” REALLY, REALLY CERTIFIED”?
Not all cats companies must have licenses, according to the pet industry.
The , Animal &, Veterinary Service ( AVS), an arm of NParks, licenses veterinary centres, pet shops, farms, pet boarders and producers, which are assessed to have “higher levels of risk” for animal health and welfare, AVS ‘ Industry Standards and Regulatory group director Jessica Kwok said.  ,
For services that do n’t require licensing, groomers can be certified by , private organisations like the Singapore Kennel Club, while , AVS has a certified dog trainer Scheme. But these are deliberate.
AVS even has a Code of Animal Welfare that lists the best methods for managing and keeping pets. It suggests minimal requirements for producers, suppliers, groomers, boarders, keepers and daycare providers.  , But failure to comply is not considered an infraction.
Instead, regulators rely on , the Animals and Birds Act, which penalises abuse or neglect and covers those working with animals in firms, including animal trails.
As they are entrusted by their clients with the care of the animals, these people are expected to uphold higher standards of animal security, according to Ms. Kwok.  ,  ,
Those found guilty of animal cruelty or to have failed in their duty of care while in an animal-related business face a penalty of up to two years ‘ jail, a fine of S$ 40, 000 ( US$ 30, 193 ) or both.  ,
Some entrepreneurs are now calling for more supervision of animal services, with , government-led rules at every step, starting from before a business is set up and allowed to exercise.
” How many of us really know the person handling our dogs are really, truly qualified”? asked Ms Mikela Chen, the owner of four-year-old chi zu Peace.
In addition to regular inspections and police actions, suggestions included the need for a human-to-dog amount and the use of CCTVs.
Techniques for handling disputes would also be useful, said proprietors.  ,
Ms Chen, a company director, said a grooming shop cut off the ideas of Peace’s lips and lacerated his nose in 2021. She continued,” The shop simply offered a refund and refused to provide CCTV images.”
Additionally, owners CNA spoke to support penalties like a lifetime disqualification or demerit point systems to prevent wayward service providers from operating under a different name.
” Some groomers simply close off and can easily start new people”, noted Ms Melisa Quek, who has a one-and-a-half time old chihuahua zu called Enzo.  ,
Basic dog management courses could also be mandated, said Ms Christine Bernadette, the charity representative for security team Factors for Animals. One is not suited to work with species if they are unwilling to go through basic training.
Temasek Polytechnic, for one, has a canine care and management program which is enforced for those seeking a pet store permission. According to the various functions interviewed by CNA, this could also be true for other pet service.
However, according to Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs, it would be difficult to categorize all animal services under one umbrella. According to  ,” The way to channel them is to assess the risk factors of the business in terms of the pet’s security and well-being.”