Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning and welcome to AVA’s Responsible Pet Ownership Roadshow 2005. I am glad to be able to join you here today.

Introduction

2 The saying that “a dog is man’s best friend” holds true in many places in the world. In Singapore, over 43,000 households have dogs as pets. Other popular pets are cats, rabbits and hamsters. Pets can enrich our lives, provide good companionship, and help us to relax after a hard day of work.

3 The best welfare that a pet owner can provide for his or her pet is to take good care of and be responsible for it throughout its entire life. For example, owners of dogs need to be personally responsible that they are licensed and vaccinated against diseases. Beyond this, pet owners also need to be socially responsible. Pets should not be treated like toys and abandoned when their novelty wears off, or be allowed to breed freely, creating unwanted litters.

4 AVA takes a serious view of animal welfare. Abandoned pets are exposed to the elements, and often die prematurely due to disease or injury. Besides being potential nuisances in public, abandoned dogs are vulnerable to disease infections such as rabies, which is potentially fatal in infected animals and humans.

5 The figures that I have convince me that we have to improve in becoming a community of responsible pet owners, and in stopping pet abandonment. Each year, some 6,000 dogs and 12,000 cats have to be put to sleep. About 700 pet owners are fined for keeping unlicensed dogs.

Responsible Pet Ownership Public Education Program

6 It is with this in mind that AVA has launched this responsible pet ownership programme. It aims to spread the message that pet owners have the responsibility of ensuring that the welfare of their pets is well taken care of, thus helping to reduce the incidences of pet abandonment. AVA hopes to sow the seeds of responsible pet ownership at road shows in the community and schools.

7 In addition to public education, AVA is looking into a series of measures to encourage responsible pet ownership and deter pet abandonment. For dogs specifically, the measures under consideration include encouraging sterilisation of pet dogs and mandating micro chipping of new licensed dogs.

Sterilisation

8 Sterilisation of pets is an effective and responsible method to prevent unwanted litters. It is not harmful to pets. On the contrary, it is beneficial to help minimise reproductive disorders like cancers and infections. Sterilised pets are often healthier and easier to manage. Dogs in particular can be less aggressive, reducing the chance that they would pose a nuisance to neighbours, or to the public when taken for walks. We hope that more pet owners in Singapore will be made aware of these benefits.

9 At present, the annual license fee for unsterilised male dogs is $14, while that for unsterilised females is $70. To encourage sterilisation of male dogs, which also contribute to the problem of indiscriminate breeding, AVA is planning to raise the fee for unsterilised males to $70, similar to that for unsterilised female dogs. License fee for sterilised dogs will remain low, at $14.

10 Sterilisation is a one-time cost, and I am pleased that some veterinary clinics in Singapore are supporting AVA’s call for sterilisation and are offering discounts for a limited period. I thank them for contributing towards this worthy cause, and urge all pet owners to take advantage of this opportunity.

Micro Chipping

11 Micro chipping is another initiative that AVA is planning to implement. Micro chipping is a safe and effective identification system to ensure traceability of dogs should there be a rabies outbreak. Traceability also reduces the number of dogs put to sleep unnecessarily, as it facilitates the return of lost dogs to their owners. More importantly, micro chipping will deter pet abandonment, as AVA will be able to trace the irresponsible owners and take enforcement actions against them.

12 Micro chipping has already been successfully implemented for all imported dogs. AVA is now ready to extend this requirement to all newly licensed dogs, including locally bred ones.

13 To complement these measures, AVA will also be reviewing the penalty for keeping unlicensed dogs, to make it a more effective deterrent against owners who fail to register their dogs.

Public Consultation

14 To ensure effective and smooth implementation of these proposed measures, AVA will be seeking feedback from various groups, including pet owners, veterinarians, animal welfare groups, as well as trade representatives. I believe that with your feedback and support, AVA should be able to effect these changes within the next six months.

15 Your presence here today is heartening proof that AVA is not alone in its efforts to promote responsible pet ownership, and reduce the stray animal situation. I take this opportunity to seek your continued commitment to work with AVA to raise the standard of animal welfare in Singapore. I am optimistic that through our combined efforts, Singapore will become a nation that truly takes responsibility for our pets.

Conclusion

16 On this note, I wish you all a meaningful and rewarding weekend at this event. It is my pleasure to now declare the Responsible Pet Ownership Roadshow 2005 open. Thank you.

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