Will the authorities say 'No'

to an offer from the public for a CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT in stray population control?

Will the authorities say 'No' to offer their expertise in catching wilder strays?

Will the authorities say 'No' to handing the strays over to animal welfare societies who will raise public funds to sterilise them?

Will the authorities say 'No' to releasing the strays back to their communities after they are sterilised?

Will the authorities demand that volunteer groups pay the compounded fees to rescue a caught stray from their pound?

Will the authorities demand that every stray who has been sterilised must be LICENSED also?

* On a pamphlet given out by AVA on "Stray Dogs", it states:

(A) What Can A Site Management Do To Control Stray Dogs?
One of the pointers is: Engage an experienced pest control company to remove unwanted dogs.

Wait a minute, aren't pest control companies licensed by NEA? Licensed to do what? - check on the list of pest control companies under Singapore Pest Management Association and you will see the Services provided and what I understand to constitute as PESTS - cockroaches, termites, mosquitoes, rats, some include crows.

Tell me if you see a pest control companies listing cats and dogs under the list of pests that they handle?

http://www.spma.org.sg/skillupgrade2.htm

It also states that "In Singapore, all vector management field staff are required to be licensed or certified by the National Environment Agency (NEA). In addition, SPMA strongly recommends that you insist on (National Skills Recognition Scheme) NSRS-trained staff to service your premises. "

** But are these staff TRAINED IN CATCHING DOGS & CATS? WHO TRAINS THEM??

If the staff are NOT trained to handle cats and dogs, AND there is no governance on pest control companies catching cats and dogs, (remember....NEA ONLY license pest control companies to catch cockroaches, termites, rats etc....), thus their licence CANNOT be revoked even if they are caught mistreating the cats and dogs that they are NOT licensed nor trained to catch ---

WHY ARE WE ADVISING THE PUBLIC TO CONTACT PEST CONTROL COMPANIES TO REMOVE UNWANTED DOGS??

The pamphlet states: "Engage an experienced pest control company...". I think we are not talking about EXPERIENCE here. We are talking about a non-existence of governance over pest control companies paid to catch cats and dogs.

And who is monitoring the amount of 'experience' the staff has in humanely catching strays? Is experience monitored by the number of 'successful captures'? And who is monitoring the guidelines set out for the companies to observe?


One of the core functions of the authorities is to "safeguard the welfare of animals in Singapore by strictly enforcing regulations to protect animals against cruel treatment and educating the public on responsible pet ownership."

"Protect animals against cruel treatment"...conflicts with exposing them to the unfortunate situations of mistreatment by ignorant, untrained pest control staff.

Are we not opening doors in creating unfavourable situations whereby some cats and dogs WOULD be mistreated by inexperienced pest control companies?

In a field where lives are being managed, can we safely advise the public to engage services from companies who are NOT even governed by any licensing bodies? Whose licence to operate as pest control companies cannot be revoked even if they mistreat cats/dogs cos their licence does not cover that? Whose mistreatment of animals will only be investigated WHEN some eye witness spots anything amiss and reports to the AVA? And how many mistreatment will go UNNOTICED and not reported?

There is an angering illogical cycle happening here.

I thought the authorities have their own trained team of stray catchers who will do a better and more humane job at capturing strays? A team of trained cat/dog catchers who are under the governance of the very authorities whom we look upon as the body safeguarding the welfare of animals, and thus whom we can trust to handle all cases of stray-capture in a humane manner? And whom we can also trust to bring the captures to a proper closure by the humane method of euthanasia - by a quick injection to put the captured strays to sleep?

Is it a lack of manpower that makes the authorities advise the public to engage pest control companies?

Does the AVA ensure that the 'experienced' pest control companies are fully trained and equipped with the proper equipment and techniques of stray management?

Which are these 'experienced' pest control companies?

Do these pest control companies bring the strays to AVA pound to be humanely out down?

In fact, I am sure some of you have seen Town Council cleaners catching strays as well, particularly stray cats. Similarly, are these people, who are employed as cleaners, and who are mostly foreign workers - are they trained in proper stray management?? Or has the duty of stray population control fallen onto the shoulders of cleaners who may have no clue on how to handle a cat/dog other than to catch it with whatever methods that works?

Why are there cases of 'vanished' cats and dogs? Why have they 'disappeared' into thin air when they should have been sent to the AVA to be humanely put down, if that is the agreement with Town Councils and pest control companies?

Where do you think they they been taken? And how do you think they have been killed?

And do you know that till now, they still are cases of dogs being poisoned to death, dying slowly and painfully, foaming at the mouths. What is this poison used and where was it gotten from? Unfortunately, there was no 'concrete evidence' as no one saw who placed the poison. In one case, no one knew who committed that crime, just that the restricted drug was placed in a pack of rice and meat and the dogs ate it.

So, the next time you call a pest control company, be fully aware that the methods of stray catching are not as innocent as you may think. If you have a heart for HOW an animal would die from your complaint and report, the least you could do is to make sure that the animal has been sent to the AVA pound to be put down HUMANELY. At the very least, you have a decent closure of how that animal has been destroyed, in the proper humane way, under the needle.

If not, if you don't give a hoot about how that stray dog will die, you might as well be that person who places a packet of poisoned rice and meat to that dog. You would achieve the very same end yourself. DEATH. The only difference is, where the blood is on your hands, you have paid someone else to have his hands stained.

To all the people who have knowingly caused a practice of unethical treatment of animals out there, by commission or omission to act, the blood is on your hands.

http://www.hrss.net/abt/news/sars/TNP_09jun.htm
http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/pdf/straydogsabused-tnp15feb2005.pdf