Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) launched last Saturday a new unit devoted to investigating animal cruelty and engage in undercover operations to expose animal crime.
At the 4th Chong Pang Public Forum on Animal Protection Policies, ACRES chief executive Louis Ng announced that the Animal Crime Investigation Unit’s responsibilities include investigating animal cruelty and wildlife crime, gathering necessary evidence and putting together the case brief for prosecution by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in court. The unit will also go on covert operations to detect animal crime, and partner with the authorities to conduct sting operation to arrest offenders, TODAY reports.
Operational from today, the unit will be made up of four of ACRES’ full-time staff who have qualifications in law, psychology, environmental management, life sciences, criminal justice, criminal investigation, forensic psychology and security management. It will be lead by former lawyer Noelle Seet, who possesses more than 11 years of litigation experience, Ng added.
Ng, who made known his involvement in the People’s Action Party in October last year, said that the Chong Pang Public Forum has provided “significant progress in the animal protection movement” since it began in 2011.
Accomplishments include stopping cat culling in Chong Pang, modifying the Animals and Birds Act, Project ADORE — which allowed HDB residents to own one medium-sized mixed breed dog per flat — and the exemption of the first year’s licence fee for dogs freed from AVA’s pound to animal welfare groups.
ACRES and Kembangan-Chai Cee Citizen Consultative Committee are also considering building an animal sanctuary at East Coast Park. Additionally, ACRES recently started the first Trap, Neuter, Release and Management programme on Jurong Island.
Ng said that the last step in the animal protection movement is “enforcement”, adding that many forum participants have also requested for a higher rate of prosecution of cases of animal cruelty or wildlife crime.
Ng also added that statistics showed that the percentage of cases that have prosecution action taken, compared to the overall number of animal cruelty complaints was low, due to the obstacles in collating evidence and obtaining witnesses who are willing to testify.
“We are confident that with this new unit and by working with AVA, we can help bring more offenders to task and ensure that justice is served,” he said.
Mr Seet, Head of Campaigns at ACRES, said, “Effective enforcement of the law and just sentences are key to deterring animal cruelty and wildlife crime. I am glad to lead this unit, and hope for greater public participation to bringing and end to animal cruelty and wildlife crime in Singapore.”
Photo: choo chin nian via Flickr
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Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) launched last Saturday a new unit devoted to investigating animal cruelty and engage in undercover operations to expose animal crime.
At the 4th Chong Pang Public Forum on Animal Protection Policies, ACRES chief executive Louis Ng announced that the Animal Crime Investigation Unit’s responsibilities include investigating animal cruelty and wildlife crime, gathering necessary evidence and putting together the case brief for prosecution by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in court. The unit will also go on covert operations to detect animal crime, and partner with the authorities to conduct sting operation to arrest offenders, TODAY reports.
Operational from today, the unit will be made up of four of ACRES’ full-time staff who have qualifications in law, psychology, environmental management, life sciences, criminal justice, criminal investigation, forensic psychology and security management. It will be lead by former lawyer Noelle Seet, who possesses more than 11 years of litigation experience, Ng added.
Ng, who made known his involvement in the People’s Action Party in October last year, said that the Chong Pang Public Forum has provided “significant progress in the animal protection movement” since it began in 2011.
Accomplishments include stopping cat culling in Chong Pang, modifying the Animals and Birds Act, Project ADORE — which allowed HDB residents to own one medium-sized mixed breed dog per flat — and the exemption of the first year’s licence fee for dogs freed from AVA’s pound to animal welfare groups.
ACRES and Kembangan-Chai Cee Citizen Consultative Committee are also considering building an animal sanctuary at East Coast Park. Additionally, ACRES recently started the first Trap, Neuter, Release and Management programme on Jurong Island.
Ng said that the last step in the animal protection movement is “enforcement”, adding that many forum participants have also requested for a higher rate of prosecution of cases of animal cruelty or wildlife crime.
Ng also added that statistics showed that the percentage of cases that have prosecution action taken, compared to the overall number of animal cruelty complaints was low, due to the obstacles in collating evidence and obtaining witnesses who are willing to testify.
“We are confident that with this new unit and by working with AVA, we can help bring more offenders to task and ensure that justice is served,” he said.
Mr Seet, Head of Campaigns at ACRES, said, “Effective enforcement of the law and just sentences are key to deterring animal cruelty and wildlife crime. I am glad to lead this unit, and hope for greater public participation to bringing and end to animal cruelty and wildlife crime in Singapore.”
Photo: choo chin nian via Flickr
Got a tip? Send it to us at singapore@coconuts.co.
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