1 With the coming festive season, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) would again like to remind the public that pets should not be given as gifts. Pets require a life-time commitment. Pet owners should fully understand their responsibilities towards the animal and also know how to properly care for a pet before they acquire one. By giving a pet as a gift, the animal may be thrust upon a person who is not prepared to commit fully to the pet for its life nor aware of how to properly look after the pet. The initial novelty may wear off soon and the pet becomes unwanted. In a year more than 20,000 animals are picked up from the streets or surrendered to AVA and the SPCA.
2 In Singapore, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, chinchillas and many types of birds and fish are allowed to be kept as pets.
3 We would like once again to remind pet owners not to abandon their pets if they cannot take care of them anymore. They can surrender their pets to the Animal Control Section of AVA at Tel: 1800-4761600 and our officers will collect their unwanted pets. This service is free of charge.
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