What is a community pet?

A community pet is often referred to as a stray animal, but the word ‘community’ better describes their. The word "stray" gives one the impression that these animals don’t have a home — but they do have a home, which is the environment they live in! Some of these community pets have been residents in the environment for much longer than some of the residents. Hence, they are a part of the community too!

What should I do with community pets?

It is advisable to NOT remove a community pet from its environment unless it’s in danger. Most animals are fine where they are. If you’d like to help, do consider getting it sterilised if isn’t already and return it to the area where you originally found it.

Additionally, because of the vacuum effect, more cats will move into the area to take the place of cats that have been removed.

There are not enough homes and shelters to house them all. So please refrain from taking a healthy community pet away from its home!

Is feeding community pets legal?

Feeding a Community pet is not illegal. However, littering is illegal. Please make sure that you feed responsibly and that the area is cleaned up after you are done with the feeding.

Are there any rules I should follow to feed a community pet?

Yes, there are a few strict rules to community animal feeding:

• Don’t place food directly on the floor, use paper plates, bowls or newspaper.
• Always clear up leftovers and do not leave a mess.
• Feed away from areas where there is high human traffic.
• Always feed animals downstairs. NEVER feed upstairs along corridors or on stair landings, as animals would be attracted to loiter in these areas and cause inconvenience to your neighbours.
• Never throw food out your window!

I lost my pet

Time is of the essence. Act quickly to find your pet.

Spend some time looking around your neighbourhood. Calling out to your pet may draw it out of its hiding place.

Put up posters around your neighbourhood with your pet photo, last known sighting and your contact number.

Call the AVA at 1800 476 1600 and SPCA at 62875355 to find out if your pet has been brought in there. If you live in an HDB estate, call your Town Council to see if they have recently trapped any animals. You can find your Town Council’s number at www.sgdi.gov.sg.

Enlist members of the community to help you find your pet

Take precautions to safeguard your pets.

We can’t stress enough the importance of keeping pet cats indoors. A roaming pet is more likely to be trusting and a lost pet may try to find a familiar place to hide like someone’s home, even if they don’t like cats. They may also become a victim of other cats that already sees the neighbourhood as their territory.

I found an injured animal

YOU ARE ITS BEST HOPE.

No one will get there faster than the person who is already there. Here are some ways you can help the animal:

• Call SPCA’s 24hr hotline at 62875355 ext 9 for help.
• Put the animal in a secure box and bring it to a vet.
• Call a professional trapper.
• Connect with others for advice and support.
• Locate the feeder in the area to let them know what happened as they might be worried. When the animal is healthy again, assess its situation to decide whether to release it back to the community or put it up for adoption. For reintegration, work with the feeder to settle the animal back into the community.

I found animal babies

1. Try not to separate the mother and her babies

   Please check and make sure the mother is really not around before touching the babies. Babies who are still at nursing age need the colostrum in their mother’s milk to survive. Once you’ve touched the babies, your scent will be imprinted on them and the mother may feel threatened and abandon it.

   It is common for the mother to leave her babies for a few hours to hunt for food. If you are standing in front of the babies, the mother is not going to appear. The best thing you can do is to walk off and check back periodically. If the babies are still there and in distress, then you might consider taking the babies in.

2. Bring the animals to a vet for a check-up, especially if you have no experience in handling them. The vet will be able to provide good advice on how and what to feed them. Please do not feed them cow’s milk. Special animal baby formulas are available in pet stores.

3. If the mother is around, it is recommended to leave the mother and kitten alone until they are older and more independent before rescuing them. If they are in an unsafe location, call a professional animal trapper to trap the whole brood.

4. Sterilise the mother and other animals in the area to stop the endless cycle Animal babies sighting can also mean that there are unsterilised animals in your neighbourhood. Please consider sterilising them to nip the problem in the bud as there will never be enough homes for all the babies found if the breeding keeps on.

I received complaint about my pet

Here are some ways you can avoid getting a complaint for about your pet:

• Sterilise your pet. If you have difficulties sending your pets for sterilisation, there is a low income pet sterilisation scheme.
• Install meshing on your gate and windows to train your pets to be an indoor pets.
• If you have too many cats, do put some of them up for adoption after they have been sterilised.
• Please do not abandon your cats as that will cause their suffering.
• Surrendering to AVA leads to a high chance that they will be put down.
• If you have adhered to the above and still received a complaint, think back to whether there are other issues you may have with your neighbour that has led to the complaint. You can seek your MP’s assistance on the grounds that the complaint is baseless and unjust. You can also seek mediation at the Community Mediation Centre to resolve non-cat-related disputes to reach an amicable solution with your neighbour that safeguards your cats.

What do I do when I come across a questionable animal adoption or sale listing online?

It is illegal to sell animals without a license. If you have evidence that someone is breeding animals for sale in their home or on unlicensed premises, send them to AVA and alert them at 1800 476 1600 or ava_cawc@ava.gov.sg. Otherwise, you can also report it to AVA or the police should there be insufficient evidence.

If possible, make contact with the seller by posing as a potential client. Do not reveal your intention and ask questions that a buyer would typically ask and note down the responses (spoken and unspoken).

1. How was the animal procured?
2. Is the animal tested, sterilised or vaccinated? Do you have any evidence?
3. What kind of care would the animal need if I adopt/buy it? Is there any special care needed for this animal?
4. The price seems expensive, why does the animal cost so much?
5. How and where do I pick it up?
6. How long has this animal been here?

*Additional follow up questions that are natural are also greatly appreciated

If you are able to secure a meeting with the person, alert us so that we can inform people in the area to help. When you have enough information about the seller, close the deal with money and a handshake, preferably recorded in photos or videos. Then your case can be made. Please note that cases are made or broken by the quality of information that is gathered.

Stay cool and do not reveal your agenda or you might alert the suspect and close the door for further investigation. Most importantly, exercise with caution at all times.

I knocked down an animal with my vehicle. What should I do?

Anyone involved in a hit-and-run accident, even if the victim is an animal, can be fined up to $3,000 or jailed up to a year under the Road Traffic Act.

In the event that a driver hits an animal, the driver should slow down, stop the vehicle and check on the animal. The driver should take the animal to the nearest vet clinic or request for help on the spot as time is often of the essence.

Those with little experience in handling animals can call the SPCA emergency hotline at 62875355 ext 9 and wait for the SPCA staff members to arrive. The driver should alert nearby drivers to slow down and drive cautiously – the traffic police will generally assist in this area.

I have to give up my pet, what are my options?

Please consider carefully before giving up your pet, especially if your pet is an adult as they statistically have shown to be less adopted to their younger furry friends.

Please also remember that pet abandonment is considered a form of animal abuse, which is a crime, because many domesticated animals cannot survive on their own. These animals do not have the adequate survival instincts to fend for themselves against the dangers in their new environment they are prone to diseases, starvation, injury, and even death.

When you abandon your pets, you are also passing on your problem to a hapless caregiver who has to take care of your pet at their own expense. Furthermore, there is a limit to the number of animals that an estate can tolerate. Please check with responsible pet shelters or find responsible personnel to take care of your pet. Below are 2 common approaches:

1. Put your pet up for adoption.

2. Consider short-term or long-term boarding options at shelters.

3. Surrender your pets to SPCA or AVA only as a last resort. With the high number of cats that they receive every day, the chance of your pet being euthanised is high.

I am moving overseas, where do I find information about pet relocation?

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore has been overseeing the import and export of personal pets. Information about animal relocations are found on their website.

You can also consult and engage the following relocation expert to assist you in the matter:

1. Kittycare Haven

2. Ricted Kennels

Pets are for life. Please consider carefully your relocation plans before you adopt a pet.

More Questions

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