We thank Mr Ron Ho for his Forum letter and also for his concern (The Animal Lodge not suitable for breeding, lodging pets, Aug 20).

The Animal Lodge was built by the now defunct Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) as an option for pet businesses and animal shelters affected by the expiry of their leases at Loyang, Seletar and Lim Chu Kang.

Throughout the design and construction of the facility, AVA engaged the tenants and where possible, took in their feedback, including redesigning the kennels and units.

The National Parks Board is committed to safeguarding the health and welfare of all animals, including those at The Animal Lodge. We have regular discussions with the tenants and understand that the facility requires some improvement.

Based on their feedback, we are planning to make changes to the facility, such as improving navigation on site through the provision of directional signage. We are developing dog runs on existing turf areas and these will be completed next month. Shade-providing trees will also be planted to make the premises cooler and to enhance the landscaping.

These improvements are ongoing and we will continue to engage the tenants at The Animal Lodge closely, including exploring how we can make use of spaces between the buildings.

Jessica Kwok

Community Animal Management

National Parks Board