PET ABANDONMENT DUE TO INCREASING AFFLUENCE?

The growing trend of pet abandonment in Singapore is often said to be related to the rising affluence in Singapore. While this statement may not be completely true, it does hold some facts to 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 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.

While the statistics above does show the increasing trend in pet abandonment, Singapore have also grown from a third world country to a first world country.

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.

While some may still argue that the two may not be related, people getting more prosperous 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. 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, it may not purely be because of the rising affluence that caused the growing trend of pet abandonment in Singapore. 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. Such behaviour may be due to how easy it was to get the pet, for the easier you attain something, the less you cherish it.

Although the cause of the growing trend in pet abandonment may not be completely due to the people being richer, it may affect it somehow or other.