DOG DRAMA: Tuas Boy with his paw crushed by a forklift in an accident, seen with Mettacats founder
Lee Siew Ying, and Kiwi, a stray, are two dogs in the news recently. (PHOTOS: THE NEW PAPER, STOMP)
Animal-care groups have hands full coping with abuse cases
CHERYL CHIA
AS THE number of animalabuse cases climbs, animal-welfare organisations are finding themselves increasingly strapped for manpower to look after the abandoned and injured
pets.
my paper contacted Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD), Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (SPCA) and Animal Lovers League and found that these organisations are finding
themselves stretched to the limit in caring for the animals.
The president of the Animal Lovers League, Mrs Cathy Strong, said: “We have seen almost
a 50 per cent increase in the number of animal-abuse cases that come to us, compared to
last year.”
While she was unable to provide exact numbers, she said the 300 dogs and 500 cats the
league looks after are taxing the few volunteers at her shelter.
She said: “We have only one permanent worker and we are grateful to have volunteers coming
in to help her. As a nonprofit organisation with a hefty monthly expenditure of $35,000, we are not in a position to take in all abandoned animals.
Manpower is a problem, especially when we are so short of funds all the time.” Ms Deirdre Moss, the SPCA’s executive officer, said: “We were facing a shortage of manpower, (so) we added a deputy inspector last week to assist the existing inspector. They are still working 12-hour days sometimes as there are not only new cases of alleged abuse to look into... but follow-ups (as well).”
The number of animal-abuse cases seen by the SPCA hit a high of 95 cases in March from the usual 60 to 80 cases that turn up at its doorstep every month.
Mr Ricky Yeo, president of ASD, has also seen several horrendous cases, such as that of a
dog that had its leg caught in an illegal trap.
Mr Yeo said that while the number of abused pets seen at his organisation is unchanged, “we have never had enough volunteers”. “We are coping, but it could be better,” he said.
ccher@sph.com.sg
