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SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) said on Sunday (Nov 16) an “acceptable” amount of force was used in a recent trapping of three stray dogs at a Seletar farm, after animal rights groups alleged rough handling and mistreatment.<\/p>\n
NParks said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of NParks, had deployed a contractor to trap and remove free-roaming dogs at Seletar West Farmway 8 for safety reasons after incidents of dog biting and chasing were reported in the area.<\/p>\n
“AVS has assessed that the amount of force used during the restraint of the dogs was within acceptable parameters, considering the dogs’ history of aggression, hence the urgency to secure these dogs promptly and safely,” said NParks’ Dr Anna Wong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Trapping was achieved with reasonable force to safely secure the dogs, and all equipment deployed supports humane handling practices.”<\/p>\n
In a video posted online of the incident, which took place on Friday, a brown dog is shown in the foyer of a building with a catch pole around its neck.<\/p>\n
The dog barks and attempts to escape the catch pole while a man continues to control the pole, and his colleagues bring in a cage.<\/p>\n
The men then lift the dog and place it in the cage.<\/p>\n
In another video, two men are shown pushing a dog\u2019s head with poles as they attempt to close the hatch on the dog’s cage.<\/p>\n
“The videos and photos circulating online have caused widespread public distress,” said animal welfare organisation Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore in a Facebook post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
“One dog was seen biting the pole in panic, with visible blood stains and faeces indicating extreme fear and stress. Another appeared unable to sit inside the crate, while a third was confined in a crate far too small for its size.<\/p>\n
“These images are heartbreaking and raise serious questions about the methods and mindset behind such operations,” said the group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Couldn’t the NParks-appointed vendor have adopted a more humane, thoughtful and coordinated approach?” they asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Causes for Animals Singapore, another animal welfare group, questioned if NPark’s use of force was justified, claiming it had sterilised most of the dogs in the area over the years via patient and humane trapping.<\/p>\n
Both groups also raised concerns about whether NParks had made sufficient effort to identify the dogs in the biting incidents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n