Report Cat Abandonment

Abandonment is considered animal abuse and it is a crime in Singapore.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, anyone who is found guilty of pet abandonment can be imprisoned for up to 12 months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

I am witnessing cat abandonment first hand, what do I do?
If you have witnessed someone abandoning their pet cat, do not react in anger but try to video down what is happening and find out their address by engaging them in conversation or tailing them. Knowing their address is the single most important piece of information that you can gather.

Contact the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority 1800 476 1600 as a witness to report this household with their address. If possible, arrange to visit the household with the investigating officers. It is even more effective if you bring the cat in question along with you.

In this way, you make it impossible for the perpetrators to deny that they have been keeping this cat and abandoned it. Neighbours can also help to testify that they have seen the cat living within the premises of the household in question.

The information required to prosecute a pet abandonment case includes:

1) Proof of ownership
2) Proof of act of abandonment

I found cats abandoned in my neighbourhood, how do I report this?
Unfortunately, without a lead on the possible culprit, authorities will not launch an investigation. If you recognise a cat as belonging to a certain household, that is a good place to start. Engage the owner and try to get a confirmation that this is their cat on video. If anything, this can lead to a warning to be given to the owner by the authorities.

If there are no leads at all to the owner, contact us for the Appeal for Information poster template and put them up in your neighbourhood to raise awareness about the abandonment.

Prevention is often better than the cure.
To prevent cat abandonment in your neighbourhood, work with your resident’s committee or Town Council to educate cat owners about their responsibility.

1) To keep pet cats indoors and for life
2) To sterilise
3) That pet abandonment is a crime