SPCA offers S$1,000 reward for information on abandoned Pasir Ris mice

Lee Li Ying Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is offering a S$1,000 reward for information on the 54 abandoned mice found at Pasir Ris Drive 4 earlier this week.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (Sep 14), the animal welfare society said that it would offer the reward for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. It is treating the incident as a case of pet abandonment.

The mice were found by residents on Tuesday and are currently being cared for by SPCA.

When Channel NewsAsia visited SPCA’s premises at Sungei Tengah, the mice were seen in two pet cages, separated by gender. According to SPCA’s deputy executive director Selina Sebastian, the mice are in “very good condition".

“The mice are very active and they’re roaming around," she said. "Those are signs that the animal is healthy."

"But having said that, these signs are just on the surface. We will have to get the vet to give them a thorough check-up just to make sure there’s nothing else that could be wrong with them.”

The mice will be put up for adoption in the “near future” once they have given a clean bill of health.

Ms Sebastian said one possible reason why such a large number of mice was found abandoned could be that the owners had not anticipated how fast mice can breed.

“Mice are actually prolific breeders and they have a very short pregnancy span," she explained. "They can start breeding when they are six to seven weeks of age, and their gestation period is only between 19 to 21 days."

"With each litter, they can get between six to 12 babies – so you can imagine what must have happened in this situation.”

For those who own pet mice, the first thing to do to stop them from breeding would be to separate them by gender, said Ms Sebastian. Owners could also try to re-home extra animals, but this must be done in same-sex pairs.

Those with information about the mice can call SPCA’s 24-hour hotline at 6287 5355 (extension 9), or e-mail inspector@spca.org.sg.
Source: CNA/nc


54 abandoned mice found at Pasir Ris Drive 4, AVA investigating
Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore is investigating, after 54 mice were found abandoned along Pasir Ris Drive 4, it said on Wednesday (Sep 13).

The mice were found by the road on Tuesday night by Pasir Ris resident Karen Teng, who was walking her dogs with her husband when she saw a "squirming mass" on the grass. Looking closer, she realised that they were white mice.

Mdm Teng said she rushed home to get a box to round up the mice. "I think it is a cruel thing to just leave them by the road," she said.

"We were so worried some of them would get on the road and end up being run over by cars," she told Channel NewsAsia. "There are also joggers - and this place is quite dark - we were afraid that joggers might unwittingly step on them."

Several passers-by pitched in to help as well, and it took them almost two hours to round up all the mice.

They handed the mice to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

"If the mice were left here, exposed to the elements, sooner or later they would die. And all these little carcasses would become bloated, maggots would come, flies would come," Mdm Teng said. "My worry is that with time, heat and weather, the carcass would emit smell or even poisonous fumes."

When Channel NewsAsia visited the area with Mdm Teng on Wednesday, there were several dead mice on the grass verge.

There was also a trail of bread leading to the undergrowth, a short distance from the footpath. Pet bedding was also seen on the grass.

One of the joggers who had stopped to help said that she had seen two people acting suspiciously around the area at around 9.15pm on Tuesday, Mdm Teng told Channel NewsAsia.

The SPCA is treating the case as pet abandonment. It added that the rodents were not stray mice, but pinky mice, a type of mice used for laboratory tests and to feed other animals.

It added that the mice were a mix of young and old, and female and male. There were also two baby mice among them.

SPCA is appealing for more information.

The punishment for pet abandonment is up to a year in jail and a fine of up to S$10,000 for first-time offenders.

Additional reporting by Lee Li Ying
Source: CNA/aa