Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning to you.

Introduction

2 As with other cities with growing affluence, pet ownership in Singapore is on the rise. Today, over 53,000 households here keep dogs as pets. Other pets popular with Singaporeans include cats, rabbits and hamsters.

3 Those of us who keep a pet will know what joy a pet can bring. Pets provide companionship and enrich their owners’ lives in many ways. However, keeping a pet is not just about having fun. Pet ownership is a lifelong commitment and responsibility. Responsible pet ownership is the prerequisite for happy and healthy pets, happy owners, and happy community. A responsible pet owner should ensure that his pet does not cause nuisance to others, for example, by cleaning up after the pet and discarding the pet waste properly, and not letting the dog bark excessively. Pet owners need to be mindful of and be considerate to those around them, including respecting those who do not like pets. It is only when responsible pet ownership is demonstrated that society's tolerance for pets will increase.

4 Unfortunately, thousands of animals end up unwanted and abandoned each year in Singapore. Last year, an estimated 1,000 small animals, 5,000 dogs and 10,000 cats shared this unfortunate fate. Abandoned pets occur when owners do not take their responsibilities as pet owner seriously, either due to ignorance or indifference.

AVA’s responsible pet ownership public education programme

5 I believe that public education will play a pivotal role to inculcate responsible pet ownership in our society. In this respect, I am pleased that AVA has in place a multi-faceted public education programme to raise awareness of the various aspects of responsible pet ownership.

Annual Roadshow and media campaign

6 Since 2004, AVA has been holding an annual Roadshow on Responsible Pet Ownership. This roadshow serves as an anchor event to launch the focal message of the year and kick-start a series of public education activities. This year, the theme is “Do Not Abandon Your Pet”. Over the next few months, AVA will roll out an intensive public education campaign emphasising this year’s key message using various media such as print, radio and television advertisements.

7 I am happy to note that AVA’s creative responsible pet ownership advertisements have captured the attention and won the approval of the public. AVA’s print advertisements had won the Readers’ Choice Awards for two consecutive years at the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Ink Awards 2006 and 2007. More importantly, AVA’s media advertisements have created an impact on the public, and spread the message on responsible pet ownership widely.

School programme

8 To build a gracious society that values responsible pet ownership, it is important to instil values of kindness, respect and compassion starting with our children. Hence, reaching out to school children is a key part of AVA’s public education programme.

9 On average, AVA brings the responsible pet ownership messages to some 40,000 students per year through assembly talks. Over the years, AVA’s school outreach efforts have expanded beyond school talks. Since the Responsible Pet Ownership School Ambassador programme was introduced last year, more than 70 teachers have signed up as ambassadors to champion animal welfare in their schools.

10 Other initiatives such as the Responsible Pet Pal Badge programme for primary school students have also been well received. To date, close to 6,000 students are working on various responsible pet ownership projects which will earn them a badge upon completion. AVA’s pocket calendar design competition also attracted more than 2,000 entries from students from all levels. Four winning entries were selected for next year’s pocket calendars which will be distributed to all schools.

Leveraging on new media

11 Besides children, AVA’s public education programme also targets young people and adults. AVA has been leveraging on new media to reach out to the technologically savvy public for its responsible pet ownership message. Since 2005, AVA has conducted regular online discussion sessions with teenagers on various aspects of pet care and animal welfare.

12 This year, AVA is again breaking new grounds by using a new technology that allows users to download AVA’s latest responsible pet ownership print advertisements and use them as wallpapers for their mobile phones.

13 Next in the pipeline are plans to create an interactive segment on AVA’s website to make the responsible pet ownership webpages more interesting to teachers, parents and children.

Conclusion

14 Through continued public education, I am optimistic that we can drive home the message of responsible pet ownership and reduce pet abandonment. I urge all relevant parties - the AVA, animal welfare organisations, current and future pet owners, as well as the community at large -to work collectively towards the common aim of raising the standard of animal welfare in Singapore.

15 While we celebrate the joys of pet ownership, I urge pet owners to bear in mind that pets are not commodities. They cannot be abandoned when they are deemed inconvenient. Give your pets a home that lasts.

16 On this note, I wish all of you a meaningful and rewarding weekend. It is now my pleasure to declare the Responsible Pet Ownership Roadshow 2007 open. Thank you.

>>back to top