Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on number and actions taken for animal hoarding cases

Mar 7, 2022

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the past five years, what is the annual number of cases reported on animal hoarding; (b) what action is taken against the hoarders, broken down by the number of animals involved; (c) under what circumstances can the authorities rescue these animals; (d) whether the Ministry will consider legal or regulatory action to strengthen such powers of rescue; and (e) what is being done to deter animal hoarding and prevent relapses.

Answer:

1          From 2017 to 2021, NParks received a total of 67 cases of feedback related to the hoarding of animals in residences. Of these, NParks took enforcement action in 6 cases, where there were animal health and welfare concerns. Enforcement actions range from issuing letters of warning, composition fines, and prosecution in court. A majority of these cases involved cats.

2          NParks works closely with other agencies to tackle the issue of animal hoarding in residences. For cases where there are animal health and welfare concerns, NParks considers factors such as the quality of care provided to the animals, and their living conditions, in determining the enforcement actions to take. NParks also partners stakeholders such as animal welfare groups, and pet owners, to re-home these animals where necessary.

3          In cases where the resident is found to have suspected mental health issues or socio-emotional needs that could have led to animal hoarding behaviour, NParks will take a multi-agency approach and work with community partners, such as the Agency for Integrated Care and Social Service Agencies to support the resident as appropriate. In such cases, we need strong support from the resident’s family and community for the interventions to be successful.

4          Beyond regulation and enforcement, NParks works closely with its partners to raise public awareness on responsible pet ownership and animal care through various platforms such as Pets’ Day Out events and webinars. NParks will continue to review its measures to ensure they remain effective in safeguarding animal health and welfare.