C2+-+Animal+rights+and+welfare

=**How are pets treated in Singapore and what can we do to protect them? **=

= -How pets are treated in Singapore =

In Singapore, people prefer pets like dogs, cats etc. The primary reason behind their selection is market trend. For example, it is in vogue these days to keep dogs of high pedigree. These pets require lesser space for keeping them. These pets are also taken care of very well.In Singapore, pets are often treated well. Owners spend much effort on grooming the pet’s appearance and giving them good food to eat. Owner's even take them to the vet when the pet is sick. In Singapore, there are tough laws on people who abuse on pets. For example heavier fines are imposed on people who abuse pets, or even handing out jail terms for a serious case of animal cruelty. In 1959, a non-government agency, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(SPCA) was set up to promote kindness and prevent cruelty towards animals. The SPCA also does provide animal welfare services such as,
 * A 24-hour emergency service for sick, injured and very young animals
 * Investigation of cruelty complaints
 * Public education programme for students and adults
 * Adoption programme

Although some pets in Singapore are fairly well treated, some are not. When some pets contract viruses or even some deadly diseases that cannot be cured, the owner abandon the pets. But there are other reasons why owners abandon their pets too. Some could have abandon their pets because it is too expensive to maintain a pet's lifestyle and they do not have enough money to do so. Money is needed to pay for its food, vaccination and utilities needed for it. Also, when a kid has interest in a pet, they will have that sudden urge to raise a pet, but when they realise how hard it is, to feed the pet, dispose of it's waste etc, the kid will lose interest in the pet and abandon them! Other reasons such as the owner going overseas and no one to take care of the pet also lead to the abandoning of the pets. Pets, like humans do have feelings. Imagine YOU being abandoned by your parents, doesn't it hurt you too? So think, before you act.

-How pets are treated in other countries

In other countries, such as America, dogs for example, are treated as though they are humans. Sometimes in America dogs are thrown birthday parties, carried in expensive purses, ribbons and bows are put into their hair, and they spoil them in so many ways. But other animals, such as pigs being despised, abused and an exploited animal. Why is one animal, the most favoured of all pets, treated with compassion, invited into our homes, fed and sheltered, cared for and much loved while the other is confined to a cage (which in reality is how most pigs spend their lives on factory farms in pens with no room to turn round) force fed with antibiotics, the sow treated as a breeding machine, her offspring slaughtered at two to four months of age as she herself will be when she has outlived her usefulness, used in experiments and as a source of spare parts. Although dogs are treated much better than pigs, dogs also have their own sufferings. In places like China, Korea, Vietnam and Switzerland, dogs are being brutally slayed and eaten. Why must we do this to these animals? They have a life too.

-How we can ensure pets living peacefully in Singapore

Pets are under protection of Singapore's law. The law helps and protects pets from being abused by owners. These law's often include punishments of fine, community service and even jail term. But there have been calls for Singapore to tighten its law due to its leniency. Offenders are being fined a maximum of $1000 for abuse and a maximum jail term of a year. Is a pet's dignity upon humans worth a year's jail term and a $1000 fine ? We ought to do more to punish those offenders. We can: -Report to the authorities when we see such offenders -Snap a picture of them a post on the citizen-journalism website like Stomp -Make use of social network like Facebook and Tweeter to share, comment on the offender making him/her embarrassed

There are much more ways we can do to ensure pets living peacefully and not living their daily lives in fear, lets put a STOP to animal cruelty !