Shanmugam defends embattled Animal Lovers League founders: They have 'very good hearts'
Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam has spoken up for the founders of no-kill animal shelter Animal Lovers League (ALL) amid its ongoing financial woes.
Speaking to reporters during a doorstop interview at ALL's premises on Dec 10, Mr Shanmugam said the two owners, Mohan Div Sreedharan and Cathy Strong, along with their team, have "very good intentions" and "very good hearts".
Funding challenges after COVID
As ALL takes in very sick and old animals that are unlikely to be re-homed — caring for them until the end of their lives — the costs of care are "very high", he noted.
Mr Shanmugam said the shelter would therefore need a "very strong brand" and "very strong marketing" to encourage public contributions.
While the team has tried, "their fundraising efforts have not been very successful", especially after Covid-19.
Ultimately, he said, "that is why they are in this situation".
According to The Straits Times, ALL lost its tenancy at The Animal Lodge (TAL), a facility supporting animal welfare groups in Sungei Tengah, after complaints by ALL volunteers triggered inspections by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).
Officers reportedly found several animals sick and not receiving timely veterinary attention. Many were also showing signs of fear, anxiety and stress.
The shelter, founded in 2002 and formerly at Pasir Ris Farmway for 17 years before moving to TAL, now owes over 50 months of rental arrears and must return all eight units it occupies.
'Sympathy was necessary': Shanmugam
Mr Shanmugam said he has known Mr Mohan for more than 15 years and has witnessed his dedication to animal welfare. When public criticism mounted online, he felt "some sympathy was necessary".
However, he acknowledged he was unaware that investigations were ongoing when he made his earlier Facebook post. If he had known, he would have been "a bit more careful."
On Dec 9, he urged the public in a Facebook post to focus on supporting animal welfare instead of passing judgments on Mr Mohan and his team.
"I don't carry a candle for ALL. And I realised that even though I speak in my personal capacity, it has larger implications," he said at the doorstop.
He added that while he supports Mr Mohan and Mrs Strong as individuals, he "cannot vouch for what they did or didn't do", noting that he had never visited their shelter previously and has not reviewed their accounts.
"Maybe they weren't good with finances, they didn't raise enough money, they didn't know how to plan," he said. While they were intent on caring for the animals until end of life, they didn't "have the means to do it", he added, describing these as "management issues".
AVS 'exceptionally lenient' towards ALL
Addressing AVS and the Ministry of National Development's (MND) actions, Mr Shanmugam said he understood their position.
He noted that AVS works closely with ALL and other Animal Welfare Groups (AWGs), providing support such as keeping rentals low and waiving Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC).
While AVS has "tried to be sympathetic" and given them time to sort out finances, it must still operate according to structured and consistent rules — placing it "in a difficult position".
"In fact, it can be said that they have already been exceptionally lenient towards ALL," Mr Shanmugam said, adding that AVS also helped to arrange the installment payments for ALL's arrears.
AVS has taken over some of ALL's animals and is working with other AWGs and the Singapore Veterinary Association to ensure proper care.
Mr Shanmugam also noted that once volunteers and members of the public raised concerns about the animals' condition, AVS was obliged to act.
"If AVS does not take action, people would turn around, point to AVS and say: AVS has been negligent," he said.
Mr Shanmugam said he has discussed broader structural issues with Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development, who is examining them closely — particularly the ongoing supply of pets from breeders.
He highlighted that animal welfare groups are forced to deal with the problem "downstream", while upstream issues remain unresolved.
"If you keep getting pets, which are then abandoned or given up after some time, how do you solve the problem? How are NGOs going to care for them — given the costs of veterinary care, other costs?"
He added that the Ministry of National Development is "well aware" of these concerns and is studying them carefully.
