MEDIA RELEASE

MR , CHAIRMAN, ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE, TABLES PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL ON ANIMAL WELFARE IN PARLIAMENT

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Chairman of the Animal Welfare Legislation Review Committee (AWLRC), has tabled a Private Member’s Bill which amends the Animals and Birds Act in the area of animal welfare. This Bill follows the Government’s acceptance of the committee’s recommendations on animal welfare in April 2013. The Bill is supported by Members of Parliament, Mr , Mr Thiam Poh, Mr and Mr .

2 Mr Yeo said, “It has been a long process in translating the committee’s recommendations to legislation, as there were many considerations to work through. The recommendations came from the ground, through the various stakeholder groups represented in the committee and from public consultations. I am very glad that we are able to table this Private Member’s Bill today. I wish to thank my fellow MPs who have worked on the Bill with me and my committee members for their contributions during this journey.”

3 Mr Yeo also commented, “We need to be mindful that there are certainly many diverse views on animal issues. It is important to balance the varied interests of the community and prioritize having a harmonious living environment for animals and animal lovers on the one hand, and those who may not be comfortable with animals on the other. While the road to raising animal welfare standards is certainly not over, I hope that this Bill will be an important first step in strengthening animal welfare in and making it a shared responsibility by all stakeholders.”

4 The Animal Welfare Legislation Review Committee (AWLRC) undertook a year-long study including stakeholder and public consultations from April 2012 and submitted its final report and 24 recommendations on animal welfare to the Government on 1 Mar 2013. The 24 recommendations, which include both legislative as well as non-legislative proposals, seek to raise animal welfare standards in Singapore through strengthening animal welfare legislation and enhancing stakeholders’ collaboration on animal welfare. All 24 recommendations from the AWLRC were accepted in-principle by the Government in April 2013.

Issued by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman, Animal Welfare Legislation Review Committee On 7 Oct 2014

APPENDIX

WHAT THE BILL COVERS

The Bill will involve 6 of AWLRC’s recommendations covering the following areas:

• Requiring owners and persons in charge to provide reasonable care for animals placed under their charge (recommendations 1, 2)

• Allowing standards of animal welfare to be set through the adoption of codes of animal welfare by the Government (recommendation 3)

• Empowering the Government to issue directives to owners and persons in charge to improve care of an animal (recommendation 7)

• Increasing penalties for animal welfare and cruelty offences, in particular for offences committed by animal-related businesses and repeat offenders (recommendation 8)

• Requiring staff working with animals in animal-related businesses to be trained in animal care and handling (recommendation 11)

HOW THE BILL WILL STRENGTHEN ANIMAL WELFARE The proposed amendments aim to:

• Shift the Government’s approach to animal welfare to a “responsive and preventive” mode where the welfare of animals is met in their day-to-day care

• Promote animal welfare as a shared responsibility amongst all stakeholders

LIST OF AWLRC’S RECOMMENDATIONS

Responsive and preventive Shared responsibility by all stakeholders

Thrust I: Ensuring reasonable care Thrust II: Increasing deterrence Thrust III: Fostering greater Thrust IV: Fostering greater and welfare of animals and stepping up action against responsibility in industry to ensure responsibility amongst pet owners and wrongdoers animal welfare greater community awareness of animal welfare Recommendation 1: Amend the Recommendation 8: Amend the Recommendation 11: Amend the Recommendation 18: Increase ABA to require the owner or person ABA to provide a tiered penalty ABA to require operators and staff of stakeholder collaboration on RPO in charge of the animal to comply structure with increased fines and jail all other pet-related businesses in education of pet owners and would-be pet with a duty of care for the animal. terms, community service and addition to pet shops and pet farms to buyers. prohibition orders, as well as a undergo appropriate training on animal Recommendation 2: Amend the distinct penalty structure for care and handling. In line with this, the Recommendation 19: Further develop ABA to clearly define that duty of corporate bodies. current training curriculum should be and extend mediation-cum-engagement care by the owner or person in reviewed and updated. programmes through multi-stakeholder charge of the animal is meeting the Recommendation 9: Implement collaboration for implementation in various needs of the animal and what initiatives to encourage witnesses of Recommendation 12: Set a minimum areas and constituencies to help resolve constitutes the animal’s needs. suspected animal welfare and cruelty age of 16 years old for buying a pet animal-related local disputes. cases to come forward to assist in and include this requirement as a Recommendation 3: Amend the the investigation and to testify in condition of licensing for pet shops and Recommendation 20: Enhance ABA to enable codes of animal court. This should include publicising pet farms selling pets. awareness and educate the public on welfare to be adopted by the the type of evidence witnesses can their proper behaviours towards animals government to set standards for provide. Recommendation 13: Include pre- to minimise misunderstanding between animal welfare in Singapore. sale screening as a condition of pet owners and the community, and better Recommendation 10: Actively raise licensing for pet shops and pet farms manage animal-human conflicts. Recommendation 4: Further build the profile of successfully prosecuted selling pets. awareness and understanding of animal welfare and cruelty cases to Recommendation 21: Raise awareness animal behaviour in anyone who act as a deterrent. Recommendation 14: Increase through multi-stakeholder collaboration on deals with animals. publicity on pet shop grades, other recommendations in this report (e.g. conditions of pet shop licensing and requirement for duty of care, codes of Recommendation 5: Amend the best practises, and publish cases of animal welfare when formulated, new ABA to provide powers for the recalcitrant pet shop offenders to help requirements relating to pet businesses,

government to specify restricted acts pet buyers make informed decisions list of licensed pet boarding facilities, etc). to be performed on animals. when buying pets. Recommendation 22: Where feasible Recommendation 6: Amend the Recommendation 15: License and appropriate, Residents’ Committees ABA to make attempts to cause or commercial pet breeding activities. could consider setting up neighbourhood subject an animal to cruelty an This means breeding activities outside watch groups on animal-related matters, offence. of pet farms to also be regulated. as well as organise animal welfare-related awareness activities. Recommendation 7: Amend the Recommendation 16: License pet ABA to provide powers for the boarding facilities providing overnight government to issue directives to or longer stay for pets. persons to improve the care of an animal. Recommendation 17: Implement industry-led accreditation schemes for pet groomers, pet farms and breeders, as well as pet shops. The accreditation guidelines would be above and beyond regulatory requirements.

Recommendation 23: Align the definition of “animals” in the Road Traffic Act with the definition in the ABA.

Recommendation 24: Establish a multi-stakeholder collaboration committee on animal welfare, comprising representatives from the government, industry, community, animal welfare groups and the veterinary profession. The terms of reference of this committee will be to build up mutual understanding on animal welfare through sharing of views and to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration to promote animal welfare in Singapore.

COMPOSITION OF ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE

1. Mr Yeo Guat Kwang Member of Parliament, Ang Mo Kio GRC (Committee Chairman)

2. Mr Alex Yam Member of Parliament, Chua Chu Kang GRC

3. Mr Member of Parliament, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

4. Ms Corrine Fong Executive Director, Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

5. Mr Executive Director, Animal Concerns Research & Education Society

6. Dr Siew Tuck Wah President, Save Our Street Dogs

7. Dr Cathy Chan Representative from Singapore Veterinary Association

8. Mr Eric Lim Representative from Pet Enterprises and Traders Association of Singapore

9. Mr Chua Ming Kok Representative from Pet Enterprises and Traders Association of Singapore

10. Mr Clarence Tan Kok Cheow General Manager, Chua Chu Kang Town Council

11. Mr Lakshmanan s/o Chairman, Woodgrove Zone 9 RC and Nagarajan (deceased) Auditor, Woodgrove CCC