been adopted.

Meet Elvis, a brown mongrel rescued as a puppy from a heavy vehicle car park in Pasir Ris in 2007. A Singapore special, or local cross breed, he was part of a litter of five. His mother and three of the puppies were taken in by Causes For Animals Singapore (CAS). The rest had been poisoned.

Eight years later, Elvis, now weighing 35kg, is still waiting to be adopted. Other than being slightly overweight, he has no health issues and is “excellent with people”, says CAS co-founder Christine Bernadette. “He’s like a big polar bear. He will just bulldoze his way through and cuddle. He loves cuddles.”

So why has Elvis waited so long to find, in the parlance of animal adopters, his forever home? Bernadette explains, “A dog that is Elvis’ size cannot be adopted into a HDB flat. People are also generally reluctant to welcome an older dog into their home.”

And while Elvis is in good hands at the CAS shelter, the passage of time has not helped either. “He has grown so used to shelter life and loves the long-term volunteers that it has been difficult getting him to love other people as well,” says Bernadette.

She laments, “At his age, there’s probably zero chance of him being adopted.”

Elvis is just one of many dogs residing in shelters all over the island that are waiting for adoption. “There is actually a growing demand for dogs in Singapore, just that most people still prefer to buy. Every year, the number of licensed dogs increases and increases,” says Siew Tuck Wah, president of Save Our Singapore Dogs (SOSD).
Many owners are even prepared to import their pets. According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), the past three years has seen an increase in the imports of cats and dogs, with popular breeds including Labrador retrievers and malteses. In fact, last year saw around 200 commercial and personal consignments of dogs and cats imported into Singapore. Commercial consignments usually hold as many as 30 animals, while personal ones hold between one and five animals.

Aesthetic preferences, which often drive the preference for pure breeds, are also a determining factor in an animal’s chances of being adopted. Bernadette notes, “If they have spots or longer coats, or they look a bit different, they tend to get adopted faster.”

Save Our Singapore Dogs (SOSD) provides refuge for up to 150 dogs, divided almost evenly between fosterers and a shelter. It sees an average of 12 to 14 adoptions a month. On bad months, this can drop to between six and eight. Noting that the SOSD takes in between 20 and 30 dogs a month, its president Siew Tuck Wah says, “(Our adoption rate) is not good enough, because there are so many more dogs out that need help.”

Alongside other animal welfare groups such as Noah’s Ark Cares and Action for Singapore Dogs, SOSD regularly carries out rescue and sterilization campaigns in areas such as Jurong Island, Pulau Ubin, Bukit Brown cemetery and Jurong Island.

Puppies at SOSD are typically adopted within two to six months, while adult dogs can wait up to 18 months. There are even dogs that have been with SOSD since its inception in 2011. Over at CAS, its shelter currently houses 35 dogs, and between five and eight dogs are adopted each month. It has also taken care of dogs till their dying days.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) houses approximately 140 animals, many of which are pets surrendered by their owners. Executive Director Corinne Fong says the breed and size of its dogs may well be the biggest obstacle to their finding a new home.

Fong says, “Pure bred regular-sized or toy breeds - or their crosses - stand a better chance of being adopted than a mongrel mutt, even if the pure bred - or its cross - is older than a mongrel mutt. That said, a puppy mongrel stands a better chance at being adopted than the older mongrels.”

From July to September this year, an average of about 90 animals were adopted at the SPCA each month, 17 of them dogs. But while the adoption rates for cats, rabbits and small animals have remained fairly consistent, those for dogs have gone down in the last 10 months. Besides the size of the dogs, Fong attributes this to competition from breeders and pet shops, as well as rescued dogs from other shelters vying for the same adopters.

She says, "If the dogs aren’t adopted out fast enough , there is a choke at adoption and this presents a problem as other dogs are currently waiting to be featured in the adoption area. This leads to our inability to accept more surrenders if our capacity is full."

Behavioural issues are another possible deterrent. Bernadette of the CAS says there have been cases of adopters returning dogs as they are unable to manage their behaviour. “Some families expect the dogs to warm up immediately and sadly this does not always happen,” says Bernadette.

SOSD president Siew advises potential adopters to take into account factors such as the cost of taking care of a dog, your family members' needs and how much time you can commit to the dog. "Be ready to take care of it for life," he says.