SINGAPORE: Cases involving animal cruelty and welfare in Singapore fell in 2025 from a 12-year high of 961 cases in 2024, a dip the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) described as “encouraging” on Monday (Feb 2).
However, the 608 confirmed cases remain an “alarming” figure, especially as they represent only cases that SPCA is aware of, with nationwide numbers likely to be higher, the animal welfare group said in its report.
Of the 608 cases last year, 138 (22.7 per cent) involved animal cruelty or abuse, while the remaining 470 (77.3 per cent) had to do with poor welfare or neglect.
Cruelty or abuse refers to the intentional infliction of pain, suffering, or death on an animal, while welfare or neglect cases involve a failure to meet basic needs, resulting in poor living conditions and suffering.
A total of 1,584 animals made up the cruelty or welfare cases in 2025, of which a majority (881) were cats. This was followed by dogs (323), fishes or terrapins (117), birds (110) and small rodents comprising hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas and guinea pigs (70). There were also 53 rabbits and 30 other animals classified as wildlife in the list.
SPCA defines animal cruelty to include abandonment, physical abuse, road traffic incidents, inhumane trapping and exposure to aversive training methods.
The 138 cases of cruelty in 2025 involved 215 animals, said SPCA. Abandonment was the most common form of cruelty with 58 cases, followed by physical abuse at 35 cases.
Like in 2024, cats again formed the majority of animals abandoned.
In one case cited by the SPCA, 13 cats were found in Boon Lay in January 2025, making it likely they came from the same source due to their similar physical appearance and the coincidental timing of their discovery.
According to SPCA, pedigree dogs are highly sought after as "cute" puppies, but are often abandoned in old age due to multiple health issues related to breeding practices.
It was alerted in August last year to an abandoned 15-year-old silky terrier that had matted fur all over its body, as well as a knee condition directly related to breeding.
"When people buy pedigree pets for their physical appearance but without consideration of their long-term health requirements, this increases the chance of abandonment when the pet grows older and veterinary fees skyrocket," SPCA said.
For small animals like hamsters, SPCA noted that they can be easily bought and just as easily discarded since microchipping and licensing rules do not apply to them. In one case, SPCA was alerted to two hamsters roaming freely on Coney Island in October 2025.
"Small animals are extremely fragile and cannot survive on their own for long. Unlike community cats and dogs who reside in our neighbourhoods, rabbits and hamsters do not naturally exist in our community or in the wild," said SPCA.
It added that seeing such animals outdoors is a "red flag" that they are lost or abandoned, and urged members of the public to seek immediate help to maximise their chances of survival.
For physical abuse cases, SPCA noted that it frequently occurs under the guise or misguided notion of disciplining and training animals to behave.
One such case made the news, with a man seen hitting his dog with a walking stick, pulling it by the leash and forcefully lifting it by the collar. An eyewitness said the abuse had been occurring several times a week for at least three years.
The man told SPCA inspectors that he had physical ailments which made walking his two dogs uncomfortable for him, so he resorted to hitting and pulling to control them. Both dogs were subsequently rehomed.
"Unfortunately, punitive methods are still a tempting (though false) 'quick fix' as they seem to eliminate the undesired behaviour on the surface. But the lingering undercurrents are still there and will find other ways to emerge, perhaps in behaviours that are less safe," said SPCA.
It added that children are at risk of learning such behaviour when their parents physically abuse animals. Other people may also engage in such abusive actions for "unacceptable" social media content.
The SPCA cited an incident late last year involving local influencer Eunice Ng, who goes by the online moniker “Mermaid Girl”, after videos she uploaded allegedly showed her abusing her dog, including hitting it with a hanger. The case was escalated to the National Parks Board (NParks) and is under investigation.
SPCA investigated 470 cases of poor welfare in 2025, involving 1,369 animals.
This took the form of dissatisfactory living conditions, high-rise syndrome (pets falling from height due to failure to secure the home environment), animal hoarding, neglected medical conditions, as well as pets left unattended or allowed to run freely outdoors.
Dissatisfactory living conditions were the most common at 233 cases, followed by high-rise syndrome at 88. Pets being left unattended came in third at 41 cases.
In one case, SPCA was alerted to a malamute, which was confined in a filthy enclosure at what appeared to resemble a former pet boarding house. The group noted it was filled with urine and faeces, putting the dog at high risk of illness from contamination. The dog was seized and investigations by NParks are ongoing.
For high-rise syndrome, SPCA noted that most of the reported cases involved owners who did not mesh their windows. It added that while cats are common victims, other animals can also fall from height.
"Such cases are increasingly worrying, especially as we approach two years since the legalisation of keeping pet cats in HDB flats. If cat-proofing awareness and behaviour do not keep pace with the number of households having cats, this can lead to dire consequences," said SPCA.
"Many lives can be saved simply by securing all entryways to the house."
It added that high-rise syndrome affects community cats as well, often because residents living on the upper floors of Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks feed them there.
SPCA advised that any feeding of community cats should be done in safe areas, such as on the ground level and away from areas with high human footfall.
SPCA also investigated 47 cases of errant practices by pet businesses in 2025, including backyard breeders, pet shops, groomers and daycare or boarding facilities.
In particular, it noted that cases involving backyard breeders and pet shops have increased compared to the preceding year, suggesting the need for stronger legislation and enforcement.
Of the 47 errant practices cases, 31 of them involved backyard breeding, while 11 of them had to do with pet shops - an increase from 29 and seven cases respectively in 2024.
"Breeding and sale of animals can never be ethical as it involves some degree of suffering, whether from poor welfare at the facility or by producing more animals when there is already an overpopulation of homeless animals," said SPCA.
It added that backyard breeders and unlicensed sellers pose challenges as they are not subject to licensing conditions, urging stronger enforcement to protect animal welfare.
Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said last month that the Ministry of National Development will consider requiring pet grooming businesses to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in their premises as part of an ongoing review of the Animals and Birds Act.
The review is part of efforts to strengthen safeguards on public health and safety, as well as animal health and welfare. It covers a review of the penalty framework to ensure that it remains effective in deterring acts of animal cruelty and abuse.
In its report, SPCA called for continued public education to reduce the demand for pets who are bought, as well as holding licensed pet businesses to greater accountability and taking swift action against unlicensed sources.
SPCA said that it had worked with the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) to propose recommendations in the White Paper on Strengthening Protections for Animal Welfare.
These include increasing animal welfare standards among licensed pet breeders, imposing rules on online platforms to curb unlicensed advertisements or sale of animals, and imposing a minimum age requirement of 16 to buy animals.
SPCA cited a couple who were each fined S$52,500 and jailed for a week in November 2025 for illegally breeding 30 ragdoll kittens in the span of a year. They had created a website and social media accounts to advertise the sale of the cats.
SPCA noted that such sentences could pave the way for stronger deterrence and to better protection animals.
"For example, future penalties could be revised upwards to consider the degree of harm (as our knowledge of animal sentience grows), as well as the burden of care that gets passed on to the entity who takes custody of the affected animals," it said.
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However, the 608 confirmed cases remain an “alarming” figure, especially as they represent only cases that SPCA is aware of, with nationwide numbers likely to be higher, the animal welfare group said in its report.
Of the 608 cases last year, 138 (22.7 per cent) involved animal cruelty or abuse, while the remaining 470 (77.3 per cent) had to do with poor welfare or neglect.
Cruelty or abuse refers to the intentional infliction of pain, suffering, or death on an animal, while welfare or neglect cases involve a failure to meet basic needs, resulting in poor living conditions and suffering.
A total of 1,584 animals made up the cruelty or welfare cases in 2025, of which a majority (881) were cats. This was followed by dogs (323), fishes or terrapins (117), birds (110) and small rodents comprising hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas and guinea pigs (70). There were also 53 rabbits and 30 other animals classified as wildlife in the list.
ANIMAL CRUELTY
SPCA defines animal cruelty to include abandonment, physical abuse, road traffic incidents, inhumane trapping and exposure to aversive training methods.
The 138 cases of cruelty in 2025 involved 215 animals, said SPCA. Abandonment was the most common form of cruelty with 58 cases, followed by physical abuse at 35 cases.
Like in 2024, cats again formed the majority of animals abandoned.
In one case cited by the SPCA, 13 cats were found in Boon Lay in January 2025, making it likely they came from the same source due to their similar physical appearance and the coincidental timing of their discovery.
According to SPCA, pedigree dogs are highly sought after as "cute" puppies, but are often abandoned in old age due to multiple health issues related to breeding practices.
It was alerted in August last year to an abandoned 15-year-old silky terrier that had matted fur all over its body, as well as a knee condition directly related to breeding.
"When people buy pedigree pets for their physical appearance but without consideration of their long-term health requirements, this increases the chance of abandonment when the pet grows older and veterinary fees skyrocket," SPCA said.
For small animals like hamsters, SPCA noted that they can be easily bought and just as easily discarded since microchipping and licensing rules do not apply to them. In one case, SPCA was alerted to two hamsters roaming freely on Coney Island in October 2025.
"Small animals are extremely fragile and cannot survive on their own for long. Unlike community cats and dogs who reside in our neighbourhoods, rabbits and hamsters do not naturally exist in our community or in the wild," said SPCA.
It added that seeing such animals outdoors is a "red flag" that they are lost or abandoned, and urged members of the public to seek immediate help to maximise their chances of survival.
For physical abuse cases, SPCA noted that it frequently occurs under the guise or misguided notion of disciplining and training animals to behave.
One such case made the news, with a man seen hitting his dog with a walking stick, pulling it by the leash and forcefully lifting it by the collar. An eyewitness said the abuse had been occurring several times a week for at least three years.
The man told SPCA inspectors that he had physical ailments which made walking his two dogs uncomfortable for him, so he resorted to hitting and pulling to control them. Both dogs were subsequently rehomed.
"Unfortunately, punitive methods are still a tempting (though false) 'quick fix' as they seem to eliminate the undesired behaviour on the surface. But the lingering undercurrents are still there and will find other ways to emerge, perhaps in behaviours that are less safe," said SPCA.
It added that children are at risk of learning such behaviour when their parents physically abuse animals. Other people may also engage in such abusive actions for "unacceptable" social media content.
The SPCA cited an incident late last year involving local influencer Eunice Ng, who goes by the online moniker “Mermaid Girl”, after videos she uploaded allegedly showed her abusing her dog, including hitting it with a hanger. The case was escalated to the National Parks Board (NParks) and is under investigation.
Related:
POOR WELFARE AND NEGLECT
SPCA investigated 470 cases of poor welfare in 2025, involving 1,369 animals.
This took the form of dissatisfactory living conditions, high-rise syndrome (pets falling from height due to failure to secure the home environment), animal hoarding, neglected medical conditions, as well as pets left unattended or allowed to run freely outdoors.
Dissatisfactory living conditions were the most common at 233 cases, followed by high-rise syndrome at 88. Pets being left unattended came in third at 41 cases.
In one case, SPCA was alerted to a malamute, which was confined in a filthy enclosure at what appeared to resemble a former pet boarding house. The group noted it was filled with urine and faeces, putting the dog at high risk of illness from contamination. The dog was seized and investigations by NParks are ongoing.
For high-rise syndrome, SPCA noted that most of the reported cases involved owners who did not mesh their windows. It added that while cats are common victims, other animals can also fall from height.
"Such cases are increasingly worrying, especially as we approach two years since the legalisation of keeping pet cats in HDB flats. If cat-proofing awareness and behaviour do not keep pace with the number of households having cats, this can lead to dire consequences," said SPCA.
"Many lives can be saved simply by securing all entryways to the house."
It added that high-rise syndrome affects community cats as well, often because residents living on the upper floors of Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks feed them there.
SPCA advised that any feeding of community cats should be done in safe areas, such as on the ground level and away from areas with high human footfall.
Related:
ERRANT PET BUSINESSES
SPCA also investigated 47 cases of errant practices by pet businesses in 2025, including backyard breeders, pet shops, groomers and daycare or boarding facilities.
In particular, it noted that cases involving backyard breeders and pet shops have increased compared to the preceding year, suggesting the need for stronger legislation and enforcement.
Of the 47 errant practices cases, 31 of them involved backyard breeding, while 11 of them had to do with pet shops - an increase from 29 and seven cases respectively in 2024.
"Breeding and sale of animals can never be ethical as it involves some degree of suffering, whether from poor welfare at the facility or by producing more animals when there is already an overpopulation of homeless animals," said SPCA.
It added that backyard breeders and unlicensed sellers pose challenges as they are not subject to licensing conditions, urging stronger enforcement to protect animal welfare.
Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said last month that the Ministry of National Development will consider requiring pet grooming businesses to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in their premises as part of an ongoing review of the Animals and Birds Act.
The review is part of efforts to strengthen safeguards on public health and safety, as well as animal health and welfare. It covers a review of the penalty framework to ensure that it remains effective in deterring acts of animal cruelty and abuse.
ANIMAL WELFARE
In its report, SPCA called for continued public education to reduce the demand for pets who are bought, as well as holding licensed pet businesses to greater accountability and taking swift action against unlicensed sources.
SPCA said that it had worked with the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) to propose recommendations in the White Paper on Strengthening Protections for Animal Welfare.
These include increasing animal welfare standards among licensed pet breeders, imposing rules on online platforms to curb unlicensed advertisements or sale of animals, and imposing a minimum age requirement of 16 to buy animals.
SPCA cited a couple who were each fined S$52,500 and jailed for a week in November 2025 for illegally breeding 30 ragdoll kittens in the span of a year. They had created a website and social media accounts to advertise the sale of the cats.
SPCA noted that such sentences could pave the way for stronger deterrence and to better protection animals.
"For example, future penalties could be revised upwards to consider the degree of harm (as our knowledge of animal sentience grows), as well as the burden of care that gets passed on to the entity who takes custody of the affected animals," it said.
Related:
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