A 27-year-old woman was fined $2,000 for pet abandonment and $2,500 for failure in duty of care, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) announced in a press release on Wednesday (5 December).
In May 2018, the authority was alerted to a case where a male ginger cat was found abandoned at the void deck of Block 815C Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7.
The cat was then rescued and placed under foster care.
Investigation revealed that the owner, Siti Afza Binte Nooriani placed the cat in a cardboard box and abandoned it at the said location. She abandoned the cat as it was not toilet-trained and was dirtying her house with its urine and faeces. Siti also failed to provide any veterinary care for it while under her care.
The cat was found to be suffering from a left aural haematoma and severe skin infection.
The authority stressed that owning a pet is a lifelong commitment. Existing and potential pet owners must understand the care and responsibility that comes with owning a pet.
AVA takes a stern view on pet abandonment. AVA investigates all feedback on animal welfare/cruelty, including pet abandonment, and will take enforcement action, where necessary. Individuals who abandon their pets or fail in their duty of care toward their pets, are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or a maximum jail term of 12 months for first convictions.
AVA urged members of the public to step forward and report cases of animal welfare issues to AVA via its 24-hour hotline, 1800- 476-1600, or via its website.
“Providing photographic and/or video-graphic evidence will help us in our investigations. All information shared with AVA will be held in strict confidence,” it noted.
