In the same light,

please keep your eyes and ears open to the many animals we have in our prolific dottings of petshops on our tiny island.

Drop in to any petshops now and then, have a chat with the staff, hear how they care for their animals, advise them gently if need be, praise them when you see them doing a good job, lift up their spirits and they will transfer the good feelings onto the animals under their care.

And should you unfortunately witness any less than desirable situations, promptly make a report to:

SPCA: 6287-5355
AVA: 1800-476-1600


Oct 13, 2006
Ill-treatment of macaw reported to AVA

WITH regard to the letter, 'Macaw had no food, water on hot afternoon' (ST, Oct 10), I would like to thank Mrs Kirti Dayani for voicing her concern over the conditions under which the bird was kept.

We support and agree fully with the points raised in her letter. When animals or birds are being sold, their keepers have to ensure that they have sufficient food, water and shelter from the sun and rain.

In this instance, the owner of the bird failed to provide any of these, which may have resulted in undue stress and suffering.

We have spoken to Mrs Dayani and conveyed the details of the case to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), which regulates bird shops.

Readers interested to learn how to report animal abuse can refer to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)'s website - www.spca.org.sg - or call 6287-5355.

Deirdre Moss (Ms) Executive Officer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

________________________________________________________

Oct 10, 2006
Macaw had no food, water on hot afternoon

ON SUNDAY afternoon, as I was driving along Serangoon Road, I passed a bird shop and saw a lovely red macaw chained to a rod and left outside in the stifling heat to attract passers-by.

The macaw was standing over its food bowl which, as I later discovered, was empty. Its water bowl was also nearly empty, with dirty dregs at the bottom.

I went back 15 minutes later and the bird was still in the same position, with no food or water. The owner looked scared when I told him to take the bird indoors, and did not object when I filled the poor creature's food bowl to the brim with sunflower seeds. The bird began to eat hungrily.

I noticed that most of the big birds inside the shop had very little food given to them that afternoon, probably as a cost-cutting measure.

It is bad enough that these beautiful animals are treated as mere commodities; it is even worse when their most basic needs are completely neglected.

The poor macaw was standing quietly over its empty food bowl, perhaps the only way it could communicate its hunger to human beings.

I am writing this as an appeal to all animal lovers to keep a lookout for such bird shops, and to check, whenever possible, if the birds have enough food, water and shelter.

Kirti Dayani (Mrs)