YOUTHS OF SINGAPORE

The growing trend of pet abandonment in Singapore is often said to be related to the rising affluence in Singapore. I feel that this statement isn’t completely false, yet I wouldn’t completely agree with it.

 

As stated in MyPaper, it is said by Mr Ricky Yeo, president of animal welfare group Action for Singapore Dogs, that the number of stray and abandoned dogs has been increasing by 20 to 30 per cent each year. Also, there is also a 10 per cent increase in rabbit abandonment every year, as shared by the president of the House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS), Ms Betty Tan.

 

Our financial growth, is obvious for all to see. Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rose from $163 billion to $304 billion from 2000 to 2010. As the GDP represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period, it clearly shows the rising affluence in Singapore.

 

As seen from the statistics, pet abandonment did increase throughout the years, and of course, the rising affluence in Singapore. While some may still argue that the two may not be related, I feel that the rising affluence would definitely affect the increasing cases of pet abandonment.

 

With rising affluence, people now are able to easily purchase pets without much consideration for the future. As a dog from dog farms may cost $800 to $1000 or more, while adopting dogs may cost from just $70 to about $350. A hamster may cost from just $50, which is very affordable for any Singaporean now. It is not uncommon to see parents buying their child a pet without much long term consideration for the pet’s future, as it wouldn’t cost them a lot. Where in this generation, people get bored easily, they may lose interest in their pet quickly for another gadget, it may result in them abandoning their pets. Compared to the past, where even $50 may be a large sum of money, people would definitely cherish their pets more with how much they had to save for their pet.

 

With that being said, I do not think that it is purely because of the rising affluence that caused the growing trend of pet abandonment in Singapore. What I feel, is that due to the rising affluence, Singaporeans tend to be ignorant towards the responsibilities of having a pet. Because it is so affordable to purchase a pet now, people tend to not consider about the responsibilities of having a pet. When they find it too difficult to take care of their pet, they may end up neglecting it, and even abandoning it. I would think that such behaviour is due to how easy it was to get the pet, for the easier you attain something, the less you cherish it.

 

Although I wouldn’t agree that the cause of the growing trend in pet abandonment is completely due to the rising affluence, I would feel that it did affect it somehow or other.