Such signboard is offensive to residents who volunteer themselves to manage the cats in the neighbourhood with TnRM but who also feed cats responsibly.
Such signboard can result in harrassment of responsible cat feeders.
The sinister-looking black cat in this signboard only serves to increase the prejudice against cats and even encourage psychotic cat abusers into putting their hatred into action.
Please write to the GM of Hong Kah Town Council, Ms Christina Goh, at christinagoh@hktc.org.sg to remove this signboard and put up Responsible Feeding posters from either the CWS or the SPCA.
3-Step Responsible Feeding
Responsible Feeding Brochure (Front)
Responsible Feeding Brochure (Back)
Today Online 18 Nov 05
No strays = social responsibility
Letter from Geraldine Soh Geok Lian
During a visit to the Social Responsibility Carnival organised by the Tampines Town Council on Nov 12, I was taken a back by two posters.
...
There was a gigantic blue check mark on a poster bearing the words "An Estate Where There Is No Strays" (picture), while a "Feeding Stray Cat" poster, which featured a sterilised stray cat eating neatly off a newspaper, was marked with a huge red cross.
Maintaining an estate devoid of cats does not equate with social responsibility. Neither is feeding strays socially irresponsible.
As a country with first-world infrastructure, the Town Council's aim of a stray-less Tampines shows Singapore's backward mentality. The anti-cat stance harks back to medieval Europe's prosecution of cats, which were branded as heretical due to their role in "pagan" worship.
In the same period that the church sponsored the Grand Inquisition, cats were tortured. Europe's cat population shrank to less than 10 per cent of its former numbers.
Ironically, the Black Death brought a brief respite to such persecution in the 14th century. Cats rapidly multiplied and attacked the plentiful food supply: the plague-carrying rats. There is evidence that the plague (that claimed two-thirds of Europe's population) ended partly due to the rise in the number of cats.
Similarly, after the Agri-Veterinary Authority cancelled the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme in 2003 and culled more cats, a rat extermination drive was launched later that year. More taxpayers' money was spent as a result.
Studies have shown the benefits of interaction with animals and how children exposed to pets develop tolerance, compassion and social responsibility. Unfortunately, the carnival instilled negative values in our children: the intolerance of other living beings in our community and the acceptability of a sterile humans-only Singapore.
Lest we forget, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong stated during his walkabout in Kim Keat that it is not illegal to feed stray cats, but it must be done responsibly.
Unless Singaporeans are proud of being a sterile nation, attitudes such as those held by the Tampines Town Council must change.
http://catwelfare.blogspot.com/search?q=cat+feeding+bylaw
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Bylaws
...The town council wrote back to tell me where I can get the bylaws, but I already got hold of a copy. They said that they actually do not have a problem with them feeding, but want the person to do it responsibly. I have no problem with them and have spoken to the feeder and asked him to change his feeding spot. He agreed that perhaps feeding next to a childcare centre was not the smartest move.
I do not however like the fact that they came up basically to say that stray cat feeding is illegal under the bylaws. I have looked through the bylaws and don't see anything to suggest that at all.
posted by Dawn @ 2:43 PM
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Bylaws
...The town council wrote back to tell me where I can get the bylaws, but I already got hold of a copy. They said that they actually do not have a problem with them feeding, but want the person to do it responsibly. I have no problem with them and have spoken to the feeder and asked him to change his feeding spot. He agreed that perhaps feeding next to a childcare centre was not the smartest move.
I do not however like the fact that they came up basically to say that stray cat feeding is illegal under the bylaws. I have looked through the bylaws and don't see anything to suggest that at all.
posted by Dawn @ 2:43 PM
http://catwelfare.blogspot.com/2005/08/feeding.html
We notice that when signs go up to say to stop feeding, the converse happens. The responsible feeders stop and the irresponsible ones don't want to get caught, so they become what we call '...ghost feeders' - ie they throw food surreptitiously in corners, from windows, and scuttle off before they're caught.
From: Nanyang Main
Subject: Re: Irresponsible poster at blk 811,Jur west st 81
cc: "PR Main"
Date: Tuesday, 12 October, 2010
Thank you very much for your feedbacks.
We wish to explain the signage was not put up recently. It was put up at the corner of the void deck of Block 811 Jurong West St 81 ten years ago at the request of the residents. We have removed the signage.
Regards,
LAI POH WAH
PROPERTY MANAGER
HONG KAH TOWN COUNCIL ( NANYANG )
We notice that when signs go up to say to stop feeding, the converse happens. The responsible feeders stop and the irresponsible ones don't want to get caught, so they become what we call '...ghost feeders' - ie they throw food surreptitiously in corners, from windows, and scuttle off before they're caught.
From: Nanyang Main
Subject: Re: Irresponsible poster at blk 811,Jur west st 81
cc: "PR Main"
Date: Tuesday, 12 October, 2010
Thank you very much for your feedbacks.
We wish to explain the signage was not put up recently. It was put up at the corner of the void deck of Block 811 Jurong West St 81 ten years ago at the request of the residents. We have removed the signage.
Regards,
LAI POH WAH
PROPERTY MANAGER
HONG KAH TOWN COUNCIL ( NANYANG )
