Animal shelters chart their own paths on welfare and care

With 90 dogs living in five units, each barely the size of a four-room Housing Board flat, Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) is one of the bigger shelters at The Animal Lodge in Sungei Tengah.

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But it cannot take in any more dogs.

"We limit the number of dogs we take in to about 90 so that there is no overcrowding," said president and founder Ricky Yeo, 57.

"As dogs are social animals, we have also created community spaces for them by modifying the cages so that the separating fences can be opened, allowing for a much bigger space," he told The Straits Times.

There are about 15 animal welfare groups operating shelters in Singapore. Twelve are at The Animal Lodge, which rents out space to shelters and businesses such as pet breeders and boarders.

The shelters, which are run as non-profit outfits, are either self-funded or supported by public donations.

Mr Yeo told ST that while the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) sets standards for animal enclosures, including those used in shelters, there are no unified or formalized guidelines on animal welfare in shelters in Singapore.

Such guidelines are in the works, with AVS now reviewing feedback from a two-month public consultation.

In the meantime, the shelters are largely left to their own devices.

"For ASD, we referred to the guidelines for design and management of animal shelters set out by the RSPCA and looked at the physiological, social, psychological, environmental and behavioural needs," Mr Yeo said, referring to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Britain.