SINGAPORE, Jan 31 — The number of reported cases of animal cruelty and welfare issues investigated by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) surged by 79 per cent from 511 in 2022 to 915 in 2023, which is the most reports it received in a single year for the past 11 years.
In its Animal Cruelty and Welfare Report 2023 on Tuesday (Jan 30), the SPCA added that the reported cases include 285 abandoned animals, and 30 hoarding cases involving 480 animals.
There were also six cases of animal cruelty involving youth, said the registered charity.
It said in a Facebook post: “These are only the cases we know about. How many more are suffering in silence?”
Of the 915 cases reported to the animal welfare charity, close to 40 per cent relate to abuse and cruelty, and the remaining 60 per cent were welfare and neglect cases.
Notably, SPCA said it attended to 137 pet abandonment cases involving 285 animals last year — a two-fold increase from the 96 cases recorded in 2022.
Small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, terrapins and birds made up half of the number of pet abandonment cases. In one case, 17 guinea pigs were found inside two thermal GrabFood bags while another saw hamsters abandoned next to a rubbish bin without access to food or water.
High rise syndrome, neglect
The animal welfare charity also received four to six cases of “high rise syndrome” each week, which involves an animal being injured due to falling from height.
Such scenarios happen when pets fall from windows or balconies that lack proper safety measures such as gates or meshes, and the animals slip or lose their footing.
Falling from as low as the second floor can also cause severe injuries and trauma, or even death. “More often than not, these cases are preventable,” it added.
The SPCA also saw 558 cases relating to animal welfare and neglect, of which two-thirds of cases were due to unsatisfactory living conditions for animals.
Giving an example of such cases, the charity said it received reports of multiple rabbits housed under poor living conditions or leaving pets in a car for more than 40 minutes.
For cases of abuse involving pet businesses, the SPCA received 31 reports of such incidents.
Some examples include:
- Pony rides organised by Gallop Stables at a bazaar, which raised concerns about the ponies’ welfare given the heat and crowd of the venue
- A video allegedly showing a trainer from dog training centre K9 Connection repeatedly hitting a dog with a metal bowl
The SPCA advised the public to report cases of animal abuse or neglect to its hotline at 6287 5355 or online at www.spca.org.sg/report.
It also reminded pet owners to exercise responsibility and advocate for better animal welfare. The public can also help the SPCA’s efforts in investigating animal cruelty and welfare cases by donating to the charity’s cause, said the charity. — TODAY
