Jan 11, 2007
We need a Collective Community to Curb Animal Abuse
I refer to the article 'Cat strangled with nylon string' (ST, 8 Jan 06) and cannot help feeling sickened at how animal abuse has happened yet again. To prevent such cases from happening, I wish to propose that we promote a 'collective community' towards helping the animals in our midst.
It is crucial to find the culprit responsible for the abuse so that future acts will not be repeated. We only attempt to find the culprit after such issues happen, but how much have we done to prevent animal abuse?
For too long, cats on the streets have been assumed to be the under the care of NGOs like the SPCA and Cat Welfare Society. The government assumes a passive role in animal issues, and only steps in to cull cats (this is not animal welfare) or investigate cases of animal abuse. So much more can be done by the government; such as giving resources towards sterilization efforts, so that the number of cats can be reduced in the long term, that translating into fewer cats vulnerable to abuse.
Besides that, cats should also be part of the collective community and responsibility of ordinary citizens like you and me. This means first, we do not complain about them to the Town Council that leads to the cats being culled. Second, we should not abuse cats even if we do not like them. It always pains me to see children throwing things or shouting at cats to scare them off. Third, we should encourage the formation of networks of resident volunteers to help look after the welfare of cats - sterilizing them and feeding responsibly. Having networks of resident volunteers also help build community ties across race, religion and gender - neighbourliness that is lamented to be missing as seen in the report 'Community ties: It's the basics that count' (ST, 8 Jan 06).
For too long, some have assumed that 'stray' cats should be under the care of those who 'like them' and should 'bring them home', without due consideration of the feasibility of doing so. This mentality should change as our society matures.
As a youth, I hope to see more kind acts towards animals manifested in everyday spaces and a collective responsibility towards helping animals in our midst. This will curb animal abuse in the long term.
Neo Kai Ling (Ms)
I WAS aghast when I read the article, 'Cat strangled with nylon string' (ST, Jan 8). When will such abuse stop? Or have we become apathetic to such cruel acts?
A gracious society is not made up of just educated citizens, green trees, beautiful parks and the latest infrastructure. There is also humanity, kindness and empathy towards our fellow human beings and other occupants of this earth. Or have we forgotten this?
Killing for the sake of killing or for pleasure is plain wrong and deserves the strongest punishment. While justice is meted out to humans, our animal friends seem to deserve less of this justice. The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is a $10,000 fine and up to 12 months' jail. I can recall only one instance where an abuser was sentenced to a year in jail.
I believe this problem can be tackled at two levels.
The government authorities can teach kindness and empathy through campaigns and education. Set an example against killing; instead of culling strays, why not consider a humane method to control the stray population? Or start a kindness movement in school that encourages children to interact, play with and care for small animals.
As parents, siblings and friends, we can educate and impress on others the importance of humanity, kindness and respect for life - both human and animal.
Until we achieve this, we cannot call ourselves a gracious society.
Khoo Hwee Boon (Ms)
I refer to the report Jan 8, 2007 "Cat strangled with nylon string".
A few days ago, I was walking behind a little girl, aged about seven year-old, accompanied by an elderly lady in her 70's, presumably her grandmother.
They passed by a sterilized tipped ear community cat.
The little girl screamed and made threatening gestures at the cat who ran to hide amongst the bicycles parked in the void deck of a block of HDB flats. The grandmother stood nearby and awaited, apathetically.
The following day, I passed by an elderly Peranakan lady, also in her 70's, who was feeding another sterilized tipped ear community cat at the same void deck, responsibly with shredded fish placed on a piece of paper. She said she "sayang" ("love") the community cats who gave her much joy in her old age. She said that sometimes she has to "marah" ("scold") the children from the nearby primary school, for hurting the cats.
I think we can longer ignore the symptom of animal abuse such as what had happened to this cat at Simei - strangled with nylon string. How can we hypocritically claim to be a civilized society when such symptom of barbarism is occuring so often?
How can we inculcate kindness in our children when on a national level we are killing 13,000 cats every year, assisted with free loan of cat traps from the AVA and some Town Council officers freely engaging pest control firms to trap cats to be killed in respond to feeback from residents about cats?
Let's start a pro-active Kindness Movement by involving grass-root resources such as the schools, the RC's and Community Clubs to impart EMPATHY in our children as well as their adult guardians with project that involves the care of the community cats. Such program is a good antidote to the current perception that the young people nowadays are too engrossed with their self-satiation. Learning to be kind in children will also teach them to the kind to the increasing number of Singaporeans who are greying and perceived by some youngters to be "old, frail and useless". Perhaps this is how some people view the stray cats as well.
Dr Tan Chek Wee
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