Public feedback wanted over new licensing conditions for dog breeders and pet boarders
SINGAPORE: New licensing conditions for dog breeders and pet boarders in Singapore were opened for public consultation on Th (Jul 1), said the Fauna and Veterinary Service (AVS).
The new standards aim to raise the standards of animal health and welfare in Singapore, and come after months of engagement with industry stakeholders.
"With the new licensing conditions, requirements volition be specified in more than detail and be more prescriptive, to provide for optimal husbandry and care of animals," said Dr Chua Tze Hoong, group manager for industry and biosecurity management at AVS.
Afterwards a month-long public consultation, the new conditions are expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter of this year. AVS is aiming for the full implementation of the new licensing weather by the second quarter of next year.
PET SECTOR REVIEW
AVS start embarked on the pet sector review in August 2019, with pet breeding and boarding sectors identified for the first stage of the review. Three areas were identified in the first phase: traceability, pet boarding and dog breeding.
Following a 4-calendar month consultation exercise, more than v,200 responses were received from an online survey. Five focus grouping sessions were conducted with stakeholders, including veterinarians, creature welfare groups, and domestic dog trainers, breeders and boarders.
Nine group sessions were also held to "finetune" the revised conditions, said AVS.
"At that place was a very strong consensus that more needs to be done to raise the licensing standards for boarders and breeders to safeguard creature wellness and welfare, and strengthen our biosurveillance government," said Minister of State for National Evolution Tan Kiat How during a media conference.
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Every bit a result of the first phase of the review, dog owners were able to apply for a one-time licence for sterilised dogs from September 2020. This licence is valid throughout the domestic dog's life.
This scheme aims to encourage more pet owners to license their dogs, enhancing traceability, said Dr Chua.
"Traceability is important to protect public animal wellness in the event that a pet canis familiaris is diagnosed with an infectious disease. Traceability is likewise important to reunite lost pets with their owners," he added.
WHAT'S NEW: BREEDING Manufacture
Key changes to the dog breeding licence conditions span various areas, such every bit housing, surroundings, diet and healthcare.
AVS will mandate daily wellness checks to be conducted for convenance dogs and their litters. Any sign of pain, suffering, injury, disease or abnormal behaviour must be recorded, and advice from a veterinary must be sought and followed.
All veterinary records have to be fabricated available to AVS officers during inspections.
The revised weather condition as well stipulate stringent record-keeping for biosurveillance and to ensure traceability. All breeders must maintain records or proof of vaccinations, annual health checks, veterinary treatments and any form of surgical procedures for animals nether their intendance.
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For traceability purposes, AVS will crave breeders to maintain a register for the motility of all breeding dogs and their litters.
In-convenance will exist prohibited nether the revised atmospheric condition.
"This means that a dog will not be immune to be bred with its progeny, parent, or sibling. Breeders volition besides not be immune to brood dogs with known harmful heritable weather such as Brachycephalic syndrome, epilepsy, degenerative myelopathy, hip dysplasia and urinary bladder stones," said AVS.
All breeding dogs must exist retired to a higher place half-dozen years old and be sterilised inside six months after retirement. Each breeding canis familiaris is also non allowed to brood more one litter per twelvemonth.
"These revisions are aligned to overseas standards, such as those from UK and Australia," said AVS.
The revised conditions will as well mandate that breeders provide opportunities for social interaction through specific atmospheric condition, such equally providing secured areas for practise and having interaction-based activities at least in one case a day.
WHAT'Southward NEW: BOARDING Manufacture
AVS will include a "boarder-specific" prepare of licensing conditions that will expand to comprehend boarding facilities on commercial properties. Only commercial boarders operating on farmlands are currently licensed under the breeding licensing conditions.
The new conditions will also include more animals, such as cats and other modest mammals.
Some of the specifications nether the new atmospheric condition include rules that the boarder can only accept vaccinated animals that are healthy with no transmissible diseases.
To forestall the spread of any illness, a designated isolation area would be required to care for sick and injured animals when firsthand veterinary attention is non available. Boarding staff members must also deport daily health checks on the animals.
To ensure sufficient space for the animals, dimensions for their living weather are stipulated clearly.
"Appropriate infinite allocation of diverse animals is mandated to ensure that there is no negative interaction such equally fights inside the boarding space," said AVS.
"The conditions likewise specify the types of suitable housing for all animals such equally dogs, cats, and minor mammals."
AVS will also require all staff members responsible for the daily running of boarding bounds and care of animals to undergo grooming.
The new conditions for boarders will not apply to a friend or family member who is helping to look after a pet while the pet'south owners are away, as they are non considered commercial boarders.
"If a person ... helps his friends or family to lath a small number of animals on a very personal and pocket-size calibration and ad hoc ground, and they do not advertise, nosotros will not consider it as a commercial operation," said Dr Chua.
"Nosotros will only focus our efforts on commercial convenance and boarding activities," he added.
ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES
When asked how often checks volition be conducted by AVS to ensure breeders and boarders are post-obit rules, Dr Chua said inspections will have place "at least once a year".
"The inspection … is an unannounced inspection. It will be carried out to check on the various compliances that the breeders and boarders have to undertake with respect to the new licensing conditions," he said.
"If there is additional feedback, nosotros will investigate and pay a visit to conduct out our checks and enforcement," he added.
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Failure to attach to the conditions will run into breeders and boarders be subjected to various penalties under the Animals and Birds Deed.
These penalties include messages of warning, compensation fines and prosecution in court. In the most astringent cases, AVS will also revoke or suspend their licences.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK
AVS is seeking public feedback over the next calendar month before finalising revised licensing weather condition for canis familiaris breeders and pet boarders.
Members of the public can provide their feedback online on AVS' website. The public consultation volition stop on Jul 31.
Following the public consultation, breeding and boarding businesses will be given half dozen months to make the necessary adjustments before the total atmospheric condition are implemented.
"With the rising of pet buying in Singapore, nosotros come across many more residents having pets in their households. Many members of the public will be very slap-up ... to share their feedback on how their pets are bred and boarded," said Mr Tan.
"Safeguarding animal health and welfare is a shared responsibleness. The vets, pet breeders and boarders, animate being welfare groups, trainers, all of us pet owners must go along to piece of work together to raise overall standards in the pet sector to … improve the welfare and health of our animals," he added.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/public-feedback-wanted-over-new-licensing-conditions-dog-breeders-and-pet-boarders-298801
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