SINGAPORE, Jan 8 — The number of animal cruelty and welfare cases in Singapore reached a 12-year high in 2024, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
As reported by CNA, the SPCA released the figures yesterday, revealing that there were 961 confirmed cases in 2024, up from 915 the previous year.
Of these 961 cases, 283 were related to animal cruelty or abuse, while the remaining 678 were due to poor welfare or neglect.
Cruelty or abuse is defined as deliberately causing pain, suffering, or death to an animal, whereas welfare or neglect cases arise from failing to meet basic needs, leading to inadequate living conditions and suffering.
In total, 2,190 animals were involved in cruelty or welfare cases in 2024, with the majority (1,330) being cats. Other animals included dogs (376), birds (172), small rodents such as hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, and guinea pigs (131), as well as 118 fish and terrapins and 57 rabbits. Six other animals were also listed.
CNA reported that the SPCA defines animal cruelty to include abandonment, physical abuse, death, inhumane trapping, hit-and-run incidents, and exposure to harsh training methods.
There were 283 cruelty cases affecting 453 animals in 2024, with abandonment being the most common form, accounting for 120 cases involving 257 animals. Physical abuse ranked second, with 84 cases, including 33 instances where harm was intentionally inflicted or led to death. Cats were the primary victims, with 220 cases, followed by dogs (93) and small rodents (40).
CNA also highlighted some cases of animal abuse in 2024. This included a man who admitted to throwing cats from HDB blocks, along with committing other acts of abuse. In another case, a maid was sentenced to prison after it was revealed that, acting on her employer’s instructions, she had abused a pet poodle by striking it and hanging it from a balcony railing, which led to the dog’s death.
