In response to Mr Tan Chuan Jin’s post: ‘Managing Stray Dogs.. Yet Again’
http://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-chuan-jin/managing-straysyet-again/298828286826620
Indeed, the saga over the stray dogs in Punggol has been very revealing.
If anything, it has revealed that Singaporeans have a heart. When lives are at stake (The dogs’ lives, not the joggers who were attacked!), many people will speak up, and chip in their part to try save these lives. Innocent lives are involved here, and needless to say, in the process, emotions flare. Many have made angry comments at the authorities, at the joggers who were attacked, and at the whole situation in general, leading to the authorities labeling animal lovers as being ‘hostile’, ‘ludicrous’, and of ‘making up false stories’, etc.
Please note, however, that hostility has come not only from people for the dogs, but also from people against the dogs. Over the last 2 wks, people have called animal lovers ‘bitches just like the creatures they are trying to save’, and other worse names on Facebook. After the video clip of the pregnant lady with the run-in with dog catchers was circulated, people have attacked her viciously, ridiculing her poor command of English, and even cursing her unborn child. From what I understand, she was so distressed by these hate comments that comments had to be disallowed on the youtube video.
The truth is, animal lovers have been working tirelessly through the festive season, day and night, to catch, rehabilitate, and try to rehome these dogs. The amazing work of these dedicated animal lovers should not, and cannot be callously brushed aside and overlooked simply because the emotions are running wild in cyberspace.
Another important thing revealed in this saga, is that many Singaporeans do not know about the plight of stray dogs – Many do not even know that that exist until now! And because they do not know, they could not care. The outpour of emotions on the groud is simply a result of the public caring, because they now are aware.
Let’s be very clear on this.
When stray dogs are rounded up by AVA, they usually will end up being put to sleep. Dogs being impounded by AVA will only be released if they have an owner, meaning the dog needs to be microchipped, licensed, and registered at a permanent residence. Stray dogs, naturally do not have fulfill the above, and hence, on capture, will be put to sleep after a few days, unless someone comes to claim them. Culling may not be the default action, but it is the most common outcome.
Lets also be very clear, that the culling did not start only after the dog attack. As reported by ChannelNewsAsia, 26 dogs from Punggol were caught from Sep 2011 to Dec 2011 before the attack, and all but 2 have been put to sleep. The 2 dogs which survived only did so by sheer chance, as members of the public fought to bail them out, encountering difficulties along the way as highlighted in Today Newspaper. And way before that, many more dogs have been rounded up in Punggol alone, to make way for the new town.
These dogs did not attack anyone; maybe some of them were dominant males, but ask any stray feeder in Punggol and they will tell you about the docile and friendly dogs which they used to feed and have now gone. These dogs were simply in the way of urbanization and development, and hence, in a society with little tolerance for them, they were rounded up and removed.
The irony of it all, is that the friendlier and more rehomable dogs are always the ones being caught first, as these dogs are less wary of dog catchers. Conversely, the agressive, elusive ones, are the hardest to catch, and will be left behind after the friendly and docile ones have been removed. At present, very few friendly dogs in Punggol are left, and hence volunteers are having difficulty catching the remaining dogs and putting them up for adoption.
8 out of the 12 dogs which were caught after the jogger was attacked were assessed to dominant males, and agressive, and hence put to sleep. Let us take a step back and look at this logically - there can never be so many dominant males in a pack. And dominant males are the ones who run the fastest and avoid capture the best. Dogs can sense danger very well. When faced with being caught and imminent death, which dog, even the most docile, will not be aggressive? It is flight, or fight. Simple physiology.
We should also be very clear, that AVA is just doing its job. The AVA has a duty to answer to the public – when the public complains, they need to act and respond. The AVA also has to answer to the policy makers and other stat boards – when HDB needed to clear the area for the development of the Punggol Waterway Park, they had to round up the strays in the area. As Mr Tan mentioned, there are many animal lovers in AVA, and it pains them as much as us, when they have to see innocent dogs being put to sleep. It is very easy to be angry with AVA as they are the ones doing the dirty work, but we should look at the larger picture, and instead use the energy to try to effect change.
On the issue of the pregnant stray feeder, we need to hear both sides of the story before condemning her. This lady followed the dog catchers for 2 hours, taking pictures of them, but always keeping a distance behind them. The dog catchers became upset as they did not want to be photographed, citing reasons that 'their work should not be known to the public'. They were hostile to her and set the police on her after she refused to stop photographing. There is no law in Singapore is allowing photography in public places, nor any preventing people from trailing behind others in a public space.
What is really disappointing in this saga in the way our leaders have responded. The only dialogue held so far is the one by MP Penny Low, a day after ChannelNewsAsia brought the issue up. She called for a meeting, unfortunately giving too short a notice so most of the involved people could not attend. But at least she tried. Others are only hearing one side of the story, making unfair conclusions, while sugar-coating the way in which stray dogs are managed in Singapore. Their attitude has to change if Singapore wants to work towards a more humane society, or if they want the public to be more supportive.
Finally, please realize that AWGs have their limitations as well. Most of their kennels are full – ALL, ASD, SPCA, etc. They cannot take in any more dogs. What is needed is, for members of the public, to step up, and work towards a better future for our stray dogs. Not only in Punggol, but in the whole country.
I do not want to live in a society where innocent lives are disposed of simply because they are deemed to be useless. Do you?
2 male puppies which were rescued from Punggol. They are now with ASD.
