Are Singapore's animals safe? | The Current State - video Dailymotion

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With reports of alleged animal abuse cases hitting a 12-year high in 2024, is it time for us to reconsider what penalties perpetrators of such cases are given? We spoke to the SPCA and criminal lawyer Ramesh Tiwary to find out if our current laws are enough to safeguard the animals and pets around us.   Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video

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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.

Are Singapore's animals safe? | The Current State

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