Charleen Teh, Author at Goody Feed

Becoming a pet owner should never be a decision made out of impulse. Every pet owner needs to fundamentally understand that their pets are dependent on them for survival, be it proper shelter, sustenance, and general caretaking. Their lives are in your hands. Unfortunately, one owner bit off more than they could chew and decided to abandon all of their hamsters to a fate of slow death by dehydration and starvation. There are some graphic images ahead, viewers' discretion is advised. Neglected Hamsters Found in Hougang Last Saturday (4 June), Hamster Society Singapore made an Instagram post about a group of neglected hamsters that they were alerted to at the corner of Block 709 Hougang Avenue 2. Image: instagram.com (@hamstersociety.sg) They stated that the organisation typically didn’t interfere with such cases, but they had no other choice when they heard that these Syrian and Dwarf Hamsters have not been fed food or water for days. The post read, “When the volunteers arrived, it was even worse than described.” Frankly, that is an understatement. The volunteers discovered that there were dead and rotting hamsters amongst the living, their carcasses filled with maggots and nearly mummified by the 36-degree Celsius heat wave that Singapore is currently experiencing. Their corpses were not removed and left to decay out in the open. Image: instagram.com (@hamstersociety.sg) The cages were emitting the stench of death and ammonia from all the piss and faeces. It was also pretty telling of how long they had been abandoned. Worse, the surviving hamsters had to live with the dead cage mates, and judging from the hollowed and bony state of the deceased animals, it’s suspected that they were cannibalised. Image: instagram.com (@hamstersociety.sg) Though some passers-by were kind enough to offer some fruit and water from their houses, the surviving hamsters were clearly very desperate for nutrition as they wolfed down everything. Besides these small bits of charity, the hamsters didn’t have any access to clean water to combat the tropical heat, and suffered for it. Join our Telegram channel for more entertaining and informative articles at https://t.me/goodyfeedsg or download the Goody Feed app here: https://goodyfeed.com/app/ The Surviving Hamsters Rescued The total number of hamsters found at the scene was not stated, but four of them were successfully rescued. Image: instagram.com (@hamstersociety.sg) Hamster Society Singapore asserted that the survivors have been sent to the veterinarian, and the relevant authorities have been contacted to investigate this case. The surviving hamsters will be split into foster homes for proper care, though it’s uncertain if they will reach a point where they can be adopted again. Image: instagram.com (@hamstersociety.sg) The hamsters will remain in quarantine while undergoing assessment. The Animal Veterinary Service (AVS) under the National Parks Board is responsible for investigating cases of animal cruelty in Singapore, which includes pet abandonment. Any owner that is convicted of failing in their duty to care for their pets may be fined up to $10,000, given a 12-month jail sentence, or both, for first-time offenders. Persons caught committing an act of animal cruelty are liable to a maximum fine of $15,000, 18 months in jail, or both, for first convictions. Read Also: There’s a New Cat Place for You to Play With Rescued Cats for $15/hr; Adoption Options also Available Woman Who Left 2 Dogs to Die in Car After Being Distracted by Social Media Fined $8,000 Resident Keeps Over 10 Birds in His HDB Flat That Often Make Noise at 5am & 12am Resident’s Unit Number Scribbled on Wall Not Due to Loan Sharks But Due to Dog Poo Featured Image: Instagram (@hamstersociety.sg)