00:00In 2024, an average of six animals faced suffering or death daily,
00:07and these are only the ones reported.
00:09First-time offenders can be fined up to $15,000 and or imprisoned up to 18 months,
00:17and subsequent offenses will yield a penalty of up to $30,000 fine
00:22and or imprisonment up to three years.
00:25Yes, cases of animal cruelty tend to stir up conversations online
00:29regarding the current laws we have against such cases
00:33and what more can be done to prevent them.
00:40Back in 2023, then-MP Lewis Ong asked for an increase in jail term for acts of animal abuse.
00:49Though the penalties have not changed since,
00:52the AVS and NPACs have been reviewing current laws and regulations
00:57and said that they are engaged in discussions with animal welfare groups
01:03about the current situation.
01:05With recent high-profile cases once again shocking Singaporeans,
01:09what more can we do to safeguard our animals?
01:14Let's have a chat with SPCA to find out more.
01:17So, here at SPCA, what kind of abuse cases do you most commonly see or deal with?
01:24In 2024, about half of our welfare and neglect cases
01:29had to do with dissatisfactory living conditions.
01:32This was followed by high-rise syndrome,
01:35which is where pets fall from height
01:36due to the owner's failure to secure the home.
01:39Then, for intentional cruelty,
01:43abandonment was the most common form,
01:45followed by physical abuse,
01:47causing an animal's death,
01:49inhumane trapping, so the use of glue traps,
01:51and then we have hit and runs,
01:53as well as exposure to aversive training methods.
01:56The SPCA sees only a subset of all the cases.
01:59Some cases get referred to other animal welfare organisations,
02:03while other cases may go unreported or simply unnoticed.
02:07Now, it seems to me that there is a continuous rise in animal abuse cases.
02:12When do you think that's the case?
02:14We're still monitoring the situation
02:16and we cannot yet conclude any rise in animal abuse cases from 2024 to 2025,
02:21but even a single case is arguably one too many.
02:25There has been some talk about the laws we have to protect animals.
02:31Does the SPCA participate in these discussions?
02:34Do you get a lot of feedback about it?
02:36Following a high-profile case of animal abuse,
02:39whether it is suspected or confirmed,
02:41the SPCA tends to receive a surge in correspondence from members of the public
02:45who express their outrage or their dismay at the animal's suffering.
02:50They may urge the SPCA to intensify pressure on the authorities
02:54to implement stricter penalties and tighter enforcement in terms of animal protection.
02:59So, in terms of lobbying the government to impose stricter penalties and tighter enforcement,
03:05this is something that the SPCA has been working on for many years.
03:09Do you think the deterrence is sufficient or should more be done?
03:13We believe that stronger legislation, more effective enforcement and harsher penalties
03:19are needed to punish perpetrators, as well as prevent new cases by serving as an effective deterrent.
03:26And importantly, the penalties that are metered out must consider the true cost of animal abuse,
03:31not just in monetary terms, but also in terms of the emotional and physical toll
03:36borne by your rescuers, your shelters and your animal welfare organisations.
03:41So, it's not sufficient to just amend the law to impose harsher penalties for animal abuse.
03:47Your offenders or your offenders-to-be must perceive a real prospect of getting caught
03:53and having those penalties enforced upon them.
03:57Otherwise, your law, no matter how strict it is on paper, may not have the intended deterrent effect.
04:02I just want to clarify this to you. Can the SPCA impose any sort of punishment on abuses?
04:08So, the answer is no. And the reason is that the SPCA is a non-governmental animal welfare charity
04:15and we just simply do not have the legal powers to perform certain duties.
04:19A lot of people have the misconception that the SPCA is a place where you get to cuddle cute animals
04:25and they are usually heartbroken when they realise that the reality is
04:29not a single animal at the SPCA wants to be here.
04:33They were either abused, injured, fell ill in the community or they were abandoned by their owners
04:39and all of them have painful stories to tell.
04:42It's not all joyful here, but we hope that we will be able to find joy in having them adopted by a loving family.
04:50Sabrina, thank you so much for taking the time today to speak with us.
04:53Thank you so much for having me.
04:56So, that was really good hearing from the SPCA.
04:59Now let's go get the legal perspective from criminal lawyer Ramesh Tiwari.
05:03Hi, Mr Tiwari.
05:04Hello.
05:05Hi, I'm Edward.
05:07Could you tell us briefly what this Animals and Birds Act covers?
05:13My reading of the Act is that it's wide enough to basically cover any kind of cruelty.
05:20So, things like ill-treating, torturing, but it's very, very wide.
05:24It's left that way for the judges to decide what amounts to cruelty.
05:29In Singapore, the cases that bring up the largest degree of public interest
05:35are usually the ones that involve animals that are mostly kept as pets.
05:40For example, dogs and cats especially.
05:42Currently, the laws, as they stand, they function sufficiently as a deterrent
05:47to people who may consider abusing animals.
05:50My experience and my impression is that the law plays a two-fold role.
05:57Of course, there must be punishment.
05:59Otherwise, what's the point of having an offence if it's not punished?
06:02But I think what has been particularly significant for Singapore and crime in Singapore,
06:10there's a certain degree of certainty that a person who commits a crime will be apprehended.
06:17I think that the fear of apprehension or the knowledge that our resources are strong enough
06:26to arrest people and punish them quickly has very little delay in our court system.
06:33That plays perhaps a more significant role in my mind than merely the sentence or the punishment.
06:42But if we look at last year, 2024, the number of animal abuse cases reached a 12-year high,
06:50which I think is concerning for not just animal welfare groups, but I think the public in general.
06:57I would think that if the laws are not providing a means for which these cases to decrease,
07:05to prevent these cases, perhaps there is a need to review them.
07:09I would take it slightly differently.
07:12I would say, and people have said this especially about animal abuse,
07:17how difficult it is to detect it because some of this happens behind closed doors.
07:22So it could be people who have actually bought a dog or bought a cat
07:27and then find themselves unable to take care of it.
07:31I think what we need to look at, instead of just looking at the sentencing, is to look at the enforcement.
07:40So setting up more cameras, for instance, is a cheap and viable alternative.
07:47What we need to teach people, and I'm not saying it's not happening,
07:51but I think we really need to instil this, this sense of responsibility that if you're going to take on an animal,
07:58then you take on the animal for the life of the animal.
08:01There is this sort of disparity between the number of cases reported of animal abuse
08:07and the number of people actually being charged for it.
08:11So why aren't people being prosecuted?
08:14I don't think that our police system or the Attorney General's chambers is lax or lenient to abusers.
08:24That is not the case. That's not my impression.
08:27But I think getting evidence is difficult.
08:30That society that we had 30, 40 years ago has just changed so drastically
08:36that if we see somebody doing something, we say, not my business.
08:39Or worse still, we take a video and put it up.
08:42I remember when I was a child and if I did something wrong,
08:45if my parent wasn't there, the neighbour was there.
08:48To correct you.
08:49Yes. Or to report back. Either way.
08:52As a society, every one of us is responsible.
08:55Thank you very much, sir.
08:56You're welcome. Thank you.
08:57So having harsher penalties and laws could possibly reduce the number of animal abuse cases.
09:05But it's also important for us to learn to be more respectful
09:08towards the animals that are around us and the pets who live with us.
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