public perception of spca

Class: Sec 2-5

Group Members:

Alvin Loh (1)

Bryan Leow (3)

Chew Yu Ren (6)

James Yong (13)

Lau Kai Ching (17)

Mentor: Mrs. Ling Yuin Fong

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Contents

1.1 Problem Statement..............................................................................................................3

1.2 Aims and Objectives............................................................................................................3

2. Background Research..............................................................................................................4

2.1 Background Information of SPCA.....................................................................................4

2.3 Definitions of animal abuse and some examples...........................................................7

2.3.1 Neglect...........................................................................................................................7

2.3.2 Intentional Cruelty........................................................................................................8

2.3.3 Abandonment................................................................................................................9

2.4 How to keep animals healthy.............................................................................................9

2.5 How to ensure that homes are pet safe.........................................................................12

3. Methodology.............................................................................................................................14

3.1 Research on the Internet..................................................................................................14

3.2 Research on the Newspaper...........................................................................................14

3.3 Interviewing........................................................................................................................14

3.4 Conducting a survey.........................................................................................................15

4. Analysis and Discussion.........................................................................................................16

5. Limitations.................................................................................................................................24

6. Contribution to the wider community....................................................................................26

Appendix........................................................................................................................................27

Bibliography...................................................................................................................................34

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1. Introduction

1.1 Problem Statement

There is an increase of cases of animal abuse in Singapore nowadays. This lead to the

founding of more organizations which aim is to prevent animal abuses. One of the more

famous among these organizations is the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

(SPCA). We will be finding out whether the SPCA is doing enough for the animals from the

public perception.

1.2 Aims and Objectives

1) To find out the public’s (adults’) perception towards SPCA.

2) To find out whether the public think that SPCA is doing a good job.

*Good job means that the animals are taken care of and there is a healthy environment

for all the animals in SPCA.

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2. Background Research

2.1 Background Information of SPCA

The Singapore SPCA started at around the 1800s and a report from the Straits Times Press

dated October 3rd 1878 said that the number of cases brought under the notice of the

Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals during the first quarter ending

September 30th 1878 was 84.

In 10 cases, the Magistrate just cautioned the

offenders and discharged them, 6 were convicted

and fined and the remainders were visited by the

Agents, who in every case verified that wounded

animals and those unfit for labour were not made to work until their condition improved.

After the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1947, the RSPCA as it was known then was

revived by an Englishwoman, Miss Lucia Bach in unwanted stray animals and at the same

time, ran a boarding house.

In the early 1950s, through the generosity of a Eurasian lady, strays were housed on her

property and re-homed by volunteers.

In 1954, the RSPCA was set up and moved to Orchard Road. This move was facilitated by

the presence of an RSPCA official from England to engineer the operation and train one of

the staff as an inspector. The premises were donated its first official vehicle. At the same time,

two staff members a telephone operator and a driver were hired.

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In 1959, the Singapore RSPCA became SPCA when Singapore ceased to be a crown colony

in that year.

In 1976 from the Orchard Road premises, a clinic was set up for the public. The facilities also

were used to treat the Society’s animal and carry out sterilizations which since 1969, was

compulsory if one adopted an SPCA pet.

After Singapore underwent massive changes with the development of our Housing, people

were relocated from the kampongs into these flats. Thus, many pets, mainly cats and dogs

were left abandoned and homeless.

The SPCA, the Ministry of national Development, the Primary Production Department (now

AVA) and the Dog unit at the City Veterinary Centre co-operated and launched a special

programme to collect animals from areas being cleared for development before occupants

vacated their homes.

It was hard work as it involved the removal of owned animals from people forced to relinquish

their pets because they were unable to relocate them.

In 1984, SPCA moved from the orchard Road land, which had been acquired by the

Government to 10 kilometers from the city at 31 Mount Vernon Road. The new offices and

kennels is a big improvement for both staff and animals.

SPCA could carry out its works over the years due to the public’s donations and the constant

stream of volunteers who come together and help in any way possible.

Promoting respect for animals and a caring attitude towards pets by their owners is a priority

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of SPCA Singapore. SPCA hopes that in the long term, there will be a significant reduction in

the number of unwanted animals.

Educational booklets on cat and dog have been produced along with leaflets on pet care for

smaller animals which are distributed to the community. Articles on pet care have also been

written in the newspaper promoting responsible pet ownership.

People did not know much about the SPCA until the 1970’s. Media participation in the 1980’s

and 1990’s however, has been very good. There had been pet care columns in the

newspapers .Many articles are also featured about SPCA. Television coverage has

highlighted SPCA-related topics such as abandonment and other forms of cruelty.

The SPCA intends to reach out to more of the general public to gain the support that is

needed to continue its work in the years to come. (Singapore SPCA, 2009)

2.2 SPCA’s service to the community

The SPCA provides various animal welfares services to the community including:

A 24 hour ambulance service for sick, injured and very young animals

Investigations of cruelty towards animals complaints

Public education programme for students and adults

Sterilization voucher programme for stray animals

A clinic for basic treatment of stray animals

Adoption programme

A service for lost and found pets

Advocacy for humane treatment of animals

Running an animal shelter and supporting quarantine for unwanted , abused and

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abandoned animals

(Singapore SPCA, 2009)

2.3 Definitions of animal abuse and some examples

Animal cruelty generally falls into one of three categories:

1) Neglect

2) Intentional cruelty

3) Abandonment

2.3.1 Neglect

Neglect is the failure of providing adequate survival necessities for the animal or ignores

them.

Here are some of the examples:

Starvation

Dehydration

Inadequate shelter

Parasite infection

Failure to seek veterinary care when pet is in need of medical attention

Allowing collar to grow into animal’s skin

Confinement without proper ventilation, adequate light, space or hygienic condition

Severely overgrown nails( To the extent where nails curl either under or over the

hooves/paws)

Failure to provide decent living condition(Cramped, overcrowded)

2.3.2 Intentional Cruelty

Intentional cruelty refers to the act of causing physical harm deliberately to the animals.

Some of the examples of intentional cruelty and outcomes that appears due to it:

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Owner hitting or physically abusing the animal

Patches of missing hair

Extremely thin (To the extent where Ribs or backbone is protruding)

Limping

Animals kept outdoors under extreme weather conditions

(Ontario SPCA, 2009)

Statistic

December 2009 February 2010

45 cases of Dogs

13 cases of Cats

7 cases of Rabbits

1 case of turtle

3 cases of birds

2 cases of live seafood

40 cases of dogs

16 cases of cats

2 cases of rabbit

2 cases of fish

1 case of bird

1 case of farm animal

*One of the cats was thrown down from a

high floor

*Another cat was tied up


*The bird was being poisoned


2.3.3 Abandonment

A person commits the crime of animal abandonment if the person intentionally, knowingly or

recklessly or with criminal negligence leaves a domesticated animal at a location without

providing for that animal's continued care. Most people don’t realize that it is illegal to release

animals into the wild. Leaving an animal alone with no food supplies so that it dies slowly and

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painfully is also a part of Animal Abandonment.

(Audubon Society of Portland)

2.4 How to keep animals healthy

Dogs

Dog owners can keep their dogs healthy by doing daily exercises. Doing daily exercise is

good for the dogs as it maintains their muscles, joints and bonds healthy. It also can prevent

stiff joints and muscles aches. Exercise is especially important for the dogs as it helps the

organs to remain healthy and function normally. Research shows that dogs that get adequate

exercise daily tend to look good, feel good and live longer.

Dog owners are encouraged walking their dogs. This keeps the dogs healthy as it helps

them to exercise their muscles and joints. This can also close up the relationship between

dog owners and their dogs.

Training the dogs can also act as an exercise for the dogs. Dog owners can let the dogs

fetch the things they threw. This can also make the dogs behave better as they become more

discipline through trainings.

Dog owners are reminded to feed them and let them drink enough water as well to

ensure that they have enough energy to do their daily activities.

Cats

Cat Owners can keep their cats healthy by letting it do daily exercise. In the natural

environment, cats are animals which spend their days hunting their prey. They jump, run,

hide, pounce until they completed their kills. As cats are now kept indoors, they do not have to

hunt for their prey, therefore they lack exercises. Hence, it is best for cat owners to let their

cats have the opportunities for active times to make them strong and healthy. This can

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achieve through exercises as they make the cat more muscular and trim.

Cat owners can design a play area in their house, where their cats can run, jump and

play. Cats are curious about things and they like to play and engaged their minds, therefore,

pet owners can buy toys for their cats to play with. As cats love toys with moments, a good

example of a toy pet owners can buy for a cat is a ball as it move easily when cats push them

with their paws.

Cat owners are reminded to feed them and let them drink enough water as well to ensure

that they have enough energy to do their daily activities.

Rabbit

Rabbit owners can keep their rabbits healthy and happy by letting them have lots of

activities. Rabbits need to have enough space and time to roam outside of its cage for a few

hours to keep them healthy and happy. They need to hop, jump and played as well. Rabbits

without much activity will become destructive in their behavior; therefore it is good for rabbit

owners to let their rabbits roam outside of their cages. As rabbits are a social able creature, it

is good for pet owners to locate their rabbits in a place where there are attentions and

activities. This can let the rabbits feel that they are a part of the pet owners’ family and also

close up the relationship between pet owners and their rabbits.

Rabbit owners are reminded to feed them and let them drink enough water as well to


Birds

Bird owners can keep their birds healthy by letting them do daily exercises. Birds are

active creatures and they need space and time everyday to fly out of their cages. This can

helps the birds to be healthy as they can move freely about when they are let out of cages

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and not get caged inside the cages everyday, which restricted their movements.

To let their birds have a healthy lifestyle, pet owners can prepare a cage which has

perches at different height. This can bring some fun to the bird’s life as they can hop and jump

around. As birds are very sociable creatures, most birds want a lot of daily attentions and

interaction. Birds’ owners can teach their birds to wink, whistle, and even imitating their

speech. This will keep the birds active and stimulated. Bird owners are encouraged to award

them by scratching their head when they are successful in doing certain things. Keeping birds

healthy and stimulated is very important as it helps them maintain their health.

Bird owners are reminded to feed them and let them drink enough water as well to


Small animals:

Pet owners can keep small animals healthy by letting them do daily exercises and

problem solving activities. Doing exercise and problem solving activities can keep small

animals healthy as it can help to keep them fit and exercise their brain more.

Owners of small animals need to remember that small animals need lot of water as they

are small in size, which lead them to dehydrate quickly. The best way to let small animals

drink from their cages is to mount a bottle on a cage where the small animals can sip

whenever they are thirsty. This is not only convenient for the owners, but also it is convenient

for the small animals. Pet owners also need to remember to feed the animals on time.

(Francis Veterinary Hospital P.C.)

Older Pets:

Pet owners can keep older pets healthy by giving them daily massages to relieve

stiffness and relax muscles. Also, pet owners must give them a soft ground to lie on, rather

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than the floor. It is good to use a cloth or a blanket to act as a soft ground.

Pet owners need to consider the pets’ feelings. They must try to make it easier for pets to

move around the house and when feeding it, make sure it is easy for pets to reach the food

as their bones are stiffer and unable to bend so well. It is advised for pet owners to place their

food at 2 feet above ground level.

Pet owners can help their pets to brush their teeth and wipe away their mucus. It is good

to help their pets to clean their ears and wipe the skin near their eyes gently.

(Ong, Making life easier for older pets, 2010)

2.5 How to ensure that homes are pet safe

To ensure that a home is pet safe, make sure that a pet has an adequate supply of water and

food if it lives outdoors. Other than that, pet owners are advised to bring their pets indoors

during hot days so that they won’t suffer from heat stroke. It is good for pet owners to have a

restriction as to where the pets can roam. This will help to discipline and control the pets. If a

pet lives indoor, pet owners are to ensure that there is no direct blasting from the air-cons or

fans to the pets. Also make sure there is no direct heat radiation on the pets. These will cause

discomfort and anxiety in the pet, causing them an early death. It is good for the pet owners to

provide a warm spot in the house where pets can retreat to when the weather gets bad

outdoor.

(Ong, Make your home pet-safe, 2010)

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3. Methodology

Our group went about collecting data and information using the following 4 methods:

1) Research on the Internet

2) Research on the Newspaper

3) Interviewing

4) Conducting a survey

3.1 Research on the Internet

The main reason that we use internet for the research is that it is convenient and time-

consuming. Every member in our group has computer and internet access, therefore we

thought that it will be convenient for everyone in the group and each of us will be able to do

our part. However, we could not fully depend on the information we get online as not all

sources are accurate. There are sources that are biased; therefore we still need other

sources for the findings.

3.2 Research on the Newspaper

We use newspaper reports for the research as they are more accurate sources

compare to the sources that can be obtained on the internet. Some of the articles are also

more detailed than what we find online.

3.3 Interviewing

We use the interviewing method for the research as we can obtain more detailed

information for the subject that we are researching about. Even though it is quite troublesome

to prepare the questions for the interview (as we need to decide whether the questions are

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good enough), the results that we get by using interviewing method is quite amazing, as we

get those information that neither the Internet nor newspaper reports covers.

3.4 Conducting a survey

We use the conducting a survey method as we want to know what others opinion are.

By doing this, we can try to think from several point of view and not just limited our research.

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4. Analysis and Discussion

Survey on SPCA Age Group -18 years old and above

79%

21%

Do you know what the SPCA does?

Yes,I know

No,I do not know

Result:

Most of the respondents know what SPCA does.

Reason:

SPCA had been publicizing itself greatly. Thus, most

of the respondents surveyed know the job of SPCA.

However, there are still a small percentage of

respondents who does not know what SPCA is or

what it does.

Our View:

We agree with the public’s perception as we found

flyers about animal abuse at the SPCA headquarter.

Some of us also received flyers at our doorsteps. This

shows that SPCA is doing their job in publicizing the

organization.

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81%

19%

Do you think that SPCA is pro-viding the animals with a clean

environment?

Yes,I think soNo,I do not think so

Result:

Most of the respondents think that SPCA is providing

animals with a clean environment.

Reason:

Respondents had visited or heard that SPCA is very

clean and provide the animals with a good

environment. The public thus had a positive

impression towards the service provided by SPCA.

Our View:

Yes, during our visit to the SPCA, we learnt that the

volunteers and the workers in SPCA clean the

animal’s cage every morning. When the animals dirty

the cage in the day, they would also immediately

clean up the cage. Hence, we agree that SPCA is

providing the animals with a clean environment.

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55%

45%

Do you think that there is lim-ited space and overcrowding

occurs for the animals in SPCA?


Result:

Respondents who think that there is limited space are

very close to the number of respondents who thinks

that there is enough space for the animals.

Reason:

This might be because as the cases of abuse to

animals are increasing, more and more animals are

bought to SPCA and they might not have enough

space to live, resulting in overcrowding.

Our View:

After our visit to SPCA, we definitely think that there

is limited space and overcrowding. When we were

allowed to enter the cage to interact with the animals,

we had hardly enough space to move at all. Some

dogs that are relatively large in size had trouble

moving about in the cages. We learnt that SPCA is

limited in funding and space hence they were not

able to provide huge cages.

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81%

19%

Do you think that SPCA is providing the animals com-

panion and care?


Result:

Most respondents think that SPCA is generally

providing the animals with a clean environment.

Reason:

The public had heard or know about animals which

had been taken care of and they are satisfied about

the service that is provided by SPCA.

Our View:

Yes, during our visit, we saw the workers chatting

and cleaning the animals with brushes. They are

loving towards the animals and they treat them as

their family members. The workers and volunteers

took the animals to walk every morning too. Hence,

we agree that SPCA provides the animals with care

and companionship.

79%

21%

Do You think SPCA is providing the animals with healthy and

proper meals?


Result:

Most respondents think that SPCA is providing the

animals with healthy and proper meals.

Reason:

The animals in SPCA all seem healthy and happy.

Also, the animals that died after the care of SPCA are

very little.

Our View:

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Yes, we learnt from the workers in SPCA that they

feed the animals 3 times a day. SPCA is particular

about the food and they provide the top quality food

for them.

91%

9%

Do you think SPCA is doing a good job being the saviors of the

poor animals?

Yes,I think so.No, I do not think so

Result:

Most respondents think that SPCA is generally doing

a good job being the saviors of the poor animals.

Reason:

Despite the increasing number of abuse cases,

SPCA is able to cope with the large number of

animals and is successful in providing the

animals with a healthy and happy environment.

Our View:

Yes, SPCA is doing a great job as the saviors

of these poor animals. They have providing a

clean and healthy environment for the

animals and they showed care and concern

for the animals. Hence, we agree with the

respondents.

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36%

64%

Is SPCA doing enough to pub-licize the plight of the animals?

Yes, they are.No, they are not.

Result:

Most respondents think that SPCA is not doing

enough to publicize the plight of the animals.

Reason:

People did not know much about SPCA until

the 1970’s with the help of the media. Since the

1980’s, pet care columns had been appearing in

newspapers. However that did not seem very

effective.

Our View:

We agree that SPCA is not doing enough to publicize

the plight of the animals. This is because SPCA has

limited funding. Their funds mainly come from

donations. Hence they were limited in publicizing.

62%

38%

Would you like to adopt the an-imals in SPCA if you were given

the chance?

Yes,I would like to do so.

No,I would not like to do so

Result:

Most respondents would like to adopt the animals in

SPCA if they were given the chance.

Reason:

SPCA promotes responsibility in taking care of

animals. Most people are aware of the plight of the

animals and are willing to take the responsibility to

care for these pitiful animals.

Our View:

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During our visit to SPCA, we learnt that the adoption

rate is extremely low. In 2009, SPCA adopted 7678

animals in total. However, only 1200 were adopted in

year 2009. Hence, we felt that there were not many

people who were willing to adopt the animals in

SPCA.

62%

38%

Would you like to help out in SPCA if you were given the

chance?

Yes, I would like to do so.

No, I would not like to do so.

Result:

Most respondents would like to help out in SPCA

If they were given the chance.

Reason:

Many people with compassion are willing to

help out in SPCA. Some people donate to

SPCA while others such as teens and students

volunteers physically to help take care of

these animals.

Our View:

We felt that there were many people who are

willing to help out in SPCA. After the visit to

SPCA, we learnt that SPCA has over 600

volunteers. Hence, this shows that there are

compassionate people out there who were

willing to help these poor animals.

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62%

38%

Would you leave an abandoned animal you found along the road

in the care of SPCA?

Yes, I would.

No, I would not.

Result:

Most respondents would leave an abandoned

animal you found along the road in the care of

SPCA.

Reason:

The respondents are generally confident in

SPCA’s ability to take great care of the

abandoned animal.

Our Views:

We learnt from SPCA that if they found an animal by

the road, they would take it back to the shelter if they

feel that the animal is unable to take care of itself.

However, if the animals are able to take care of itself,

It will be left by itself.

Conclusion: Overall, from this research, we found out that the overall perspective towards the

SPCA is positive. Just last year, SPCA adopted 7678 total amount of animals. However, only 1200

were adopted, which is 15% from the number of total animals, with some of the other animals

being put to rest by euthanasia. SPCA is limited in their funding as they are not funded by the

government. This disallows them to publicize the plight of these animals on a large scale. SPCA’s

funding mainly comes from donation drives. SPCA is currently organizing donation drives in hope

to raise enough funds to rent a newer and larger land. Currently, the cages where the pets were

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kept are limited in space, especially for the larger dogs such as the Dalmatians and huskies. We

also learn from the volunteers that they feed these pets 3times per day. In the morning, they clean

the cages regularly. However, when the pet dirties the cages in the day, the volunteers would

immediately clean up the cage. Hence, cages are kept clean at all times in SPCA. SPCA has a

strong background in terms of public support, with over600 volunteers and 30workers. Around

half of them are active volunteers that help the SPCA on a daily basis.

5. Limitations

1) Lack of teamwork.

This is one of the team minor problems. even though we will hand up the task assign each

week, there are still times which group members forgot to bring their work. . We overcome

this problem by giving them 2 reminders on the 2nd last and last day before we have our

project work. The reminder on the 2nd last day before project work is to remind them that they

need to do their task provided that they have not start yet, and the reminder on the day just

before the project work is use to remind them that they have to bring their work for project

work the next day.

2) Busy schedules.

Everyone had a different schedule, so it was hard to find a onetime where all the members

are free. Sometimes, even Saturdays and Sundays were booked for most of us. To overcome

this, we voted and picked one day where everyone have to meet up. This was especially

effective for the visit to the SPCA.

3) Too much of irrelevant information on the net.

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It was hard to summarize the information into critical points .This was mainly due to the fact

that there is a lot of information regarding to the same topic on the Internet. To solve this. We

decided to use only information that collaborates with one another.

4) Unfamiliar with some of the applications we are using.

Most of us did not know how to use “Prezi” properly. To overcome this, we just went to search

for a few tutorials and learn from them.

5) Limited tools in application that we are using.

We are unable to change the type and colours of the font alone as it will change the

background too. It caused a lot of trouble for us as we had wanted to use certain fonts to

highlight the crux of the presentation. To overcome this, we gave and took when doing the

presentation, changing the background constantly till we got a color we liked.

6) Lack of variety of photos taken in SPCA.

When we visited the SPCA for further interview with the education officer, we were shocked to

see how cramped and small the place was. This thus made it difficult for a variety of photos to

be taken. To overcome this, we decided to use the posters available there to supplement

some of the initial intended places to put the photos.

7) Credibility of statistics.

As our topic is for the SPCA in Singapore, it is difficult to find sources that consist only of

Singapore SPCA statistic and information. A lot of the sources are from the SPCA of other

country. To overcome this, we checked the information with reliable sources and ensured that

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the statistics was local and not from overseas, as we did not want misleading statistics, we

also use newspaper articles to provide the information.

6. Contribution to the wider community

The research on the public perception of SPCA shows that SPCA is providing care,

companionship as well as a clean environment for the animals. This shows that SPCA is

doing a good job. Since SPCA is doing quite a good job, we can told the public that it is safe

to call SPCA if they see any injured or cruelty cases towards animals. We can also tell them

to adopt pets from SPCA as they are quite clean and not as dirty as what other people think.

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Appendix

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Bibliography

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Audubon Society of Portland:

http://audubonportland.org/backyardwildlife/brochures/abandonment

Francis Veterinary Hospital P.C. (n.d.). Francis Veterinary Hospital P.C. Retrieved May 23, 2010,

from Francis Veterinary Hospital P.C.: http://www.francisvet.com/education.php

Ong, A. (2010, May 2). Make your home pet-safe. THE SUNDAY TIMES-Pets Corner , C3.

Ong, A. (2010, April 18). Making life easier for older pets. THE SUNDAY TIMES-Pets Corner ,

C3.

Ontario SPCA. (2009). What is animal cruelty. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Ontario Society for

the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.ontariospca.ca/1-whatis.shtml

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OF DECEMBER. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty

to Animal: http://www.spca.org.sg/documents/crueltyinvestigationreportdec2009.pdf

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public perception of spca

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