Chinese New Year (22 January 2023) is right around the corner. Many of us are doing spring-cleaning right now.
However, I doubt that spring-cleaning would include throwing away our beloved pets.
Unfortunately for a tabby cat, it got discarded by its irresponsible owner last Thursday (12 January 2023).
Abandoned in the Dark
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shared the story on their Facebook page on Friday.
In the wee hours of 3 am last Thursday, fellow SPCA staff returned to their building after night trapping duties to find the tabby cat caged outside the main gate.
It was a disheartening sight; the cat was shaking in fear, likely wondering why its owner had brought it to a foreign and cold place and left it all alone.
After checking the surveillance footage, the SPCA found out it was a woman in a red van that abandoned the cat.
The woman drove to SPCA’s main gate and left the cat’s cage by the roadside.
How heartless can somebody be to drop off a beloved pet and leave so quickly?
Thankfully, the surveillance footage caught the perpetrator’s car plate number. SPCA has contacted the local authorities and will take enforcement measures against her soon.
Under the Animals and Birds Act 1965 Act, individuals found guilty of abandoning their pets could be charged a maximum fine of $10,000, or face a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
Unlike the tabby cat who got abandoned, the SPCA and Police will not be leaving the perpetrator alone in this case.
Heartbreaking Statistics about Pet Abandonment
More and more pet owners are treating their pets as disposable goods.
The National Park Board discovered that pet abandonment has been rising. There were only 180 pet abandonment cases in 2017, compared to 225 in 2021.
They also discovered that half of the pets abandoned are cats. It seems like cats are not having it easy lately, from abandonment to murder.
The SPCA also shared on their Facebook post that they receive at least a 20% increase in requests from pet owners to surrender their pets to the organisation during spring-cleaning season.
These people are focusing on the wrong things regarding spring cleaning.
Hopefully, it is not an “out with the old, in with the new” situation. Pets are meant to be lifelong companions and not a gift or object we use to entertain ourselves and discard after we are done with them.
The SPCA warns that owning pets is a huge commitment that potential pet owners should not take lightly. They added that owning a pet would require “time, money and patience”.
However, I would also like to add that owning a pet would require lots of love, as these little furry friends make us their entire world. Yes, even your cats when they seem to hate you.
They also recommend pet owners help their pets rehome if they cannot take care of them anymore.
Help the pets find a loving home if you can’t provide one yourself.
Featured Image: SPCA Singapore / Facebook.com