October 4 was World Animal Day, and it is hope that this letter could highlight the plight of the strays, and the difficulties faced by responsible cat caregivers.
A blogpost about the unforgettable experience of two old aunties, who were made to choose between a mother cat and her kitten, prompted a wave of protest to the AVA. AVA said they investigated and claimed the incident was not true. The blogger insisted otherwise, and claimed AVA’s investigation as one-sided.
AVA’s replies to all concerned are standard noncommittal ones, which had been repeated by town councils in response to queries about the trapping and culling of cats.
Caregivers put in a lot of effort, time and money to manage the cats, and control cat proliferation humanely through sterilization instead of culling, which is in line with the humane and gracious society that Singapore aims for.
However, their efforts and good intentions were undermined by the sometimes high-handed town councils, which, as estate management, should have help to educate the public instead. AVA, as the recognized authority on animal welfare, should be able to bridge the gap between both parties by advising town councils to abide by AVA's commitment on animal welfare. Town councils should be held accountable for their actions to avoid wastage of public funds.
Why are responsible caregivers so badly treated by town councils when they have taken the initiative to help turn Singapore into a gracious society?
Why are their efforts not encouraged and recognized?
Why are complainants, with little effort, able to elicit the town councils into activating the pest controls?
How does AVA claim to adopt a balanced approach in the management of strays when town councils and complainants could easily loan free cat traps, while caregivers are at the mercy of town councils in their attempts to claim an impounded cat, and with fees imposed?
There is obviously a great disparity in the attitudes of town councils towards the caregivers and complainants. What is the AVA's stand on this?
Some years back, Dr Lou Ek Hee of AVA headed a Stray Cat Sterilization Project at Bukit Merah View. The article had since been removed for reasons best known to AVA.
The informative and self-explanatory article (link below), contradicts AVA's claim that the SCRS was discontinued because it did not resolve cat problems.
http://www.sva.org.sg/en/sva_admin/upload/journal_article/bukit%20merah%20view%20project.pdf
