It is thus likely that abandonment rates are higher than reported.”īut in one case last month, it was as clear as day – a woman was caught on CCTV abandoning her cat in a cage outside SPCA’s premises. “Often, our officers cannot clearly ascertain if a rescue animal is from the community or an abandoned pet. “As there are currently no regulations requiring cats to be registered, it is even harder to identify whether a cat has been abandoned,” Ms Sankar said. In many cases, the group was alerted to animals that were not microchipped or registered. However, abandoned pets can be challenging to identify, she added.

The number has stayed consistent over the years, said its executive director Aarthi Sankar. Meanwhile, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) receives between 50 and 60 suspected cases of abandoned pets each year. The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said it investigated 310 cases of pets being abandoned last year. These new developments have cropped up alongside the “usual” reasons why pets such as cats, dogs and rabbits have been discarded by their owners, animal welfare groups told CNA. SINGAPORE: Pet abandonment cases have soared as inflation drives up costs of caring for them, while some people who got their furry friends during the COVID-19 pandemic also began returning to the office.

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