'Far below humane standards': SPCA, animal activists slam handling of dogs at Seletar West farm
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) led eight other animal welfare groups in slamming the treatment of community dogs at a Seletar West farm, after an Instagram video of handlers forcibly pushing the animals into a bin went viral.
The clip, which was reposted by @rescuewithlovesg and @wakeupsingapore on Nov 16, shows two handlers using a pole to push a brown stray dog into a bin, while the dog appears to bite the pole in a bid to resist capture.
In response to Stomp's queries, Dr Anna Wong, of the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) said the dogs are currently in the care of AVS, which comes under the National Parks Board (NParks), adding that contractors were engaged to trap free-roaming dogs for "public safety reasons".
"Throughout the operation, all restraint procedures were carried out with due consideration for both animal welfare and personnel safety," said Dr Wong.
Animal welfare groups speak out
On Nov 18, SPCA Singapore posted a joint statement with eight other animal welfare groups, stating that they were "deeply concerned" about the incident.
"While we understand the need to act on a reported biting incident, the level of force used, choking, dragging, and misuse of the catchpole falls far below humane standards and contradicts NParks' own advocacy for positive training," SPCA said, while raising doubts about whether the correct dog was targeted.
The animal welfare group also noted that some 95 per cent of dogs in the Seletar Farm area have been sterilised by two volunteers, advocating more humane ways of handling stray animals.
They also called for a thorough review of NParks' dog-capture protocols and legal recognition of animals as sentient.
