Man fined $2,500 for abandoning 7 cats in HDB flat for months: AVA
A 29-year-old Singaporean man was fined $2,500 on Wednesday (13 March) after abandoning seven cats in a vacated HDB flat for months.
Noor Farhan Darsoo was also issued a six-month disqualification order, which bans him for owning any animals during this period, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in a statement on Wednesday.
The AVA said that it was alerted in January last year to a case of alleged cat abandonment in an HDB unit at Boon Lay Drive.
Investigations by the AVA revealed that Noor had vacated the HDB unit in October 2017 and left the cats there.
Noor claimed to have left behind some food and water for the cats and continued to return to feed them, added the authority. However, over time, he forgot about them.
All seven cats have since been rescued and rehomed, said the AVA.
“The AVA investigates all feedback on pet abandonment and will take enforcement action, where necessary,” it added.
The authority said: “The public should promptly report cases of animal welfare issues to AVA via our 24-hour hotline, 1800-476-1600, or via our website. Providing photographic and/or videographic evidence will help us in our investigations. All information shared with AVA will be held in the strictest confidence.”
Individuals who abandon their pets can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to 12 months for a first conviction.
Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Louis Ng last Thursday called for the government to look into plans to introduce measures to deter cat abandonment, such as microchipping and licensing.
In Singapore, only dogs need to be licensed and microchipped for traceability and rabies control, and the microchip and owner’s details must be registered with the AVA. It is not mandatory to microchip other animals such as cats.
“Cat abandonment is one reason for an increase in the stray cat population. It is a heartless act. It also causes problems as cat feeders struggle with the sudden increase in numbers and residents also suffer disamenities,” said the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) founder during the Committee of Supply debate in Parliament.
In response, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and National Development Sun Xueling had said that the AVA will look into the proposed measures as part of its holistic review of regulations pertaining to pets, including how to promote responsible pet ownership and deter abandonment.
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