Expanding Pilot Project That Mandates Sterilisation and Licensing of Dogs

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider expanding the pilot project mandating the sterilisation and licensing of dogs on Pulau Ubin to industrial areas on mainland Singapore, such as Lim Chu Kang, Neo Tiew estate and Sungei Kadut.

In 2018, the National Parks Board (NParks) had introduced requirements for Pulau Ubin residents to license their pet dogs and sterilise female pet dogs. These requirements were introduced to promote responsible pet ownership and to manage the dog population on Pulau Ubin, which was growing because pet dogs were allowed to roam freely and breed. These requirements complement the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme, under which free-roaming dogs are trapped and sterilised.

Majority of the dogs in industrial areas on mainland Singapore are free-roaming and not pet dogs, and are covered under the TNRM programme. Since the introduction of the TNRM programme, an estimated 80% of the free-roaming dog population in Singapore has been sterilised, resulting in more than an 80% reduction in associated public feedback cases. Hence, there are no plans to mandate the sterilisation of pet dogs in the industrial areas.

NParks will continue to monitor the free-roaming dog population in industrial areas with Animal Welfare Group (AWG) partners, to maintain the high sterilisation rates. If a member of the public encounters an unsterilised free-roaming dog, they may call NParks' Animal Response Centre hotline or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' hotline.