Authorities Seized 29 Cats from Illegal Breeder After Tip-Off From a Member of the Public

The AVS has just seized 29 cats from an illegal breeder on Sunday (9 January), and here’s why you shouldn’t buy your pets from Telegram.

AVS Tipped Off By Member of the Public

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) received a tip-off from a member of the public on 6 January about unlicensed breeding and selling of cats. They inspected a 58-year-old woman’s residence and seized 29 cats.

From the residence, there were 14 female cats, 10 male cats and five kittens. A pregnant cat, a nursing female cat and her kittens were sent to a clinic for observation. The remaining cats are being cared for in the Animal Management Centre by AVS, where vets have confirmed that they’re in good condition.

Pets From Unlicensed Sources Could Be Smuggled and Carry Diseases

The National Parks Board (NParks) reminded the public on Thursday (13 January) to only buy pets from licensed pet shops. These shops are legally required to get animals from regulated sources and keep records for each animal they kept.

This ensures that the health status of these animals is known and that they do not carry diseases, unlike pets from unlicensed sources.

Additionally, pets from these unlicensed sources could have also been smuggled in, or not bred according to the standards of animal health and care.

These illegal practices are detrimental to the animals’ health, and the public should not buy from these sources.

Similar Cases of Illegal Breeding and Selling in Recent Years

A man was fined $3,000 in March 2021 for selling fighting fish via Telegram, as well as keeping bearded dragons in his apartment.

In June 2021, another man was charged with rearing 25 chickens in his flat-turned-unlicensed-farm, and for selling them from his home.

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Fun fact: you can keep chickens as pets, but only up to 10. According to the Animals and Birds Act, no person can keep more than 10 non-commercial poultry animals on any property. (It is illegal to keep chickens in HDB flats though.)

But 25 chickens? With chickens’ propensity to…poop and squawk everywhere, it seriously sounds super nasty and noisy. Not to mention how crowded the chickens would be in one flat.

Moral of the story: don’t buy your pets from Telegram or online stores. You would never know that your cute kitten was squashed with 28 other cats in one house.

Those found using properties as a farm without a licence could face a maximum fine of $10,000, and/or one year in prison under the Animals and Birds Act.

Those found guilty of rearing animals for sale without a licence could face a maximum fine of $5,000, and/or half a year of jail.

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Featured Image: National Parks Board