“REALLY, REALLY CERTIFIED?”
Licensing is not mandatory for all services across the pet sector.
The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), an arm of NParks, licenses veterinary centres, pet shops, farms, pet boarders and breeders, which are assessed to have “higher levels of risk” for animal health and welfare, AVS' Industry Standards and Regulatory group director Jessica Kwok said.
For services that don't require licensing, groomers can be certified by private organisations like the Singapore Kennel Club, while AVS has a certified dog trainer Scheme. But these are voluntary.
AVS also has a Code of Animal Welfare detailing best practices for pet management and housekeeping. It suggests minimum standards for breeders, retailers, groomers, boarders, sitters and daycare providers. But failure to comply is not considered an offence.
Instead, authorities rely on the Animals and Birds Act, which penalises abuse or neglect and covers those working with animals in businesses, including pet groomers.
These individuals are expected to “uphold higher standards of animal welfare as they are entrusted with the care of the animals by their clients”, said Ms Kwok.
Those found guilty of animal cruelty or to have failed in their duty of care while in an animal-related business face a penalty of up to two years' jail, a fine of S$40,000 (US$30,193) or both.
Some owners are now calling for more oversight of pet services, with government-led regulation at every stage, starting from before a business is set up and allowed to practice.
“How many of us actually know the person handling our dogs are really, really certified?” asked Ms Mikela Chen, the owner of four-year-old shih tzu Peace.
Other suggestions included mandating a human-to-dog ratio and use of CCTVs; on top of regular inspections and enforcement action.
Protocols for handling disputes would also be helpful, said owners.
Ms Chen, a business director, said a grooming salon cut off the tips of Peace's ears and lacerated his snout in 2021. The salon refused to provide CCTV footage and only offered a refund, she added.
Owners CNA spoke to also supported penalties such as a demerit point system or even lifetime disqualification, to stop errant service providers from setting up shop under another name.
“Many groomers just close up and can easily open new ones,” noted Ms Melisa Quek, who has a one-and-a-half year old shih tzu called Enzo.
Basic animal handling courses could also be mandated, said Ms Christine Bernadette, the fundraising coordinator for welfare group Causes for Animals. “If you are not interested to undergo basic training then one is not suited to work with animals.”
Temasek Polytechnic, for one, has a pet care and management course which is compulsory for those seeking a pet shop licence. This could be extended to other pet services, said the different parties interviewed by CNA.
Non-profit Action for Singapore Dogs' president Ricky Yeo noted however that fundamentally, it would not be possible to band all pet services under one structure. “The way to band them is assess the risk factors of the business with regards to the safety and well-being of the pet.”
