Pondering moments....

Think about this.

The authorities who look into the issues of animal control have, throughout many years, been catching stray dogs and cats, for culling. There is a need for stray population control, we accept and agree on that.


What many do not agree on is (1) the manner of catching dogs, and (2) the 'solution' applied, ie, culling.

Think about this.

If the authorities have been ABLE to be culling so many strays out there, it shows that CATCHING the strays is not too big an issue. That they have people who are ABLE to catch the strays.

Ocassionally, I do not know how often, the authorities issue a letter to an area where there are strays roaming about, informing the farm owners there that they have to sterilise and licence the dogs, or else, the dogs will be subject to culling.

There has been such a letter received recently.

Now, think about this.


Around our areas, as in all areas where stray feeders are plying, those strays that are friendly and easily caught will already have been caught and sterilised. They are now 'done' and of no problem to the population. They will NOT cause any more unwanted puppies.


BUT, the ironical part is that THESE sterilised, friendly ones are the ones most likely to be caught and culled. Hey, they are easy to get. In fact, they may jolly well wag up to the catchers who entice with morsels of treats.


Hmm...is that why the years of culling hasn't seem to reduce the population issue? Have we been killing the already sterilised ones? Maybe the statistics will show?


On the other hand, we have the wary and wild ones who are out of our reach. Now, these we need help to get, to sterilise, to advise the farm/industrial owners to licence.


In view of the fact that the authorities have been able to catch some even wary ones, could animal welfare societies WORK TOGETHER with the authorities? And more puzzling, why have animal welfare societies not worked WITH the authorities, who have the expertise in dog catching?


(A) Current situation:

- Authorities send their dog catchers to catch the strays
- Strays caught are brought back to the pounds
- To claim the stray back, we must pay a fee.
- If the stray is not licenced, there will also be a fine.
- Strays not claimed will be culled in a few days (ie, put to sleep)



* Claiming of impounded dogs and cats: (from AVA website)


To claim impounded dogs or cats, the following fees have to be paid:

- Impoundment fee: S$86 for dog / S$42 for cat
- Boarding fee: S$15 per day for both dog and cat
- Licence fee (for unlicensed dogs).


In addition, a composition amount of S$50 has to be paid for each of the following:


- If the dog was not licensed
- If the dog was straying



(B) Proposed situation: In cases where the authorities request that the strays around an area be sterilised and licenced, or else they face culling

- In cases where the dogs are more wary and cannot be caught by farm/industrial owners/stray feeders to accede to the authorities' instruction, request for help from the authorities who have their dog catchers with expertise to catch strays
- If they are able to catch the wilder, unsterilised ones that animal welfare societies are unable to reach, hand over the strays to animal welfare societies
- Animal welfare societies will raise the money needed to sterilise the strays
- Animal welfare societies will advise farm/industrial owners to licence the strays (getting them to licence dogs around their area is not as simple as it seems as most of the case, no one wants to take legal responsibility)
- Release the sterilised, licenced dogs back into their community



* If the authorities are able to catch the wilder ones which have escaped us, that is good news indeed! And since these dogs are going to be caught ANYWAY by the authorities, if the feeders/owners cannot catch them, it is just going on with plan (A) or (B). IF the dogs are escape artistes and can't be caught by either feeder/owner/dog catchers, then it is a non-issue as in they get to live another day.



In fact, the most ideal solution is a nationwide sterilisation programme where the authorities fully step in with their support. Whereby they support the catching of the strays, and follow up with STERILISATION of these strays that they catch, instead of culling. Cos right now, the financial burden of watching out for the strays fall upon the shoulders of individual feeders/societies.

But I guess there must be reasons for not doing so, but rather to stay on with the culling process.

But just pondering on - Why are we not working together? Why are 2 parties seemingly at loggerheads when:

(1) one party has the expertise to catch dogs, albeit for culling
(2) one party has the heart to give the dogs another chance by raising public funds to sterilise them, but not the expertise/equipment to reach the wild ones

Bring these 2 groups together, and we have both the ability AND the heart to reach the wilder strays and make them 'acceptable' to carry on their existence in their community.

If we can work together to offer a more humane finality to captured strays, let us explore that avenue.

Because, if the instructions is to have the strays sterilised and licenced, and the issue is an inability of the farm/industrial people/feeders to catch the dogs, let not those dogs die for it. Let's get some help from the authorities to catch the dogs with their expertise as they are going to catch the dogs anyway.

It is then just a matter of to kill or not to kill. And you know our stand.