- AVA would like to remind dog owners that all dogs kept must be licensed irrespective of their size. It is an offence to keep a dog without a licence and any dog owner found guilty can be fined up to $500. All dog licences must also be renewed annually.
- AVA officers carry out routine checks on houses keeping dogs. Last year 901 people were fined up to $500 each for keeping unlicensed dogs.
- The AVA makes dog licensing a compulsory requirement mainly for rabies control. Rabies is a fatal viral disease that can affect warm-blooded animals including man. An infected dog can spread the virus to people through its saliva or by biting. Singapore has been free from rabies for more than 40 years. Dog licensing helps to ensure that this rabies free status is maintained.
- Apart from the above, dog licensing helps to facilitate the identification of dogs and keep track of the number of dogs that have been vaccinated in the event of a disease outbreak. The numbered dog badge given to dog owners upon licensing of their pet also enables lost dogs to be traced to their owners easily.
- Dog licensing is a step towards responsible pet ownership. Dog owners can obtain their licence from AVA’s Centre for Animal Welfare and Control (CAWC) at 75 Pasir Panjang Road Singapore 118507 or send in their application by post together with the correct payment for the licence. Application forms are available at pet shops and veterinary clinics. Alternatively, the forms can be downloaded from AVA's website at http://www.ava.gov.sg. Dog owners may also call CAWC to request for application forms to be mailed or faxed to them.
- The licence fee for a male or a sterilised female dog is $20.50 and that for an entire female dog is $76.50. Pet owners and members of the public who want to know more details about the licensing can call AVA's hotline at 1800-4761600 (Fax: 4726157).
Issued by Agri-food & Veterinary Authority
on 16 Feb 2001
|