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SINGAPORE: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) says it will continue to push for a law to ensure responsible pet ownership. This includes getting those under 16 to obtain parental consent before they buy a pet.
The continued push for legislation comes as SPCA expects to see people abandon their pet rabbits ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year. The organisation tends to see an increase in the number of pets abandoned during festive seasons.
The SPCA takes in up to 600 unwanted or abandoned pets each month. It saw 7,509 pets being abandoned from June 2010 to July 2011.
On Christmas Eve just past, a Maltese dog was found abandoned in SPCA's garden. CCTV footage showed a woman walking into SPCA with the Maltese at about 9.40am and leaving a few minutes later without it.
The SPCA is seeking the assistance of a woman to help with investigations.
The SPCA says it does not have records of a Maltese being surrendered to the organisation, and that those who wish to surrender their pets to the SPCA have to complete a form before leaving the animals with SPCA.
The dog, estimated to be between six and eight years old, has since been renamed Christmas, and is being treated for a skin condition.
"Christmas" was one of many pets abandoned over the festive season.
Two cats, nicknamed Mojo and Jojo, were also found abandoned at a canal near SPCA.
Corrine Fong, executive director of the SPCA, said: "We're expecting some abandonments during Chinese New Year, (and the other festive seasons as they come along.) Spring cleaning is one of them. Usually pet owners figure at that point in time that they've had enough of the pet and they just want to get rid of the inconvenience. They just dump it at the SPCA or any other animal shelter."
SPCA has also seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of abandoned hamsters in the last six months. SPCA says this is largely due to the easy availability of hamsters.
Besides ramping up its public education programmes on responsible pet ownership, SPCA also wants pet shops to play a bigger role.
Ms Fong said: "Pet stores and puppy mills need to step up their responsibilities. Puppy mills need to microchip all their puppies and all their dogs, which they're not doing right now, and pet stores need to license their dogs at the point of sale, which many are also not doing at this point in time.
"I'm hoping the AVA (Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore) will step up the pressure on them to do this, because under the pet shop licence conditions, pet stores must license their puppies at the point of sale."
Meantime, abandoned pets like "Christmas" which require medical attention will be nursed back to health under foster care before being put up for adoption.
-CNA/ac
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