SINGAPORE - The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will be amending the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules in early 2017 to introduce revisions to the current dog licensing regime, AVA said in a press release on Monday (Nov 7).

The revisions will improve the traceability of pet dogs in Singapore, to ensure their traceability in the event of a disease outbreak such as rabies, discourage pet abandonment, and help AVA reunite lost dogs with their owners.

Under the revised licensing regime, all dogs intended for sale by pet businesses (which include pet importers, dog farms and pet shops) must be licensed before they are sold.

In addition, when a dog is sold, pet businesses will be required to transfer the ownership of the dog to the new owner via AVA's online portal for pet licensing - Pet Animal Licensing System (PALS).

Currently, dogs intended for sale by pet businesses are not required to be licensed to the pet businesses. Under the revised licensing regime, these pet businesses must license the dogs before they are sold.

At the point of sale, they are required to transfer the ownership of their dogs to the buyers via PALS. This will ensure that the pet dogs continue to be licensed and are traceable when sold to new owners.

To make it more convenient for dog farms and pet shops to comply with the revised licensing requirements, they will be able to register multiple dogs intended for sale under a single "Group" licence. The licensing fees will be tiered according to the maximum number of dogs intended for sale.

Ms Tan Poh Hong, CEO of AVA, said of the revisions: "Traceability is important, especially if there is a disease outbreak such as rabies. The revisions will also strengthen the accountability of pet businesses and dog owners for their dogs, further safeguarding them against abandonment. AVA is working closely with affected pet businesses to prepare them for the changes, and address any issues encountered, to ensure a smooth roll-out of these revisions."