Your Letters

Give animal shelters more support

I was deeply saddened to learn about a shelter in Lim Chu Kang housing rescued dogs having to close down. There are also other shelters in Pasir Ris that are racing against time to find a new home for their dogs.

It is hard enough for volunteers to scrape together the resources and time needed to take in and care for street and abandoned dogs.

These people work tirelessly for the animals and they should be celebrated, not threatened with eviction.

These shelters get little support or funding from the Government, but could the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) take a benevolent view and help these shelters carry on the work they are doing?

I have visited many shelters in Singapore and have adopted two dogs from a shelter. Each time I visit, I am struck by the dedication of the volunteers there.

They give their time so generously to clean the cages, wash and attend to sick animals, walk the dogs and run adoption drives - always with a smile on their faces.

This is the type of caring society we want to cultivate. Yet, if we don't make it easy for Singaporeans to show their kindness, how can a more gracious Singapore emerge?

And what is to become of street and abandoned dogs if the shelters are not allowed to operate?

They have a tough enough life as it is - the only option then would be for the AVA to cull all these dogs.

Surely we can't let it come to that?

I hope the Government will see it fit to allocate some small part of its resources to allow these shelters to operate, and even perhaps to support the heroes who run these shelters.

Dipa Swaminathan (Ms)

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 12, 2016, with the headline Give animal shelters more support. Subscribe