SPCA continues push for pet ownership law

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 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. The organisation tends to see an increase in the number of pets abandoned during festive seasons.

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 dog, estimated to be between six and eight years old, has since been renamed Christmas, and is being treated for a skin condition.

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.

Ms Fong added: "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."

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