Man fined $2,750 for operating illegal pet shop with 27 caged parrots in HDB flat

Twenty-seven caged parrots were found in Tan Lai Hock's HDB flat in Jurong West. PHOTO: AVA/FACEBOOK

SINGAPORE - A 47-year-old man was fined $2,750 in court on Wednesday (Nov 15) for operating an unlicensed pet shop housed in a Housing Board flat.

Tan Lai Hock was found to have bred and sold parrots from his flat in Jurong West, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) in a statement.

The authority had discovered Tan's operation in September, after acting on feedback on alleged poor living conditions and the illegal sale of birds.

Upon inspecting his flat, it found 27 caged parrots. No compromise in the birds' welfare was detected.

AVA said a pet shop licence is required to display any animal - including birds - for sale.

A person convicted of operating an unlicensed pet shop can be fined up to $5,000.

In its statement, AVA added that safeguarding animal welfare is a shared responsibility that requires the cooperation of all stakeholders, including the public.

They can play their part by being vigilant and promptly report cases of illegal pet shops or animal cruelty to AVA via its 24-hour hotline, 1800-476-1600, or website.

"Providing photo and/or video evidence will help us in our investigations. All information shared with AVA will be held in the strict confidence," it added.

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