Man fined for operating illegal pet shop in Jurong West flat

Channel NewAsia 15 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE: A 47-year-old man was fined S$2,750 on Wednesday (Nov 15) for operating a pet shop without a license, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA).

Acting on a tip-off in September, AVA said it was told of birds living in poor conditions being sold illegally in a Jurong West flat.

An investigation on Tan Lai Hock's apartment revealed that he had 27 caged parrots, which had been bred and sold without a pet shop license, said AVA in the press release.

However, no compromise in animal welfare was detected.

A pet shop license is required to display any animal, including birds, for sale, said AVA. Anyone found guilty of operating an unlicensed pet shop can be fined up to S$5,000.



Pet grooming shop owner faces charges for selling, housing dogs
VALERIE KOH Today Online 15 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE — A 43-year-old man was hauled to court on Wednesday (Nov 15) for running a pet shop without a licence and for housing unlicensed dogs.

Desmond Phua Ju Liang, owner of My Pet Store, faces 10 charges.

He allegedly kept eight dogs — all above three months old — at the shop, which is located along Sungei Tengah Road, when he did not have a licence to do so. These dogs included a female Labradoodle, a female and a male Dachshund, and a female and a male Maltese.

It is illegal for anyone to keep a dog above three months old without a licence.

My Pet Store brands itself as an animal grooming outfit, offering day care and pet taxi services. However, Phua sold seven dogs to various customers at the shop around the end of May this year, even though the place was not licensed as a pet shop.

He also kept 12 dogs illegally at the shop. Under the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing & Control) Rules, he is required to seek permission from the Director-General of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Services to house more than three dogs on premises that are not categorised as dog farms.

Phua returns to court on Dec 8 for a pre-trial conference. If found guilty of each of these offences, he could be fined up to S$5,000.

In a separate case on Wednesday, a 47-year-old man was fined S$2,750 for operating a pet shop without a licence. In a press statement, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore said that it had received feedback on the poor living conditions and illegal sale of birds in a Jurong West flat owned by Tan Lai Hock.

Upon checking, the authority found 27 caged parrots in Tan’s apartment.

“Although no compromise in animal welfare was detected, we found that Tan had been breeding and selling parrots without a pet shop licence,” its spokesperson said.