Dogs up to 55cm tall, regardless of its weight, can now be rehomed to HDB flats, which is an improvement from the height and weight limitations of 50cm and 15kg previously.
HDB flat owners in Singapore can now house bigger dogs under Project Adore, a government scheme that revised the size criteria for adopting local mixed-breed canines, reported The Straits Times.
According to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), dogs up to 55cm tall, regardless of its weight, can now be rehomed to HDB flats.
This is an improvement from the previous policy which imposes height and weight limitations of 50cm and up to 15kg, respectively.
Project Adore, which began in 2012, enables HDB dwellers to adopt a local mixed-breed dog, which is typically larger in size than other breeds approved by HDB via property documentation and measures in place.
The dogs, which cannot be bought from breeders or shops, must be from one of five participating welfare groups – namely, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Save Our Street Dogs, Exclusively Mongrels, Action for Singapore Dogs and Causes for Animals.
Stray dogs are brought to vet clinics or the clinic of SPCA to be vaccinated, sterilised and microchipped before being put up for adoption through the animal welfare groups.
AVS, which is under the National Parks Board, estimates that an additional 50 dogs, on top of the average of 250 dogs, can be rehomed each year under the new changes.
The new size criteria will be assessed in a two-year pilot.
As of 31 December 2019, the scheme saw 1,335 local mixed-breed dogs rehomed.
The AVS also revealed that the K9 public adoption scheme, which enables the adoption of retired sniffer dogs, will be extended for another two years because there were no available canines during the initial one-year pilot.
Potential adopters will be scrutinized and required to adhere to stringent ownership conditions, including sterilising, undergoing obedience training courses and routine vaccinations.
For instance, dog lovers Brenda Chong and husband Heah Yong Chian adopted three-year-old Belle from Causes for Animals in August 2018 under Project Adore. The dog, who was once a stray in Tuas, now lives with the couple in their three-room flat in Telok Blangah.
“In the beginning, she was a little reserved because she has never been in a home before but now, she is very comfortable. We know, because she makes yawning noises and likes to sleep everywhere, including our bed,” shared Chong.
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Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg