SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) said on Sunday (Nov 16) an "acceptable" amount of force was used in a recent trapping of three stray dogs at a Seletar farm, after animal rights groups alleged rough handling and mistreatment.
NParks said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of NParks, had deployed a contractor to trap and remove free-roaming dogs at Seletar West Farmway 8 for safety reasons after incidents of dog biting and chasing were reported in the area.
"AVS has assessed that the amount of force used during the restraint of the dogs was within acceptable parameters, considering the dogs' history of aggression, hence the urgency to secure these dogs promptly and safely," said NParks' Dr Anna Wong.
"Trapping was achieved with reasonable force to safely secure the dogs, and all equipment deployed supports humane handling practices."
In a video posted online of the incident, which took place on Friday, a brown dog is shown in the foyer of a building with a catch pole around its neck.
The dog barks and attempts to escape the catch pole while a man continues to control the pole, and his colleagues bring in a cage.
The men then lift the dog and place it in the cage.
In another video, two men are shown pushing a dog’s head with poles as they attempt to close the hatch on the dog's cage.
"The videos and photos circulating online have caused widespread public distress," said animal welfare organisation Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore in a Facebook post on Sunday.
"One dog was seen biting the pole in panic, with visible blood stains and faeces indicating extreme fear and stress. Another appeared unable to sit inside the crate, while a third was confined in a crate far too small for its size.
"These images are heartbreaking and raise serious questions about the methods and mindset behind such operations," said the group.
"Couldn't the NParks-appointed vendor have adopted a more humane, thoughtful and coordinated approach?" they asked.
Causes for Animals Singapore, another animal welfare group, questioned if NPark's use of force was justified, claiming it had sterilised most of the dogs in the area over the years via patient and humane trapping.
Both groups also raised concerns about whether NParks had made sufficient effort to identify the dogs in the biting incidents.
A dog is captured during a stray dog trapping operation at Seletar West Farmway 8 on Nov 14, 2025. (Image: Facebook/Causes for Animals - Singapore)
Responding to queries from CNA, Dr Wong, the group director of community animal management at AVS, said on Sunday that there were four incidents of dog biting and chasing in the area from May to November this year, including two within a span of six days this month.
In one incident in May, a victim was cycling along Seletar West Farmway 8 when three dogs appeared behind him and another dog emerged from the farm. The dogs chased and barked at him, with one dog biting his right calf as he cycled away, Dr Wong said.
In another incident in October, a victim was looking at the outdoor display plants within the farm when three dogs resting under tentage suddenly ran up to him. One of the dogs bit his right thigh without provocation or warning.
"These incidents resulted in injuries to members of the public, with injuries ranging from scratches to puncture wounds requiring medical attention," said Dr Wong.
"Given the escalating pattern of incidents and potential risks to public safety, intervention became necessary."
Dr Wong added that enclosure trapping was not viable due to the time required and the presence of alternative food sources that would compromise bait effectiveness.
After the farm clarified that it did not own the dogs and agreed to their removal for safety reasons, an animal management contractor was then deployed on Friday to conduct trapping operations, under the supervision of AVS staff members.
The contractor used restraining poles to secure the dogs during the operations, due to the earlier bite incidents and the high risk they posed to public safety.
"The use of these poles (is) in line with international practices such as those mentioned in guidelines developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health on stray dog population control," said Dr Wong.
"No uncovered wire loops or other potentially harmful devices were used during the trapping process," she said, adding that restraint procedures were carried out with due consideration for both animal welfare and personnel safety.
AVS staff were also present on-site throughout the operation, she said.
NParks said the contractor did not use a catch pole to lift the dog up, after one of the videos of the incident being circulated appeared to show that he did so.
"Based on our review of the video footage, the contractor used a catch pole to guide the dog's head toward the carrier while another staff (member) provided support to lift the dog's hind legs to facilitate safe transfer," said Dr Wong.
"The catch pole was not used to lift or suspend the dog at any point during the operation. This technique is a standard dog handling procedure to minimise stress on the animal while ensuring safe containment."
Responding to online comments that contractors were pushing a dog's head with poles, Dr Wong said the dog had bitten and latched onto both the catch pole and snare pole during the restraining process.
As such, the contractor's actions were a "necessary response" to safely disengage the dog's grip on the poles.
"The contractor applied controlled pressure to the poles to loosen the dog's bite and reduce tension on the restraining devices. This was carried out to prevent injury to both the dog and the contractor by avoiding forceful pulling that could cause harm to the dog's mouth or neck," said Dr Wong.
"The manoeuvre was carried out with full regard for both animal welfare and personnel safety."
Following the dogs' capture, two of the victims confirmed that one of the dogs had bitten them in separate incidents, while the two other dogs had chased one of the victims.
The three dogs are currently in AVS' care.
"AVS will continue to monitor these dogs before assessing their suitability for rehoming under the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme," said Dr Wong.
"Members of the public who are interested to adopt dogs from the programme can approach our TNRM rehoming partners."
Continue reading...
NParks said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of NParks, had deployed a contractor to trap and remove free-roaming dogs at Seletar West Farmway 8 for safety reasons after incidents of dog biting and chasing were reported in the area.
"AVS has assessed that the amount of force used during the restraint of the dogs was within acceptable parameters, considering the dogs' history of aggression, hence the urgency to secure these dogs promptly and safely," said NParks' Dr Anna Wong.
"Trapping was achieved with reasonable force to safely secure the dogs, and all equipment deployed supports humane handling practices."
In a video posted online of the incident, which took place on Friday, a brown dog is shown in the foyer of a building with a catch pole around its neck.
The dog barks and attempts to escape the catch pole while a man continues to control the pole, and his colleagues bring in a cage.
The men then lift the dog and place it in the cage.
In another video, two men are shown pushing a dog’s head with poles as they attempt to close the hatch on the dog's cage.
"The videos and photos circulating online have caused widespread public distress," said animal welfare organisation Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore in a Facebook post on Sunday.
"One dog was seen biting the pole in panic, with visible blood stains and faeces indicating extreme fear and stress. Another appeared unable to sit inside the crate, while a third was confined in a crate far too small for its size.
"These images are heartbreaking and raise serious questions about the methods and mindset behind such operations," said the group.
"Couldn't the NParks-appointed vendor have adopted a more humane, thoughtful and coordinated approach?" they asked.
Causes for Animals Singapore, another animal welfare group, questioned if NPark's use of force was justified, claiming it had sterilised most of the dogs in the area over the years via patient and humane trapping.
Both groups also raised concerns about whether NParks had made sufficient effort to identify the dogs in the biting incidents.
A dog is captured during a stray dog trapping operation at Seletar West Farmway 8 on Nov 14, 2025. (Image: Facebook/Causes for Animals - Singapore)
"ESCALATING PATTERN OF INCIDENTS"
Responding to queries from CNA, Dr Wong, the group director of community animal management at AVS, said on Sunday that there were four incidents of dog biting and chasing in the area from May to November this year, including two within a span of six days this month.
In one incident in May, a victim was cycling along Seletar West Farmway 8 when three dogs appeared behind him and another dog emerged from the farm. The dogs chased and barked at him, with one dog biting his right calf as he cycled away, Dr Wong said.
In another incident in October, a victim was looking at the outdoor display plants within the farm when three dogs resting under tentage suddenly ran up to him. One of the dogs bit his right thigh without provocation or warning.
"These incidents resulted in injuries to members of the public, with injuries ranging from scratches to puncture wounds requiring medical attention," said Dr Wong.
"Given the escalating pattern of incidents and potential risks to public safety, intervention became necessary."
Dr Wong added that enclosure trapping was not viable due to the time required and the presence of alternative food sources that would compromise bait effectiveness.
After the farm clarified that it did not own the dogs and agreed to their removal for safety reasons, an animal management contractor was then deployed on Friday to conduct trapping operations, under the supervision of AVS staff members.
The contractor used restraining poles to secure the dogs during the operations, due to the earlier bite incidents and the high risk they posed to public safety.
"The use of these poles (is) in line with international practices such as those mentioned in guidelines developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health on stray dog population control," said Dr Wong.
"No uncovered wire loops or other potentially harmful devices were used during the trapping process," she said, adding that restraint procedures were carried out with due consideration for both animal welfare and personnel safety.
AVS staff were also present on-site throughout the operation, she said.
Also read:
ONLINE CRITICISM
NParks said the contractor did not use a catch pole to lift the dog up, after one of the videos of the incident being circulated appeared to show that he did so.
"Based on our review of the video footage, the contractor used a catch pole to guide the dog's head toward the carrier while another staff (member) provided support to lift the dog's hind legs to facilitate safe transfer," said Dr Wong.
"The catch pole was not used to lift or suspend the dog at any point during the operation. This technique is a standard dog handling procedure to minimise stress on the animal while ensuring safe containment."
Responding to online comments that contractors were pushing a dog's head with poles, Dr Wong said the dog had bitten and latched onto both the catch pole and snare pole during the restraining process.
As such, the contractor's actions were a "necessary response" to safely disengage the dog's grip on the poles.
"The contractor applied controlled pressure to the poles to loosen the dog's bite and reduce tension on the restraining devices. This was carried out to prevent injury to both the dog and the contractor by avoiding forceful pulling that could cause harm to the dog's mouth or neck," said Dr Wong.
"The manoeuvre was carried out with full regard for both animal welfare and personnel safety."
Following the dogs' capture, two of the victims confirmed that one of the dogs had bitten them in separate incidents, while the two other dogs had chased one of the victims.
The three dogs are currently in AVS' care.
"AVS will continue to monitor these dogs before assessing their suitability for rehoming under the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme," said Dr Wong.
"Members of the public who are interested to adopt dogs from the programme can approach our TNRM rehoming partners."
Continue reading...