|
 Pet
Licensing Laws
The
latest letter/article is at the top. The letter/article that started the
debate is right below.
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Excerpt of a letter by GOH Shih Yong, Head/Public Affairs,
Agri-food & Veterinary Authority, Ministry of National
Development, to Forum, The Straits Times of 11 Apr 2001 |
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I refer to the
recent letters on pets. Ms Cathy Strong has been keeping 10 dogs
prior to 1989, when the restriction on the keeping of dogs to not
more than three per premises was introduced. |
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She was allowed
to continue keeping the 10 dogs on compassionate grounds, until
such time the dogs live out their natural lives. Over time, the
number of dogs kept by her would be reduced by natural attrition,
and she would be allowed to keep only three dogs in her premises. |
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This concession
was granted to Ms Strong on the condition that her premises would
be well-maintained, that her 10 dogs were microchipped, and the
bitches sterilised. Ms Strong also had some of her dogs de-barked
to reduce noise. |
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We wish to
assure your readers that, where public health is concerned, the
Ministry of the Environment (ENV) will not hesitate to take strict
action to ensure the public's safety. Its officers will continue
to monitor the site. |
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The keeping of
a large number of pets in a household does not necessarily pose a
nuisance or health hazard. Where an owner is responsible and
maintains the premises and the pets in good condition, and
subjects the animals to proper control and veterinary care, the
animals should not pose a nuisance or health problem.
Nevertheless, residents are advised not to keep too many pets in a
house. |
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Some overseas
governments do license cats, but this practice is not universal,
and the reasons for introducing laws vary. |
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In some
localities in the US, where rabies (a contagious and fatal
disease) is present in the wildlife population, the cats are
licensed to ensure that they are vaccinated regularly against
rabies. The licensed cats are thus protected against rabies when
they come into contact with wildlife. |
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Licensing of
cats has also been introduced to protect local fauna from being
hunted and threatened by cats. |
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In Singapore,
the Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) implements dog
licensing to prevent the spread of rabies, and to control the
keeping of dangerous dogs to ensure public safety. |
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Singapore
has been free form rabies since 1953. Should rabies
inadvertently occur in Singapore, dog licensing will enable AVA to
quickly locate licensed dogs for vaccination against rabies so
that they are protected and do not contribute to further spread of
the disease. |
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This is
important in Singapore, given that there is close contact between
people and dogs, and that the dog is the main animal to spread
rabies to people in our urban environment. |
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Cats, on the
other hand, do not play an important role in the spread of rabies.
As such, they are not licensed. |
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Singapore
already has laws in place to prevent nuisance and public-health
problems arising from the keeping of animals, including cats. The
Environmental Public Health Act is able to deal with the keeping
of animals, in such places, manner or numbers where it gives rise
to nuisance or public-health problems.... |
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AVA has also
produced a Pet Starter Kit that serves to educate pet owners on
their responsibilities. This free kit has been distributed to
schools and pet shops, and is freely available from AVA at the
Centre for Animal Welfare & Control, 75 Pasir Panjang Road,
Singapore 118507 (Tel: 471 9987)
GOH Shih Yong
Head/Public Affairs, For CEO, Agri-food & Veterinary
Authority, Ministry of National Development.
11 Apr 2001 |
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Excerpt
of a letter by Jack TAN Soo Kang to Forum, The Straits Times of 9
Apr 2001 |
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..... Having had
cats urinated and defecated in his garden, I can understand why Dr
Si-hoe wants stricter control on cat ownership. |
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However, if we
want to enforce tighter control on cats because "their
scratches and bites are notorious for spreading diseases", we
may also need consider implementing similar measures on MRT or bus
commuters! |
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Many cough,
sneeze or board the train with unwashed hands and hair, carrying
germs with them. |
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What Dr Si-hoe
needs is a castle to ensure a cleaner environment. Or she may want
to consider adopting robotic pets, and using artificial grass for
her lawn.
Jack TAN Soo Kang
9 Apr 2001 |
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Excerpt
of a letter by Lynn YEO Mei-Wen to Forum, The Straits Times of 9
Apr 2001 |
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.....Certainly
pet owners should be made more aware of their social
responsibilities and not inconvenience their neighbours. However,
enforcing blanket regulations would be too harsh. |
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As a doctor and
cat owner, I feel it is unfortunate that the minimal risks
associated with animal contact have been highlighted without fair
mention of the many positive aspects of animal companionship. |
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I am concerned
that an imbalanced view would unnecessarily deter people who want to
adopt a pet, or worse, cause those who already own pets to abandon
them. |
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People should not
be denied the pleasure and benefits of having a pet because of
incomplete information. An unjustified fear of animals might also
deny many stray cats a chance of being taken off our streets into
homes..... |
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Tolerance,
awareness and correct information is crucial in allowing our animal
companions to continue to live peacefully, while making the
environment pleasant for all.
Lynn YEO Mei-Wen
9 Apr 2001 |
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Excerpt
of a letter by Dr SI-HOE Cheng Kit to Forum, The Straits Times of
5 April 2001 |
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..... I wish to
comment on health issues and the lack of inadequate laws regarding
cat ownership. |
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Although it is
uncommon for cat-scratch disease or toxoplasmosis to spread from
cats to humans, there are other health hazards posed by these
animals. |
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Animal scratches
and bites are notorious for spreading disease and causing infected
wounds as their mouths and claws contain bacteria. |
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It is well
documented in medical literature that cat dander is among the most
common allergens aggravating asthma, allergic sinusitis and eczema. |
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These are
allergies that are triggered and worsened by animal fur and saliva. |
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Doctors always
advise such patients not to have pets, such as dogs or cats. With
allergies on the rise, this is a very real and common problem. |
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Cat owners are
not governed by the same strict laws that dogs are..... |
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In the United
States, there are laws requiring cats to be licensed. This forces
cat owners to be accountable for their animal's behaviour. |
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I also believe
that there should be a law requiring owners to keep their animals
within their own homes, or to house them in suitable cages at
appropriate times. |
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This advice is
issued in cat-care leaflets issued by the authorities here, but
there are currently no laws to enforce it.
Dr SI-HOE Cheng Kit
5 Apr 2001 |
Online Services for Dog Licensing is at
http://www.ava.gov.sg/e-services
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