SPCA Annual Report 2014
1
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is a registered
animal welfare charity with Institution of Public Character status. It is an organisation
approved by the Commissioner of Charities to receive tax-deductible donations (i.e.
donors are given tax deduction for donations made to the SPCA).
The SPCA was set up in 1947 and registered under the Societies Act on 30 March 1961.
- ROS No. 1055/47
FUNDING
The SPCA is not a government agency, and does not receive any government grant.
We rely on mainly donations from our supporters and fundraising activities to
run our various animal welfare services and continue our important role as animal
protector. Over S$2,000,000 annually is required for us to carry out our animal
welfare work.
OBJECTIVES
VISION
MISSION
AMBITION
Our objectives are to prevent cruelty to
animals and birds, and to promote
kindness to animals and birds.
To promote kindness and prevent cruelty
to animals through education, advocacy
and action.
SERVICES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A compassionate Singapore where all
animals are treated with kindness and
respect.
To be a leading authority and advocate
on animal welfare and cruelty issues in
Singapore.
24-hour emergency service for sick, injured, distressed and/or very young animals
Investigation of cruelty complaints
Public education programme for students and adults
Sterilisation voucher programme for community animals
Clinic for basic treatment of community animals
Animal adoption and fostering programmes
Service for lost-and-found pets
Advocacy for the humane treatment of animals
Running an animal shelter, and supporting quarantine for unwanted, abused and/or
abandoned animals
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Table of Contents
Page No.
(Serial No.) Item(s):
02 (1) Membership
03 (2) Management Committee & Corporate Governance
04 (3) Staff & Key Personnel
05 (4) Organisation Chart
06 (5) Chairperson’s Foreword
08 (6) Executive Director’s Report
10(7) Inspectorate
20 (8) Shelter Operations
24 (9) Education
28 (10) Animal Welfare Developments
31 (11) Communications
34(12) Fundraising
36 (13) Volunteering
37 (14) Acknowledgements
40 (15) Audited Financial Statements
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
(1) MEMBERSHIP (AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Membership is open to all residents of Singapore or persons who have been resident
and are temporarily absent therefrom, and who have attained the age of seven years.
As at 30 June 2014, Membership was as follows:
2
387
754
82
1,575
Junior
Senior
Youth
Life
2
1
Corporate Annual
Corporate Life
2,801
Total
SPCA Annual Report 2014
66th Report to Members
(2a) MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Ms CARLA BARKER
Ms MARY SOO
Mr SIVAKUNALEN SAMUEL
Mr TAN TOK JIN
CHAIRPERSON
VICE-CHAIRPERSON
HONORARY SECRETARY
HONORARY TREASURER
Mr KLAUS DUSS
Mr DINESH PASRASURUM
Ms ELLA SHERMAN
Ms LILLIAN WANG
Ms ELLEN NG
Mr QUEK SWEE KOK
Ms TERESA CHIU CHI LING
(2b) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The SPCA is governed by its Management Committee whose members are all
volunteers and receive no remuneration or benefits for their voluntary service.
They are elected annually by the members of SPCA at its Annual General Meeting in
accordance with its Constitution to hold office for one year. They will automatically
retire at the next Annual General Meeting, but will be eligible for re-election.
The Management Committee is responsible for setting a clear vision for SPCA
through its mission and objectives, and ensures that adequate resources are
allocated to the development and provision of appropriate services and activities.
The Management Committee is responsible for setting the policies of SPCA, and
ensures that it is governed and managed responsibly and prudently.
SPCA abides by the principles and guidelines of the Code of Governance for Charities
and Institutions of Public Character (IPCs) as applicable and practicable.
SPCA has adopted a Code of Conduct for the guidance of its Management Committee
members in effectively carrying out their duties and responsibilities. All Management
Committee members undertake to abide by this Code of Conduct which includes a
conflict of interest policy. During the financial year, there have been no incidences of
conflicts of interest reported. 3
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(3) STAFF
KEY PERSONNEL (AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Executive Director
Shelter Manager
Office Manager
Education Manager
Ms Corinne Fong
Mr Dinesh Pillai
Mr Sam Heng Wai (resigned on 31 May 2014)
Ms Selina Sebastian
COMMUNICATIONS & EXTERNAL LIAISON PERSONNEL
(AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Communications Officer
Education Officer
Fundraising Executive
Volunteer Coordinator
4
Mr Gabriel Wee
Ms Marie Wong
Mr Justin Wong
Mr Lawrence Tan SPCA Annual Report 2014
STAFF COMPOSITION (AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Key Personnel [Executive Director & Managers] 4
Shelter
14
Inspectorate / Rescue 8
Communications, Fundraising & Volunteer Coordinator Personnel
3
Administration 5
Education Officer
1
(4) STAFF ORGANISATION CHART
(AS AT 30 JUNE 2014)
Management Committee
Executive Director
Shelter
Manager
Finance & Admin
Manager
Education
Manager
Shelter
Supervisor
Inspector
Account
Executive
Animal Care
Officers
Deputy
Inspector
HR & Admin
Officer
Operations
Officer
Junior
Inspectors
Admin
Officer
Merchandise
Officer
Giro
Officer
Volunteer
Coordinator
Animal Support Officers
Education
Officer
Fundraising
Executive
Communications
Officer
Veterinary Assistant
Clinic Admin Assistant
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
(5) CHAIRPERSON’S FOREWORD
dogs, cats, rabbits and other small
animals than our current compound
allows: optimistically, we are hoping to
double the numbers. The larger site
will incorporate other facilities that our
current site at Mount Vernon could
not. Among other new features, there
will be two rehabilitation rooms for
animals that need to convalesce over
a period of time, and a rehabilitation
pool; an Education Centre to provide
a convenient setting for children and
adults alike to be inspired with the right
attitude and know-how in treating and
caring for animals; and we will also have a
dedicated Merchandise Store - a far cry
from the single display case which is all
we currently have. CARLA BARKER
Chairperson
It has been so many years since SPCA
started working towards the move to new
premises. Since our lease expired
in 2012, we have had temporary
extensions granted, currently till end of
March 2016. But this year, I am pleased
to report, we have taken a step closer
to relocating to the new site at Sungei
Tengah, as we have been granted
building plan approval for the new
premises, and construction works
will have started by this year’s Annual
General Meeting. We hope to have the
new shelter ready no later than 18 months
from the start of construction, and
sooner if possible, by December 2015.
As we have previously indicated, the
new premises will see a higher-capacity
shelter, for abandoned and/or abused
animals to receive comfort and care in
tranquil surroundings, during their stay
with us. We need to house many more
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The new Shelter will operate an
environmentally
sustainable
‘green’
animal shelter and office complex - one
that minimally taxes non-renewable
resources while maximally preserving
the physical environment. It is expected
to be energy-efficient, making ample
use of natural light, with green spaces
to better foster a tranquil environment
for the animals, visitors, volunteers and
staff alike. The unique hexagonal
design of the animal housing in clusters
will be reminiscent of a honeycomb. In
line with the hexagonal design, the
kennel walls will be fitted with curved
ventilation blocks made from natural
concrete. Compared to cage-like grills,
the ventilation blocks will not only be
more aesthetically pleasing, but, we are
advised, will also let in more natural light
and ventilation while keeping the rain out.
There will be a water feature to act as
a water catchment, with a filtration
system that will allow us to re-use
treated rain water to wash the kennels,
connecting the different sections of
the
grounds,
while
pre-empting
cross-contamination, and adding an air
of serenity to the whole.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
It is only apt that the animals carried
through our doors are given the
best care and rehabilitation therapy
possible, and in the spirit of the times,
that we work towards materialising a
stronger symbiotic relationship between
the animals, the landscape and people.
Management Committee member, Quek
Swee Kok, has agreed to oversee the
building phase. It will be an onerous
task, requiring regular site meetings
and continual liaison with the architect,
contractors and surveyor. This is a huge
dedication of time and effort, which
demonstrates
clearly
Swee
Kok’s
genuine love for all animals, and on
behalf of us all, SPCA members and
beneficiaries alike, I offer our grateful
thanks.
Any organisation which takes in strays,
in Singapore at least, must grapple with
the issue of the space to house them
in. Although SPCA’s euthanasia rate
has decreased, this has been attributed
to fewer animals being taken in, as
counselling of pet owners is rigorously
carried out by frontline staff, in an
effort to persuade owners to look for
other alternatives for their unwanted
pets. SPCA is often the shelter of choice
because of space constraints elsewhere.
The perennial space issue exists also
at our premises (and no doubt will
continue to in the future, even with
expanded facilities), but turning animals
away has other implications, in that they
may be abandoned elsewhere to fend
for themselves.
Stray cats and dogs in our community
need a refuge, and as much as space
may be a problem, it is our duty to
accommodate them where possible,
if the finders are unable to do so.
Keeping this in mind, SPCA cannot be
a no-kill organisation, as much as we
would like it to be. Animals that are
deemed by a veterinarian as beyond
saving, must be put down humanely by
injection to prevent further suffering. But
accumulating pets and strays to keep
on a long-term basis is not an option for
SPCA either, as the demand for space
daily, prevents this. So the dilemma
of taking on the responsibility for any
animal that comes through our doors
and deciding its fate is constantly
present, as much as we try to dissuade
the public from handing one over: we
cannot escape the fact that homes
are not easy to find for some of them,
and keeping those permanently in
confinement is not within our remit
or capability. We tell ourselves that
long-term confinement, with the animal’s
quality of life being compromised, is
not a good solution, but nevertheless we
struggle emotionally with the sad
consequences of there being not enough
homes for all.
As much as SPCA was the pioneer
in distributing vouchers for sterilisation
of community’s strays (since 1991), in
an effort to reduce the numbers be
ing born, we have always faced the
risk of those animals being trapped by
the authorities, if nuisance complaints
are lodged (whether genuine or not).
Nevertheless we will continue to support
this initiative, as we believe it is the only
effective and humane way to address
the problem of uncontrolled breeding.
We
acknowledge
the
dedicated
contributions of caregivers around the
island who have taken upon themselves
to participate in this worthwhile project. We welcome the reintroduction of the
sterilisation of stray cats scheme by
the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
(AVA) earlier this year, and hope to
assist in this programme. Dare we
hope that Trap, Neuter and Release
will be given AVA’s imprimatur as well?
More than ever, the year ahead
will see us resuming our efforts in
fundraising, with the building costs
being a necessary priority; and also
renewing our efforts to elucidate,
educate and engage with the issues in
the community pertaining to animal
welfare. Please give us your support. 7
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(6) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
In terms of education, an education
website was developed to complement
the Ministry of Education’s Character &
Citizenship Education programme,
developed with teachers and students in
mind, so that the SPCA would
provide them the resources to teach
and learn about animal welfare. The
website would enable educators and
learners alike to download worksheets
and
videos
about
proper
and
responsible pet care. The website is
slated for launch in 2015.
CORINNE FONG
Executive Director
The review in this Annual Report will
take on a different tone; I’d like to start
by stating that we have seen a healthy
up-tick for our Facebook “Likes” to over
83,000, indicating a surge in support for
what SPCA does on a daily basis. We are
tapping this social media platform to
connect us with our target audience
and to influence public opinion and
improve our community engagement.
This has been the fastest growth, for
SPCA, of Facebook, that we have ever
witnessed.
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The Inspectorate saw about a 6%
decrease in the numbers of cases of
alleged cruelty and abuse – including
neglect and abandonments – of animals
from July 01 2013 to June 30 2014.
Our Inspectorate investigated a total of
757 cases. However, a decrease in
percentages is nothing to be proud of,
for the major cases centred around
unfavourable living conditions for pet
animals. In most cases, the owners
were generally cooperative with our
inspectors and took pains to improve
housing conditions for their pets. In
extreme cases, where the owners
showed no urgency to make those
changes, we were forced to refer them
to the Agri-Food and Veterinary
Authority (AVA) for further action.
Of notable mention is the owner who
was adjudged to have caused his pet
Border Collie to be suffering from stress
as the dog was exposed to the sun and
rain constantly and subsequently fined
$5,000; another was the case of a pet
mongrel dog that was starved to death,
SPCA Annual Report 2014
arising from severe pet neglect, and its
owner was fined $10,000. Both cases
were referred to the AVA.
Which leads me to the Animal Welfare
Legislative Review Committee (AWLRC).
In terms of Advocacy, the SPCA is very
pleased that we were deeply involved
with the AWLRC from the get-go, which I
briefly mentioned in last year’s
Annual Report. This year, the offshoot
of the AWLRC has been the MultiStakeholder Collaboration Committee
(MSCC), in which three working groups
were created, namely the Code of
Animal Welfare for Pet Owners and for
the Pet Industry to give more meat to
responsibilities expected of pet owners
and the persons in the commercial
aspect of breeding, selling and
grooming of animals, including animal
shelters and boarding facilities; the
second working group comprises
members who will study legislation, and
the third working group will focus on
education and community outreach
programmes.
In terms of licensing for pet shops, we
are glad that the AVA announced two
new licensing conditions, one of which
was the mandatory ‘no sale’ to persons
under the age of 16; and the second
was the mandatory Pet Purchase
Declaration (PPD). These two conditions
were formulated as a direct result of two
of the 24 points recommended under
the AWLRC.
Project ADORE (ADOpt and REhome), a
programme initiated by SPCA and ASD
in 2011, whereby local mixed breed
dogs could be re-homed in HDB flats,
was into its second year of a two-year
pilot project, when the Ministry of
National Development (MND) formally
announced that Project ADORE was to
become a permanent programme in
late May 2014. Under this programme,
HDB flat owners can adopt local mixed
breed dogs each of up to a height of 50
cm and a weight of 15 kg. The SPCA had
been waiting anxiously for this to
happen and we are glad that we’ve
been given the green light to continue.
In the area of campaigns, the SPCA
raised awareness of the cruel practices
of puppy mills last November. We
produced in-train panel advertisements
that were displayed in the SMRT trains
for approximately six weeks.
Of special pride is the fact that our
euthanasia rates have seen a constant
decline over the years, and last year was
certainly no exception. This is indicative
of our continued efforts to find solutions
to a continual inflow of surrendered
pets and abandoned animals that are
being presented to us daily.
As in previous Annual Reports, I must
make mention of my heartfelt gratitude
to my Management Committee for their
guidance, and to my staff and colleagues
for their unwavering support. The
SPCA’s
inspectors,
shelter
and
administration departments and animal
care officers soldiered on under trying
circumstances. Credit must also go to
the education, fundraising, volunteer,
communications, and merchandise
teams which have done their best
with continued commitment to the
organisation. I am very proud to work
alongside each and every one of them.
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
(7) INSPECTORATE
The SPCA investigated a total of 757
reports of alleged cruelty to animals,
including neglect and/or abandonment
of various species of pets, from 1 July
2013 to 30 June 2014.
This represents a decrease of almost
six per cent from the previous year.
Our Inspectors counselled owners to
improve conditions for their pets where
necessary, offering advice on proper
pet care, in addition to providing them
with pet care leaflets and brochures.
Solutions often had to be worked
through to the benefit of the pet and
the pet owner. Follow-ups were carried
out to check on the conditions of the
animals and these continue until
improvements were made. As the SPCA
has no legal powers of enforcement,
extreme cases, in which conditions
failed to improve, were referred to the
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
(AVA) – which regulates and enforces the
Animals & Birds Act – for further action.
Cases mainly concerned general pet
neglect, where the pet animal has been
poorly cared for and not given due or
sufficient veterinary care and attention,
and/or pet abandonment. Among the
more notable cases are the following.
Cruelty to Cats
Pasir Ris Neglected Cat
This cat was brought to the SPCA, by
the finder in a very bad condition. Its
eyes were oozing blood and swollen.
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The finder informed us where the
owner was staying and we went to the
owner’s house to inform him that his
cat was at SPCA. We advised him to
take his pet for the necessary treat
ment at a vet clinic as soon as possible
and that we would follow up. Within a
week we received a call from a member
of the public about a cat seen at level
three of a multi-storey car-park. On
arrival at the scene, it was confirmed
to be the same cat. The cat was seen by
our consultant veterinarians on three
occasions, and the owner was advised
to humanely euthanize the cat, in view
of its serious condition.
As the owner did not have the financial
means to treat the cat, he decided to have
it humanely put down. The case has
been referred to the AVA for further
investigations, in view of the extreme
neglect suffered by the cat.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Bukit Batok Caged Cats
These three adult cats were kept in a
small cage, for prolonged periods, as
the owner also kept a dog. There was
no water provided. Although the cats
appeared to be in good physical
condition and the cage was clean, their
limited living space posed a problem.
cases of dead or injured cats in the
neighbourhood. The cat pictured here
was found dead in a drain and its body
was subsequently sent to the AVA for
a post-mortem. AVA informed us that
there were stray dogs reported roaming
in the vicinity, having received reports.
The case is on-going and we will
advise further once we have gathered
sufficient evidence of abuse.
Catholic High School, Kitten
Stuck on a Glue Board Trap
We persuaded the owner to surrender
the cats to SPCA, for re-homing. All
three cats were later adopted.
Telok Blangah Crescent,
Cat Found Dead
Several cats in the Telok Blangah
Crescent area were reportedly abused
and/or killed. However, due to
insufficient evidence, we could not
proceed further in our investigation.
Some of the bodies were either
disposed of, or the cases were
reported weeks later. The cat feeders
were advised to call us immediately,
should they come across further
We were alerted by students of Catholic
High School to a kitten stuck on a glue
board trap. The kitten was promptly
brought back to SPCA, and dedicated
clinic and shelter staff worked on
removing every bit of glue from its body
over the course of the next few days.
We discovered that a canteen operator
had placed the glue board to trap
rodents in a storeroom but the kitten
was trapped instead. The operator was
alerted by the kitten’s distressed mews,
and she sought help from the students
who quickly called us for help. The
school’s Operations Manager was
alerted to this incident, and the canteen
operator was instructed to cease the
usage of such traps following SPCA’s
advice.
The kitten was subsequently adopted.
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
Tampines Avenue 4
Abandoned Kitten
We received a report that a kitten had
been dumped in a plastic bag in a
rubbish bin, at the void deck of Block
804 in Tampines Avenue 4. The kitten
was rescued by a member of the public
who had heard its mews of distress
coming from the rubbish bin. The
finder, with her friend’s help, spotted
the kitten at the bottom of a pile of
rubbish, tied in a plastic bag and
soaked in what appears to be its own
urine.
She brought the animal home, providing
the tender care it needed. SPCA put
up appeal posters for witnesses to
come forward with information on the
culprit, also notifying the AVA. Although
there was a police closed circuit TV
system in the area, we were unable to
get any further leads due to the way in
which the camera was angled.
A positive outcome is that the kitten is
currently homed in the finder’s friend’s
household, and faring well.
Cruelty to Dogs
Dog Abandoned at
SPCA’s Premises
An elderly man abandoned his son’s
dog, a cross-breed, outside SPCA’s
compound one morning and drove off.
The dog was helplessly wandering
outside the premises and was brought
in by our staff and volunteers. Our
CCTV footage was unable to capture the
vehicle’s license plate number.
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The man’s son came the very next day
to claim it and said he would assist
with investigations on his father’s act
of dog abandonment. The son was able
to claim the dog only after providing
us the address (of the dog’s new
location) whilst giving the assurance
that it would not be returned to its
former residence. The case is currently
under investigation by the AVA.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Bedok North Abandoned Dog
A Cocker Spaniel was found at the
ground floor lift lobby of a HDB unit
along Bedok North Road. No one we
spoke to from the block was able to
identify the dog and a check with AVA’s
licensing department did not produce
any results. Due to its bad skin
condition and poor overall health, the
dog had to be humanely euthanised.
Hougang Avenue Neglected
Shih-Tzu
This Shih-Tzu, about 18 years old
according to its owner, was surrendered
to us to be humanely euthanised as the
owner had no financial means to take
it to a veterinarian or have it groomed.
As a result, the dog’s nails were so
overgrown that the dog was unable to
stand or walk. The dog also had very
flaky skin and a growth on one of its
eyes. The case was referred to the AVA,
and we are still awaiting their decision
on this.
Sims Drive, Pet Dog Falls to
Its Death
A Chihuahua Cross dog was found dead
at the foot of an HDB block in Sims
Drive, with what appeared to be “cuts”
and puncture wounds. We traced the
owner from the dog’s microchip to a
21st floor unit of the block where the
dog was found. We concluded that it was
possible for the dog to have fallen from
within the unit, as there was a sliding
door leading out onto the parapet. A fall
from such a height onto the grill of the
drain would have caused the marks
seen and according to our veterinarian,
the puncture mark could have been
from a bone piercing through the skin,
also a result of the fall.
We counselled the owner never to leave
the sliding door open so as to prevent
their remaining dog from suffering the
same fate.
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
Commonwealth Crescent,
Dog Tied to a Clothes Pole
Bedok South Dog Tied to a
Tree Stump
A large black dog was found tied to a
tree stump at the entrance of a car park
at Bedok South Road.
A Golden Retriever was found tied to
a clothes pole in the Commonwealth
Crescent estate, outside of its house
without shelter while it was raining.
The caller who had contacted us after
spotting the dog added that the leash
used to restrain it was very short,
resulting in the dog being unable to
move about or fully lie down. We found
the dog slightly drenched but active and
friendly. The dog’s owner was asleep
and was not aware that it had rained.
He shared that he was looking after the
dog for someone, and that he tied the
dog outside for just a while because he
had just cleaned his apartment and
was waiting for the floor to dry. In our
conversation with him, we emphasised
the importance of providing proper
shelter, water and care for the dog. The
dog was brought into the house
immediately.
14
Our Inspector deduced from the way
the dog was leashed up that the dog’s
owner or caretaker may have tied the
dog there as a temporary measure
before going off to purchase goods
from the nearby shops. After waiting
for close to thirty minutes, we spotted
a foreign domestic worker approaching
the dog with several shopping bags in
hand. We advised the helper against
leaving the dog unsupervised while
shopping as the dog could have strayed
onto the road, endangering its life
or possibly unintentionally hurting
unknowing passers-by who could have
approached it the wrong way. The dog
had a microchip and we checked its
details. We found out that the dog was
adopted from us and subsequently
called up the owners to inform them
of what had happened. We advised
them to be more watchful when
leaving the dog to their helper’s care
and to counsel their helper accordingly.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Defu Lane Tethered Dog
This Shih-Tzu was reported to have
been tied outside a light industry unit in
Defu Lane on the second floor and left
there day and night. Our investigations
showed that the dog was there only in
the day, but at night it would be kept
inside the unit to move around freely.
The owner shared that the dog is an
old rescued dog and that he has been
taking good care of it. We advised
the owner on timely and adequate
veterinary care, especially in the case
of older dogs and to tie the dog’s leash
at its neck height rather than high up
on the corridor railing. On a follow-up
visit, the leash was found to be fastened
more favourably at a lower position,
allowing the dog more ample moving
space, and was tied at a different spot
from that witnessed in our first visit.
Cruelty to Other Animal Types
Tanjong Katong Caged
Peacocks
We received reports of two peacocks
kept in a small cage at Nam Seng Bird
Shop, at Tanjong Katong Road. Upon
arrival at the shop, we saw the birds
kept in a cage out in the open outside
the bird shop. The cage measured
approximately 3ft x 1.5ft. Pictures of
these birds were already circulating
on online social media sites, and we
contacted the AVA to obtain more
information about the shop. We were
told that their officers were also on
the way to the shop to find out the
reason for the birds being there and
to investigate the birds’ unsatisfactory
living conditions. The birds were
removed after the AVA’s visit.
As it was a breach of their licensing
conditions, the pet shop will be taken to
task for keeping the peacocks.
15
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Eunos Crescent, Poorly Kept
Frogs
The case was immediately referred
to the AVA and we are awaiting the
outcome of their investigation.
A customer of a seafood stall in Eunos
Crescent reported to us about live frogs
kept in poor conditions, and that at
least one among them was observed to
be dead.
Keng Lee Road, Poorly Kept
Terrapins
We went to investigate, and found there
was indeed a dead frog among the live
ones. The water in their tank was also
extremely dirty. The seafood stall was
closed at the time, but we informed the
coffee shop supervisor that we would
be bringing up this matter to the AVA.
We continued to receive feedback from
members of the public about the poor
living conditions of live seafood in
Singapore, and have urged the AVA and
National Environment Agency (NEA),
to improve and enforce better welfare
standards and to mete out more
stringent measures against such stall
operators.
Upper Serangoon, Poorly
Kept Fighting Fish
A concerned member of the public sent
us this picture of fighting fish kept in
small plastic bags on display for sale
at an aquarium store. Apart from being
kept in very small plastic bags, the fish
were also exposed to sunlight as they
were displayed just outside the shop.
16
We received a report of five terrapins
kept in a water fountain/feature without
proper shelter in a clan association’s
premises. During our visit we found
that there was only one rock for their
basking around.
Although there was no proper shelter,
the shadow cast by the statue provided
shade for the terrapins during different
times of the day. We advised the
association staff to provide more rocks
to enhance the terrapins’ living
conditions. On a follow-up visit, we
noted that there were more rocks
placed in the water feature. All the
terrapins were found to be swimming
about comfortably and were in good
physical condition. We also noted that
the water and the area around it were
clean and the temperature was neither
too warm nor too cold.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Bedok Reservoir, Poorly Kept
Rabbits
Choa Chu Kang, Inhumane
Treatment of Pigeons
Seven rabbits were found outside of
an owner’s HDB unit, kept in two cages
and a carrier. They were kept outside
all day and the cages were messy and
dirty. After a couple of visits, we
managed to speak to the owner and
advised her extensively on the
importance of space, hygiene and
shelter for the rabbits. When asked,
she said that only two of the rabbits
were hers and that she was helping her
friend, who had just given birth, to look
after the rest. She informed us that the
rabbit in the small carrier would be
kept in such conditions for the next six
months.
We advised against it and reminded
her that she had to make improvements
to the rabbits’ living condition as
soon as possible, either by returning
the rabbits to her friend or finding
someone else to look after them
We followed up on the case within
the week and saw only two rabbits
remaining, both housed in a bigger
cage. The carrier and the other cage
were both empty. The owner of the
remaining two rabbits informed us that
her friend had taken the other rabbits
back home.
A cleaner hired by the Town Council
was reportedly seen hitting live birds
and dumping them in a plastic bag.
Upon investigation, we found out
that the Town Council had engaged a
private pest control company to cull
the pigeons around the area. We spoke
to the cleaner and his supervisor
during our visit and explained to them
the need for humane measures in the
disposal of culled pigeons.
The Town Council staff acknowledged
our concerns and promised to look
into the proper disposal of pigeons. We
decided to still refer the matter to
the AVA, officially citing the area Town
Council and cleaner involved in the
catching and disposal of semi-conscious
pigeons. Updates will be provided
once the AVA has concluded their
investigation.
17
SPCA Annual Report 2014
PROSECUTIONS
Roy Ling - Convicted of
Animal Cruelty, in August 2013
August 2011. In the course of the next
three months we proceeded to gather
evidence, namely, photographs and
video recordings and submitted them
as proof of the situation to the AVA.
AVA’s own inspectors and veterinarians
also visited Mr Ling and advised him to
improve the living conditions of his pet
dog. SPCA continued to submit
feedback to the AVA as we received
more reports of his continuing to keep
his pet dog in the balcony. In December
2011, SPCA lodged a Police Report and
Magistrate’s Complaint.
On 20 August 2013, the Judge ruled
in favour of the Prosecution when he
found Roy Ling Chung Yee guilty of
subjecting his pet dog to unnecessary
suffering by keeping it in the apartment
balcony, exposing it to sun and rain, and
not providing it with adequate food and
water.
Mr Ling was convicted of animal cruelty
under section 42(1)(e) of the Animals and
Birds Act, Chapter 7, and fined S$5,000.
SPCA was first notified in June 2011
by a concerned resident at the
condominium that the dog, a Border
Collie, was seen almost every day on
the balcony and exposed to the sun
and rain. Other residents of the same
condominium also stepped forward to
lodge complaints with SPCA about the
dog’s situation.
SPCA’s inspectors attempted to contact
Mr Ling several times but he did not
respond. We then alerted the AVA in
18
With pictorial evidence taken by our
inspectors and testimonial evidence
provided by witnesses, the AVA filed a
charge against the owner. While the dog
was not ill and did not sustain any
physical injuries, the Judge agreed that
its welfare was neglected and that a
balcony was no place for a dog to live
its life; the dog is finally allowed in the
house.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Lim Soo Seng - Convicted of Animal Cruelty, in April 2014
On 17 May 2013, when businessman
Lim Soo Seng’s eight-year-old mongrel
Chilli died, it was severely emaciated
and clearly seemed starved and ne
glected. Lim brought the carcass to
SPCA shortly afterwards for disposal.
The SPCA vet who examined its body
verified that the dog had been severely
emaciated, and a post-mortem showed
it might have been starved for months.
We then informed the AVA.
Close to a year later, on 24 April 2014,
the court verdict was passed on this
issue - Lim, 76, was handed the
maximum fine of S$10,000 for animal
cruelty, the first time ever such an
amount has been imposed by the court
for this offence.
Lim pleaded guilty to unreasonably
failing to take the dog for timely
treatment, causing it unnecessary
suffering. The court heard that he had
adopted the dog, a female cross-breed,
seven years ago from SPCA, when
it was about merely a year old. Lim
accepted that he failed to exercise
reasonable care and supervision.
SPCA
then
appealed
to
the
Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC)
for a heavier sentence - a custodial
sentence - to be meted out. We also
sent an open letter to the press (on 2
May 2014), urging our courts to hand
a jail sentence to Lim.
Given that this was one of the most
severe cases of animal neglect and
cruelty in recent years, a jail term, in
addition to the fine, would have been
a stronger preventive move against a
repeat offence in future. Our position is
that the court sentence fell far short
of community expectations by not
providing a deterrent - to repeat
offenders who can afford to pay the fine.
On 11 June 2014, the AGC replied, with
no jail term to accompany the fine.
Though Lim was not jailed, particularly
on social media platforms like
Facebook, our online supporters and
commenters spoke up for the dog,
some of whom even offered to initiate
an online petition for a jail term for Lim.
19
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(8) SHELTER OPERATIONS
The SPCA shelter staff, comprising the
Shelter Supervisors, Animal Care
Officers, Animal Support Officers and
Clinic staff, have been responsible for
the day-to-day running of the shelter,
clinic and 24-hour emergency service
for the rescue of sick, injured,
distressed and/ or very young animals.
Our shelter staff, along with our
Adoption Counsellors (mainly trained
volunteers), facilitate the day-to-day
adoption procedures in our shelter,
helping to counsel and educate
prospective
adopters
about
the
know-how of animal adoption and care,
and making it possible for our animals
that are publicly available for adoption
to find placement in suitable, loving,
forever homes. We also operate a
lost-and-found service, as well as a
Foster Care Programme under the
administration of our Clinic Admin
Assistant. Our clinic also provides
20
basic
veterinary
treatment
and
sterilisation of our in-house animals.
CLINIC
Our clinic sterilised 138 community
animals, and issued 1,538 sterilisation
vouchers from 1 July 2013 to 30 June
2014. In addition, over the same 12-month
period, we sterilised 263 of the younger
animals below five months old (like
puppies and kittens) already adopted
from our shelter, as well as 448
animals (aged five months or older)
either already adopted from or still at
our shelter as at 30 June 2014. Thus,
the total number of sterilisations carried
out and facilitated by our clinic was 2,387
(This total is lower than the previous
financial year’s (2012-2013) which was
2,493, but higher than 2011-2012’s
total of 2,112.)
SPCA Annual Report 2014
ANIMAL STATISTICS FROM 1 JULY 2013 TO 30 JUNE 2014
Note
Notes
s
A
ANIMALS IN SHELTER AS AT 1 JULY 2013
G
INTAKE (of Live Animals only) VIA:
Emergency Rescues
Surrenders by Members of the Public
Owner-requested Euthanasia
TOTAL INTAKE [B to D]
Subtraction of animals, from D, assessed as unhealthy and
untreatable, and thus humanely euthanized
ADJUSTED INTAKE [E less F]
H
I
J
OUT-GOING (ANIMALS LEAVING SHELTER) VIA:
Adoptions
Out-going Transfers to Other Organisations
Lost Animals Returned to Owner / Claimed / Released
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
EUTHANASIA STATISTICS
Healthy
Aggressive/Temperamental
Too Young (0 to 3 weeks old)
Sick/Injured but put down due to other reasons
Sick/Injured and untreatable
TOTAL NUMBER EUTHANISED [K to O]
Owner-requested Euthanasia (sick & untreatable only)
ADJUSTED TOTAL EUTHANASIA [P less Q]
S
T
U
SUBTOTAL OUT-GOING (excl .Owner-req. Euthanasia)
[H+I+J+R]
Died or Lost in shelter care
TOTAL OUT-GOING (excl. Owner-req. Euthanasia) [S+T]
V
ANIMALS IN SHELTER AS AT 30 JUNE 2014 [A+G less U]
W
LIVE RELEASE RATE: [H + I + J] / [S] x 100%
B
C
D
E
F
Notes:
i
i
ii
iii
iv
v
DOGS
CATS
OTHERS
TOTAL
81
88
42
211
228
511
31
770
815
619
27
1,461
707
787
5
1,499
1,750
1,917
63
3,730
-31
739
-27
1,434
-5
1,494
-63
3,667
228
2
324
434
0
281
436
634
81
1,098
636
686
0
27
21
26
132
206
-31
175
0
26
225
79
360
690
-27
663
0
3
10
22
137
172
-5
167
0
56
256
127
629
1,068
-63
1,005
729
13
742
1,378
75
1,453
1,318
166
1,484
3,425
254
3,679
78
69
52
199
75.90%
51.89%
87.33%
70.66%
Surrenders by Members of the Public: Include animals found and brought in to SPCA
for claim by their owners, and animals given up by their owners formally at SPCA
ii
Other Organisations: the Jurong Bird Park, the Animal Concerns
Research & Education Society, the Zoo, or the AVA
iii
Claimed: Rehomed with new, suitable owners;
Released: (of cats and birds) after clinical treatment and/or sterilisation,
being returned to their respective source communities
iv
These include animals that are old & with illnesses
v
These include animals that are untreatable &/or with a terminal injury/illness
21
SPCA Annual Report 2014
FOSTERING
[Introduced to help us save more lives,
fostering is a way of providing individual
attention and accommodation for
animals too young to be kept in a
shelterm environment (i.e. under two
months) or animals that need specialised
care (requiring medical treatment and/
or behavioural rehabilitation).]
foster these animals. SPCA staff, too,
go beyond the call of duty, fostering
very young animals.
Providing fosterers for animals with
certain health issues has helped
provide a welcome alternative to
humane euthanasia, as these animals
would then be nursed, or brought, to
better health, given the necessary care
and a more conducive environment
(usually in the fosterer’s own home).
This is so that the animal concerned
can be ready for adoption, upon
attaining the requisite age and/or
readiness to adapt to kennel, nursery
or cattery life.
From 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014, the
SPCA shelter operations saw a total of
199 animals (dogs, cats, rabbits,
hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils)
fostered, prior to returning to us for
adoption. This is made possible by an
increased number of volunteers (18
years and above) who have signed up to
For the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014, humane euthanasia rates saw a plunge
from the corresponding figures for the preceding financial year(s):Financial Year
Total Number of Animals Humanely Euthanised:
Dogs:
Cats:
Others:
TOTAL:
2011 - 2012
793
1,698
1,028
3,519
2012 - 2013
512
996
447
1,955
2013 - 2014
206
690
172
This is partly the result of increased
efforts to counsel owners and to
persuade owners to rehome their
unwanted pets themselves, and only
to surrender them to SPCA as a last
resort, after having exhausted all
22
1,068
% decline in total,
year-on-year, averaged
across animal types:
45.0,
from FY 2011-2012
to FY 2012-2013
45.4,
from FY 2012-2013
to FY 2013-2014
other available options. The Rehoming
Notice Board on SPCA’s official
website has also played a great part, as
it has provided an alternative avenue
for these owners, enabling them to
advertise their pets for adoption
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(by suitable new owners) instead of
surrendering them to SPCA. Last but
not least, fostering out animals has
also helped relieve pressure on the
shelter, at least temporarily, given that
we have thus far grappled consistently
with space and resource limitations.
ST JOHN’S ISLAND CAT
STERILISATION PROGRAMME
From 1 July 2013
to 30 June 2014,
we conducted two
rounds of our
Trap-Neuter-Release exercise, in November 2013 and
in January 2014, as our fifth and sixth
visits respectively to St John’s Island,
since the programme’s inception in 2010.
For both visits, teams of SPCA staff
members, volunteers and volunteer
veterinarians descended upon the island
to carry out a sterilisation exercise, to
help contain the growing stray cat
population there.
A rough estimate had put the number of
unsterilised cats there at approximately
80 to 100 at the start of this programme.
As a result of our regular sterilisation
operations, we have, by now, managed to
sterilise about 90 per cent of the cat
population there.
The next exercise is set to take place in
late 2014.
ADOPTION OF DOGS - PROJECT
ADORE FORMALISATION
Project ADORE (ADOption & REhoming
of dogs in public housing households)
has formally transited from a pilot
scheme to a permanent programme,
officially announced by the Ministry of
National Development (MND) on 28 May
2014 in parliament. This project was
first mooted by SPCA and the Action
for Singapore Dogs (ASD) in 2011, and
then piloted by the MND, AVA and HDB
in 2012.
Under ADORE, HDB flat owners can
adopt local mixed breed dogs which
are up to 15 kg in weight and 50 cm in
height. These limits are a slight in
crease from the size of toy breeds
allowed in HDB flats. Interested adopters
are allowed to keep only one dog per
flat and have to abide by stringent
ownership conditions.
Over the last two years, a total of at
least 64 dogs have been successfully
rehomed under ADORE. To date, none
of the adopted dogs have been returned
to SPCA’s or ASD’s shelters.
One example of a Project ADOREeligible dog that has been recently
adopted by a HDB homeowner, thanks
to this formalisation scheme, is our
very own cross-breedmongrel, Tasha (pictured
here), who has been in
our shelter since early
2012. Tasha was adopted
successfully in May 2014.
23
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(9) EDUCATION
Our Education Department, consisting
of our Education Manager and Education
Officer, saw another successful year of
educational and outreach programmes
for institutions of learning as well as
the general public.
Talks and Visits
have spawned collaborations that took
our education initiatives further. One
such collaboration is called Project
PAAWS (Preventing Animal Abuse
With Singapore), comprising alumni of
Anderson Secondary who ran a
roadshow
combining
education,
fundraising and fun at Jurong Point
Shopping Mall. In total, they have reached
out to more than 3,000 people in the
community and taught the latter how they
could play their part in preventing animal
abuse.
Another collaboration was with a
group of students from Raffles Girls’
Secondary, on the issue of fur, by way
of Project Furget Fur. Together, we
conducted two workshops during the
March school holidays for our youth
supporters.
World Animal Day 2013
We gave 98 talks at academic institutions
which included primary and secondary
schools, Institute of Technical Education
(ITE) colleges, junior colleges, student
care centres, polytechnics and other
academic organisations. Topics covered
during the presentation included what the
SPCA does, the importance of responsible
pet ownership and how to stop animal
abuse. Feedback provided for these
sessions has been very positive.
As a result of our efforts, over 50,000
people (inclusive of students we gave
talks to and our many corporate visitors)
have come to embrace the importance of
responsible pet ownership and being
kind to animals. Many of our talks
24
World Animal Day was celebrated at
United Square Shopping Mall over three
days from 13 to 15 September 2013.
SPCA collaborated with the Community
Outreach team of the Agri-Food and
Veterinary Authority and students of the
Singapore Management University
(SMU) who are members of SMU-PAW
(People for Animal Welfare).
We also invited the following nine
animal welfare groups - ACRES,
Action for Singapore Dogs, Animal
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Lovers League, Humane Society of
Singapore, House Rabbit Society of
Singapore, Cat Welfare Society, Causes
for Animals, Noah’s Ark Cares and
Save Our Street Dogs - to join us in
celebrating the event. Nine of SPCA’s
animals were also adopted in the event.
To further celebrate World Animal Day,
“Our Silent Community” - a photographic
essay about the lives of shelter workers,
street animals, and animals at SPCA made its debut public exhibition at
Select Books along Armenian Street.
Photojoumalism students from CHIJ
St. Joseph’s Convent, through their
photo-works, brought to life visually the
journey depicted in the essay.
educating youths that every animal in
a shelter deserves a second chance to
find a new home, and encouraging
potential pet owners to adopt and not
buy.
The book retails at $5 a piece, and all
proceeds from its sale go directly to
SPCA. Complimentary copies were also
sent to the 400 pre-schools and 200
primary schools in Singapore.
Commending Animal Heroes
from Catholic High School
“Toby Wants A Home”
Book Launch
At our education talk at Catholic High
School on 27 January 2014, we
commended the boys who helped us
rescue a kitten stuck on a glue board in
October
2013.
Our
Education
Manager presented them, on stage,
with an SPCA T-shirt and commendation
letter each.
At our World Animal Day celebrations,
“Toby Wants a Home”, a book written
by Low Hui Ching and illustrated by
Antonija Gros and produced in
collaboration with our Education
Department and volunteers, was
launched. Written for children between
four and twelve years, the book offers
an insight into the life of a shelter dog
saved from the streets, inspired by the
true story of a dog named Valli adopted
from SPCA. The book is aimed at
Advocacy against Keeping of
Pets in School
In November 2013, acting on feedback
received about a school’s plan to set up
a rabbit enclosure, SPCA and House
Rabbit Society of Singapore wrote
a letter to all kindergartens and
primary and secondary schools to
discourage the keeping of pets in
schools.
25
SPCA Annual Report 2014
Advocacy against Longkang
Fishing
In December 2013, acting on feedback
from a concerned parent, we sent a
letter to all kindergartens and primary
schools to discourage learning trips
that incorporate longkang fishing into
their itineraries. It has been observed
that drain fish often get injured or even
killed when children trample on them
while being in the longkang waters.
Nets and plastic pails employed during
longkang fishing also subject the fish to
great stress. Moreover, such an activity
reduces fish to mere play objects,
taking away the need to respect life.
The schools generally reacted positively,
and accepted our standpoint. In
particular, Active Learners, a childcare
centre in Woodlands, actually thanked
us for the letter.
Counselling Students Who
Abused a Cat
educational institutions. The website
will be launched at the start of the
school term in 2015.
Contribution to Temasek
Polytechnic’s Skills
Certificate in Pet Care and
Management
We also contributed to the Skills
Certificate in Pet Care and Management
(Companion Animals) course run by
Temasek Polytechnic. We shared many
case studies of animal neglect and
abuse, using the cases to impart
relevant skills and information to pet
shop attendants and personnel, so that
they could better educate potential and
present pet owners about responsible
pet ownership.
Promotion of Animal Welfare
in Educational Assessment
Books
In November 2013, we provided
counselling support to Greenridge
Primary School, when three of their
Primary 3 students abused a cat. The
school helped SPCA communicate the
right message to their pupils.
Involvement in Character and
Citizenship Education Syllabus
An education website, in collaboration
with the Ministry of Education, targeted
at teachers and students has been
developed, to provide them with the
resources to teach and learn about
animal welfare. From downloadable
worksheets to videos about proper pet
care, these resources are meant to
complement the existing ones in
26
Marshall Cavendish Education worked
with us on the English Companion
Booklets for Primary 6 pupils. For one of
the booklets, whose theme was
prevention of cruelty to animals, we
provided pictures and devised a continuous
writing project centred around how one
can help an animal in distress.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
We also provided content for a Malay
language textbook and activity book for
secondary school pupils, called Jauhari.
Included in this package is a text
adapted from SPCA’s press release,
dated 23 February 2013, titled “Pet
Neglect on The Rise”. Learners will be
prompted to write in the Malay
language to describe two cats cramped
within a cage.
Collaboration with Cheerful
Dogs
In December 2013, the Education Team,
along with Cheerful Dogs, spearheaded
an adoption profiling initiative which
would better match adopters with
adoptees via personality profiling. Also,
four workshops, targeted at the general
public to help them understand the
training needs of their dogs, were
organised in 2014.
Collaboration on Citi-YMCA
Youth For Causes Project
We
worked
with
four
groups
(Oppfurtunity, SOAP, SEAL, Journey
With Me) from different learning
institutions in Singapore. Besides
creating awareness for the animal
welfare cause, the students raised
over $25,000 for the animals by selling
merchandise like sweets and T-shirts
using the $1,600 seed funding given to
each group.
Training of Animal Ambassadors
We have trained about 100 volunteers
as Animal Ambassadors, and on the
finer points of engaging the public at
our events, also equipping them with
the know-how of pet care information
and adoption.
Continuing what we have started the
previous year, deploying Animal
Ambassadors at public events has
served as extensions of our education
team, to better educate the public at
large about the animal welfare cause
and what SPCA does.
Managing a Youth Database
To better engage youths, a youth
database was created and maintained.
We constantly created opportunities for
our youth supporters to volunteer at
SPCA, through helping out with simple
administrative work or mass mail-outs
and/or in events. We also organised
workshops and talks for these groups
during the school holidays. The
database currently lists over 1,800
youth supporters.
Collaboration with Toggle
In line with the new education website,
we worked with the Toggle team of
MediaCorp on a series of pet care videos
for the website, focusing on general pet
care and community animals.
27
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(10) ANIMAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENTS
AVA Implements Two New Pet
Shop Licensing Conditions
On 30 December 2013, the AVA
announced that there would be two
additional licensing conditions for those
selling cats, dogs and rabbits, to take
effect from 1 January 2014. These
changes follow the Ministry of National
Development’s (MND) acceptance of all
24 recommendations proposed by the
Animal Welfare Legislation Review
Committee (AWLRC), as announced on
26 April 2013. MND said it would partner
with the AVA to work out detailed
implementation plans and roll out the
AWLRC recommendations in phases.
From 1 January 2014, new licensing
rules have taken effect for all pet shops
in Singapore:
(1)Individuals under 16 years of age
will not be allowed to buy cats,
dogs or rabbits unless they are
accompanied by their parents
or legal guardians.
(2)
Pet shops must also assess the
suitability of their customers as
pet owners, prior to sale of the pet
animal concerned. As part of the
pre-sale screening process, both
potential pet buyers and pet
retailers will have to complete
the Pet Purchase Declaration.
These two conditions were formulated
after consultation with pet retailers
and the Pets Enterprises and Traders
28
Association, with respect to the AWLRC
recommendations. They are meant to
address the issues of impulse buying
of pets and abandonment due to lack
of adequate knowledge by potential pet
owners.
Pet shops were given six months to
adjust and comply with the new
conditions. After 1 July 2014, AVA
will take enforcement action against
non-compliant pet retailers.
Prior to the formation of the AWLRC in
April 2012, SPCA had, in December 2011,
submitted a Proposal for Legislative
Reform (Animals and Birds Act, Part IV,
the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’
sections 42 to 44) to the MND, offering
our recommendations to strengthen
animal welfare laws in Singapore.
This proposal can be read at http://
www.spca.org.sg/PDF/LegislativeRe
formfinal.pdf. Apart from proposing
increased penalties for existing offences
based on cruelty, we have proposed
that failure to take care of the welfare of
pets should also constitute an offence
and be punishable as such.
Over the past financial year, SPCA has
continued to offer insight and input in
the shaping and implementation of the
AWLRC recommendations. We attended
every single AWLRC-related meeting
with the MND, AVA and other animal
welfare groups over the past twelve
months, and have offered qualitative
input and suggestions towards the
respective AWLRC codes.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
SPCA Appeals for Jail Term
for Businessman Convicted
of Animal Cruelty
On 24 April 2014, businessman Lim
Soo Seng was charged with a monetary
fine of S$10,000 for animal cruelty, the
highest amount ever in Singapore,
about a year after his eight-year-old
emaciated dog (Chilli) died from severe
pet negligence.
On 5 May 2014, SPCA appealed to the
Attorney-General’s Chambers for a
heavier sentence - a custodial sentence
- to be meted out. We also sent an open
letter to the press (on 2 May 2014),
urging our courts to hand a jail
sentence to Lim.
To this end, we also penned an open
letter published (on 9 June 2014) on the
Straits Times Forum page, affirming
our stance that a criminal offence of
such a nature is not to be tolerated. We
expressed our support of our Straits
Times Forum readers who feel that
owners found guilty of pet neglect
should be punished far more severely.
On SPCA’s Facebook page, www.face
book.com/spcasingapore, our numerous
ous online followers and supporters
made known their dissatisfaction with
the court verdict, many of whom also
raised the need to have the offender
jailed and/or do community service at
SPCA’s shelter.
Finally, on 11 June 2014, the AGC
responded to SPCA’s appeal. They
assessed that the “S$10,000 fine
imposed, the maximum fine under the
law, was not manifestly inadequate”,
and therefore, did not appeal against
that. Thus, Lim was not jailed.
We have accepted the AGC’s final
stance on the court verdict. That said,
they have extended an invitation to us
to work with them on future cases.
SPCA Pushes for Release of
Remaining 23 Marine Life
Park Dolphins from Resorts
World Sentosa
On 4 June 2014, we sent an open letter
to the Press, urging the Resorts World
Sentosa (RWS) to end the dolphin
exploitation, after the fourth dolphin
death linked to it.
The death of Sharmila, a bottlenose
dolphin, was announced in a blogpost
by the Marine Life Park in May 2014.
This has become the fourth dolphin
casualty associated with the Marine
Life Park. (In 2010, two dolphins meant
for the park died in Langkawi due to a
water-borne bacterial infection. A third
dolphin died on board a flight to
Singapore in November 2012.)
We spoke of the need to minimise the
extent of animal cruelty involved. We
opined that “in a country like Singapore,
with the Wild Animals and Birds Act in
place prohibiting any person from
killing, taking or keeping any wild
animal, it is extremely disappointing
that we are accepting these wild-caught
dolphins for the purpose of forcing
29
SPCA Annual Report 2014
them to adapt to an unnatural lifestyle
in RWS’ Marine Life Park attraction.”
“Subjecting these wild dolphins to a
forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed
against their will and introducing paid
interaction programmes with the public
marketed as ‘engagement learning’,
is, in essence, unabashed animal
exploitation. The act of catching and
confining these animals, ... cannot possibly
contribute towards constructive education
of the public on marine life and
environmental issues”, we asserted in
our media statement.
Our media statement was published
on Channel NewsAsia online,
The
Straits Straits Times online, The
New Paper, Today (both print and
online), AsiaOne News online, the
Agence France-Presse (AFP) media
platforms,
WildSingapore
(www.
wildsingapore.com) and, also, The
Dodo online, (www.thedodo.com) an
international newsletter.
SPCA’s position has always been “‘NO!’ to
dolphins in captivity” – a message we will
continue to champion hereafter.
SAY
NO
TO
DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY
Dolphins are intelligent and social creatures
that, in the wild, interact with hundreds of
pod-mates, hunt communally,
and have entire coastlines as their playground.
In captivity, all of this is lost.
The SPCA is against the capture of these
creatures from the wild.
We oppose on ethical grounds the use,
conlinement, exhibition or performance by
marine mammals.
Stiffer Penalties for Animal Abuse to be Announced in Late 2014
On 8 January 2014, Law Minister K.
Shanmugam announced that penaties
for animal abusers will be made more
severe, in order to send a “strong
deterrent message” through legislative
changes. The tougher animal protection
tion Bill will be introduced and tabled
30
in Parliament, slated for the last
quarter of 2014. Under these proposed
amendments to the Animals and Birds
Act, penalties for animal abuse will
be increased, particularly for repeat
offenders and animal-related businesses.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(11) COMMUNICATIONS
SPCA Publications
Each issue has had coverage of the
noteworthy news and developments
relevant to the respective quarter.
While each of the four issues did high
light a certain development, or two, in
the animal welfare scene in and around
SPCA for that quarter, the SPCA
Bulletin has been characteristically
featuring, in every issue, animal
cruelty cases investigated by our
inspectorate, animal rescues carried
out by our rescue officers, animal
fostering updates, successful adoption
stories of our shelter animals that have
found their respective loving, forever
homes, as well as educational dog care
and/or dog training pointers, for the
relevant quarter.
We have published a total of four
quarterly issues of the SPCA Bulletin
over the past financial year. The SPCA
Bulletin is essentially a members’ only
publication, a hard copy of which has
been sent to all our Senior, Life,
Corporate Annual and Corporate Life
Members and our GIRO Donors. (From
the next financial year onwards, only
members who did not opt for the soft
copy will be sent the printed version.)
The four issues pertain to the quarterly
periods July to September 2013,
October to December 2013, January
to March 2014, and April to June 2014.
Where quarter-specific animal welfare
developments are concerned, the issue
for July to September 2013 covered our
SPCA Gala Dinner 2013 as well as our
World Animal 2013, whilst the October
to December 2013 issue featured AVA’s
implementation of the new pet shop
licensing conditions taking effect from
January 2014. The last issue to close
the financial year, the April to June
2014 issue, provided coverage of the
prosecution of Lim Soo Seng for severe
pet neglect and also the Ministry of
National
Development’s
formal
sanctioning of Project ADORE.
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
SPCA in the Media
On 1 June 2014, SPCA ‘s Executive
Director, Corinne Fong, was on air
from 9 to 10am, on 93.8FM Live!,
to share with listeners how Project
ADORE would now allow HDB flat
owners to adopt medium-sized, local
mixed breed dogs which are up to
15 kg in weight and 50 cm in height.
On 11 June 2014, from 8.45 to 9am,
SPCA engaged in an “Animals in
Captivity” dialogue, live, on Channel
News Asia, with Corinne sharing
with viewers why the Marine Life
Park’s remaining 23 dolphins should
not be held captive.
In June 2014, four of SPCA’s cats were
featured in the “Cat Friends” editorial
fashion spread feature in the June 2014
edition of “Style” magazine.
These cats
were photographed
by Wee Khim,
Life Member and
Volunteer
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World Animal Day 2013
Featured in the Media
In publicizing World Animal Day 2013,
our
Education
Manager,
Selina
Sebastian, was featured as a guest
on The Pet Project on 93.8FM Live!,
talking about World Animal Day
and its significance.
On 2 October 2013, Yvonne Yong from
Channel NewsAsia visited our shelter
for an interview segment on AM Live!,
Channel NewsAsia’s morning show.
Selina shared with the crew SPCA’s
role in furthering the animal welfare
cause, also in line with World Animal
Day.
To drum up publicity for World Animal
Day, there was also an auction of a 5kg
Christmas Cake specially made for
dogs, sponsored by The Barkery, and
organized by students from SMUPAW (the Singapore Management
University’s People for Animal Welfare),
which raised $1,000. The highest bidder
who bid $1,000 donated the cake to
the dogs at SPCA’s shelter, putting in
an additional $444.20 donation. This
occasion was featured in The Straits
Times on 11 December 2013.
Education Department
Featured in the Media
In December 2013, our Education
Officer was featured in Teenage
Magazine, sharing with readers her
love and passion for animals and her
job responsibilities at SPCA. Our
Education
Manager
was
also
interviewed for a feature in Family &
Life, a family and lifestyle magazine
targeted at parents with children aged
SPCA Annual Report 2014
12 years and below, regarding suitable
pet choices for children in different
age groups and values that children
grow up with once they are taught to
care for animals from a very young age.
SPCA Campaign
Facebook page and website have been
our main means of online reach, thus
far. SPCA also operates a Twitter
account. In June 2014, we started
an Instagram account. With Instagram’s
rise in popularity especially among
the younger crowd, tapping this social
media platform as well would better
connect us with our younger target
audience.
In November 2013, we launched a
campaign to raise awareness of the
cruel practices of puppy mills in
Singapore. We also set out to
encourage adoption and not the
commercial purchase of pet animals.
To this end, we conceptualized
and
produced
in-train
panel
advertisements that were displayed
in the trains plying the North-South
and East-West, as well as Circle,
Lines’ routes, from 7 November to 15
December 2013.
SPCA’s Use of Social Media
Facebook remains SPCA’s central
and most effective online and social
media tool, in influencing public opinion
through the media and enabling better
community engagement.
SPCA’s Facebook page has seen a
healthy growth in numbers from 1 July
2013 to 30 June 2014, especially
in terms of Page Likes (which have
increased by about 9,500). SPCA’s
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
(12) FUNDRAISING
Our regular fundraising events brought
in some good results this financial year,
and we would like to thank all, including
all volunteers and participants, who
have supported these projects.
On 28 September 2013, we held
our Gala Dinner at Conrad Centennial
Singapore. The highlights of the evening
were the Raffle Ticket Draw and the
“Silent” and “Live” auctions. The “Live”
auction saw prizes like hotel stays both
locally and overseas, as well as carpets,
premium wines and jewellery going to
the highest bidder. The night also saw
performances from Jessica Soo and
Vocaluptuous, as well as entertainment
by Hibikiya Tenko Drums. The performers,
sponsors, volunteers and staff, as well
as the draws and auction segments,
along with the Master-of-Ceremony
Chris Liew, all contributed to the event’s
success. A total of $60,511.69 was raised
for the Building Fund to help us construct
our new premises.
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Our Annual Christmas Wish List
campaign ran from the end of
November 2013 for just over a month.
A total of $17,372.20 was donated to the
SPCA, to buy specific items, chosen by
donors, from the prescribed list of
possible purchase items.
On 7 and 8 December 2013, South Korean
artist Baek Seung-Joo held another
ceramics workshop in aid of the SPCA,
whereby thirty-five participants learned
basic drawing techniques, designed
their own Christmas cards, and
designed and made three Christmas-
SPCA Annual Report 2014
themed tree ornaments or fridge
magnets. A total of $1,050 was raised,
from this fundraising event jointly
organised by Gallery Enough and
Goodman Ceramic Studio.
We raised a total of $9,775.76 through
the Furry Friends Fund 2014 (from
1 March 2014 to 31 May 2014). For
this project, our supporters took our
donation tins into their homes and/or
offices for collection of loose change,
in the process also reaching out to their
family and friends in eliciting funds.
We held an “A Hoppity Easter Saturday
with SPCA & Au Chocolat” celebration
on 19 April 2014 at City Square Mall,
a one-day event, which saw a total of
$405.00 raised, including donation
tin collections amounting to $219.15.
Last but not least, the “Buy-A-Brick” initiative, which we launched in September
2013, is still on-going, and a fundraising project involving our collaboration with
Groupon Singapore will be implemented in the next financial year.
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
(13) VOLUNTEERING
The SPCA currently has a total of 1,660
volunteers in our database who help
out with shelter operations, dog-walking,
adoption counselling and at sales
events, among other involvements. Our
volunteer strength has thus increased by
485 from a total strength of 1,165
volunteers recorded for the previous
financial year.
We have, from 1 July 2013 to 30 June
2014, conducted a total of 44 corporate
visits at our shelter for organisations
such as Starbucks, Credit Suisse,
Bloomberg and NTUC Fairprice. This
number is almost double the total for
the previous financial year.
Our corporate volunteers are now
helping out at our shelter on a more
regular basis, such as those from
Starbucks (on every second Thursday of
the month) and NTUC Fairprice (on
every third Thursday of the month).
Companies like Credit Suisse and
Bloomberg have also volunteered on
several occasions within the financial
year. Others, like Google, are extending
their help beyond the shelter in ways
36
such as providing online advertising
grants (in the form of monthly online
credits of US$10,000). Deutsche Bank
AG Singapore, in particular, volunteered
at the SPCA Gala Dinner on 28
September 2013.
We have also put in place volunteer
engagement activities such as charity
movie screenings, yoga sessions and
gatherings, to help our volunteers to
get to know one another better. We also
organised team-building activities by
way of collaborative activities with the
volunteers of other organisations,
beyond the confines of SPCA’s shelter.
For instance, on 28 June 2014, our group
of 30 volunteers, and staff, participated
in Movement 354, an initiative by the
Waterways Watch Society. While the
team engaged in cleaning up the Kallang
River, they were also impressed upon
with the importance of caring for the
environment, on the one hand, and
fulfilled to some extent their Corporate
Social Responsibility towards other
organisations similarly in need, on the
other.
SPCA Annual Report 2014
(14) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We extend our heartfelt and immense gratitude to every one who has contributed
in any way to our shelter, fundraising, administration, education and promotions/
publicity. Without the commendable and tireless support of our volunteers,
sub-committees and partners, we would not have been able to do the work that we do.
We are also indebted to generous and kind members of the public who have come
forward to adopt our animals and give them the loving, forever homes they have long
awaited, as well as to the brave and committed members of the public who have
helped us in our rescue operations in one way or another, by alerting us and often
lending a helping hand, or two, to sick, injured, distressed and/or abused animals,
each day.
Listed below, in alphabetical order, are just some of those who have helped us in our
work the past year. We apologise to anyone we may have inadvertently omitted.
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93.8 FM
Acacia Veterinary Clinic
Achieva Vending Pte Ltd
ACRES
Action for Singapore Dogs
Addiction Foods
Advance Waterproofing &
Construction Pte Ltd
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
(Centre for Animal Welfare & Control)
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
Outreach Team)
Amber Veterinary Practice Pte Ltd
Animal and Avian Veterinary Clinic
Animal Lovers League
Animal Merchandise
Animal Practice Pte Ltd
Aranda Country Club
Aspect Natural Beaute
Baek Seung-Joo
BERGS
BHP Billiton Marketing Asia Pte Ltd
(Singapore)
BIG O Café & Restaurant
Books Actually
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Brainwaves Tutorial School
Breeks Café
Bubbly Petz
Café Verde at the Botanics
Canadian Association of Singapore
Cat Welfare Society
Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd
Catholic High School
Causes for Animals
Chan Mui Imm Helen
Channel NewsAsia
Chatsworth East International School
Cheng Kim Loke Foundation
Cheerful Dogs
CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent
Cho Ying May Jacqueline
Philip Choi
Choo Chiau Beng
Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes
Citibank Singapore Ltd
Civil Service Club
(Bukit Batok Clubhouse)
• Civil Service Club
(Tessensohn Clubhouse)
• C.K. Tang Ltd
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SPCA Annual Report 2014
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Cold Storage Singapore Pte Ltd
De Rozario Esther Jane
Defu Veterinary Clinic
Dejewel Galleria
Deutsche Bank AG Singapore
Doggiestyle Café
Emerald Hill Group
Estate of William Hunter Caldwell
Estate of Chong Kuan Neo
Estate of Loh Kim Chwee Blanche
Estate of Mdm Tan Goh Tin
Estate of Ms Chiattee Tan
Eu Kong Weng
Facebook Global Causes Day
FirstMate (Pawmart)
Foo Shu Ching
Frankel Veterinary Clinic
Friends in Fur Pte Ltd
Gallery Enough
Giant Hypermart
Goodman Ceramic Studio
Google Singapore
Antonija Gros
GRUB at Bishan Park 1
Guide Dogs Association of the Blind Ltd
Hard Rock Café
Hibikiya Tenko Drums
Alex Hickman
Kallista Ho
Hon Lai Kyuen
House Rabbit Society of Singapore
Humane Society of Singapore
ID Emboss Pte Ltd
Christopher Inglin
Island Creamery
Island Veterinary Clinic
Dollah Jaafar
James Tan Veterinary Centre
Jessica Soo
Jireh Veterinary Clinic Pte Ltd
JOJO
Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning
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Kang, Nee (Dr.)
KC & Watson (FE) Pte Ltd
Keppel Corporation Ltd
Kuok Oon Kwong
LAWHUB LLC
Lee Foundation
Lemon Zest
Chris Liew
Light of Life Veterinary Clinic and
Services
Lim Siang Hoe Benny
Lin Wah Engineering Works Pte Ltd
Loke Mun-Tze Jacqueline Joelle
Loke Yuen Kin Ruby
Poul H Lorentzen
Low Hui Ching
Low Poh Choo
Lou Ek Hee
M1 Limited, Singapore
Marche Restaurants International
Mellford Pte Ltd
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Social and Family
Development (Probation Services
Branch)
Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic (East)
Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic (North)
Mount Pleasant Animal Medical
Centre (Bedok)
Mount Pleasant Animal Medical
Centre (Redhill)
Mount Pleasant Animal Medical
Centre (West)
Nam Sang Veterinary Clinic
Nand Singh Gandhi
National Parks Board
Naturally Plus Direct Marketing
Pte Ltd
Noah’s Ark Cares
Nowhere Café LLP
NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd
SPCA Annual Report 2014
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OMD Singapore
Ooi Chee Kar
Oridien Astrology & Consultancy
Our Pet Shop
Parkway Parade
Pavilion Foundation Limited
Paw Veterinary Centre
Pet Care Centre & Clinic
Pets Magazine
PHD Singapore
Point Veterinary Surgery
Project PAAWS
Property Investment Partners Pte Ltd
(Executive Directions)
Purina
Raffles Town Club
SalesForce.com Foundation
Search Network Pte Ltd
See Lian Tin
Shaw Organisation Pte Ltd
Singapore Kennel Club
Siow Yu-Gin
SMU PAW - Singapore Management
University People for Animal Welfare
Singapore Police Force
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Smiths Fish & Chips (Bp) Pte Ltd
SMRT Corporation Ltd
SPCA Bulletin advertisers
SPCA kennel, cattery and nursery
sponsors
SPCA staff and consultant
veterinarians
Starbucks Singapore
Robert Derrick Strain
Style: Singapore Magazine
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Tan May Kathleen
Tang Sow Keng
Taylor Stanley (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Temasek Polytechnic
Teo Eng Kim
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Teo Nan Zun
The Animal Clinic (Singapore)
The Animal Doctors
The Barkery
The Better Toy Store
The Factory ETC Pte Ltd
The Joyous Vet
The Straits Times Classifieds
The Wine Company Pte Ltd
Tian Kong & Kancanara Buddhist
Temple
TOBY’s The Dessert Asylum
Toggle (MediaCorp)
Town Councils
TP Animal Clinic
True Blue Cuisine
United Square Shopping Mall
Susan Varghese
Vets for Pets
Vocaluptuous
Jason Wang
Wee Khim
West Coast Vetcare Pte Ltd
Wild Singapore
Edwin Wong
Wong Pui Ying
Woodwould..
Yap Mei Lai
Special thanks are also due to our
dedicated Management Committee
for their invaluable contributions and
guidance and hard work in steering the
organisation through another fruitful
and eventful year, and through the
various Sub-Committees, listed in
alphabetical order:
-
Administration & Finance
Building
Cruelty / Shelter
Fundraising
Publicity
Volunteer
39
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Singapore
31 Mount Vernon Road, Singapore 368054
Tel: (+65) 6287 5355 | Fax: (+65) 6286 5997 | Website: www.spca.org.sg |
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SPCASingapore