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  Today Online 25 Nov 05
My pet peeve: Neglectful owners
 Letter from Jessica Chan

IS IT cruel to leave your dog at home for more than 12 hours everyday? Why buy a dog when you don't have the time for it?

Are people who do so truly "animal lovers"?

I live in a condominium. Every day, for three weeks, I have had to tolerate the barking and whining of a dog I believe the owners just bought.

Last Saturday, my patience ran out. I rang up the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but because it was a weekend, nothing could be done.

Please enlighten us on how we can help those neglected pets, because I can't bear the thought of these puppies -- babies, really -- being left in the kitchen or, worse, the service balcony for the entire day.

Please don't buy a pet on the spur of the moment. Consider the purchase carefully, and having done so, don't neglect the pet.

Today Online 26 Nov 05
What to do when pets are whining
Letter from Deirdre Moss
Executive Officer, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)

I refer to the letter "My pet peeve: Neglectful owners" (Nov 25).

The SPCA agrees with the writer that people need to consider the decision to buy a pet very carefully and, after doing so, not to neglect their pet. We thank her for creating awareness on this issue.

Barking/whining complaints lodged by members of the public do not fall under the scope of the SPCA, but if there is reason to believe an animal is being neglected and sounds distressed, the SPCA will investigate.

We advise members of the public to call us as soon as possible (within one or two days) and before a weekend if they are concerned about a neglected pet (especially where the animal may have been abandoned).

As a charity, the SPCA depends on the public's co-operation where possible. We would therefore suggest that if a neighbour's dog is barking or whining when the owner is not in, perhaps the feedback could be raised between the two parties initially before turning to an outside party to lodge a complaint.

Alternatively, if this does not work, the condominium management could be informed or, in cases of persistent barking, the Housing and Development Board. We ask the writer to call the SPCA's operations manager at 6287 5355 ext 29 so that we can clarify the details with her and take the appropriate steps in relation to the puppy being kept by her neighbours.

Finally, the SPCA advises those who are contemplating buying a pet to ensure that they have the time to care for and spend with it so that the animal is not neglected.
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