Joggers being bitten by stray dogs !

One of the dogs had bitten a man's legs while he was strolling through the gardens. The man was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and has since been discharged. The dogs had bitten the man's legs and the bloodstains could be clearly seen.

The park has advised those who encounter stray dogs

 to stay calm, slow down and walk in a different

direction from the stray dogs.

- CNA/wm

Safety Tips:

HOW TO AVOID STRAY ANIMAL BITING!? .....

1.   Dog fear can cause dog bites.   (Fear of strangers, startled dogs, expose pets, leave some treats)
   
2.  Prey drive can cause dog bites( Another instinct to be aware of and is sometimes triggered by running or cycling past a dog resulting in a chase. Be aware of your environment if you are jogging or cycling and if you see a roaming dog try to avoid crossing paths. 
   If a dog does give chase then the best things to do is stop moving and stand tall facing the dog. Be aware of the dog but do not make eye contact which can be seen as a challenge by the dog.
   
   They may come up and sniff you but will eventually find you uninteresting and move on to find something else. If a dog knocks you over then curl up in a ball protecting your face hands and neck and be still. Teach children to do the same and set up a mock “stray dog” drill.)
   
   
   
   _http://www.cesarsway.com/askthevet/dogwellness/Dog-Bites-101-Why-Bites-Happen

Act Of Vandalism

What is considered as Vandalism?
-Namely: property, namely, stealing, destroying or damaging public property; and, without the property owner's written consent, writing, drawing, painting, marking or inscribing the property; affixing posters, placards, etc., to the property; and suspending or displaying on or from the property any flag, banner, etc.

Offences and Penalties:
-fine not exceeding S$2,000 
-imprisonment not exceeding three years

- corporal punishment of not less than three strokes and not more than eight strokes of the cane
-a person committing such an offence may be arrested without a warrant by a police officer and, in some circumstances, a private person.

Pick Pocketing Occurrences

These petty criminals are getting away Scot free

and residents are starting to worry for their safety.

Recalling the incident that had occurred at about 9.50am on board SBS Transit bus service number 62 to The New Paper, STOMPer Kim Soon said that two men had boarded the bus at Macpherson Road. One of the men who was described as 'very tall and obese' joined Kim Soon in the back row of seats while the other sat another seat away. The plump man fell asleep and leaned against the STOMPer. It was through this close body contact that allowed the pickpocket to gain access to Kim Soon's wallet.

Kim Soon said:

"Although I felt uneasy with the body contact, I didn't bother to wake him up."

It was only after the two men alighted at Aljunied Station that the STOMPer felt something was amiss. Despite the bus being relatively empty, he thought it was strange that both men choose to sit beside him. Upon checking his trousers to make sure his wallet was still there, he was shocked to find a hole in the back pocket. $100 in $50 and $10 denominations were gone.

Kim Soon then decided to stay on the bus to return home to Hougang to change his pants since bus 62 is a loop service. It went back to Aljunied Station about 20 minutes later, and the two men boarded the bus again. Kim Soon recognised them immediately. Realizing that this was his opportunity to nab them and recover his money, he got up from his seat and approached the bus driver.

He said:

"I told the bus driver that I had been pick pocketed earlier and asked him to close the bus doors so that the two pickpockets could not escape."

"When the obese guy saw me approaching him after speaking to the driver, he ran past me towards the front door, which was open as people were still boarding the bus."

Kim Soon managed to grab the alleged pickpocket's bag and a struggle ensued as the pickpocket tried to claim his bag back. Upon snatching his bag back from the STOMPer, the pickpocket slammed his body against the closed door of the SBS bus and managed to force it open. The man then fled. His accomplice also managed to alight to the bus and ran away later.

The STOMPer has made a police report at the Paya Lebar Neighbourhood Police Post, a police spokesperson confirmed the report and said investigations were ongoing. Kim Soon said that this is the first time that he had been pickpocketed and was disappointed that there wasn't any closed-circuit television cameras on the bus to capture the pickpockets in action.

He said:

"When I was struggling with the obese guy, the other passengers did not come forward to help me."

Prevention of Pickpocket

1.Refrain from rummaging through your wallet in public.
While you are looking through your wallet in public, it's easy for someone to snatch it out of your hands and make off with it.

2.  Carrying a purse/bag.
Having a purse with a zipper in the back will make it easier for someone behind you to unzip your purse and make off with its contents.

Some safety tips:

• Shorten the strap on any purse or bag you carry.
  
• Don't dangle the purse loose below your waist. The strap should be short enough that you can keep the purse and its openings under your elbow.
  
• Carry your purse across your chest. If the strap is long enough, put it over your head so the strap runs diagonally across your chest, with the purse itself under your arm.

Adapted from:
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/1183244/new_updates_on_stompers_pickpocket_ordeal.html

Sudden Increase in the Number of Stray Cats and Dogs

Attention to all citizens/public,

 there is a sudden increase in the number of stray cats and dogs in the area.

 Furthermore, our streets are littered with cat food as people are feeding these cats.

 But, what can we do when we see one of

 man’s best friends hungry and alone? 

How can everyone play a part to help improve

 the current situation?

The following steps will help you safely rescue a dog from the streets:

• Pet Abandonment: Keeping a pet is a lifelong commitment. Think very carefully before getting a pet. Owners should never abandon their pets under any circumstances. It is cruel to throw away a pet that does not know how to take care of itself. If you must give up a pet, try rehoming them first. Surrender them to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) or AVA as a last resort.• Indiscriminate Breeding: Do not breed your pets indiscriminately as there are already many pets looking for homes.

• Casual Ownership: An owned pet is one that is kept indoors. Do not encourage stray cats to come up to your house. Allowing your cat to go outside to urinate and defecate is very inconsiderate to your neighbours.

The above actions bring problems to the community and cause suffering to the animals. Simply removing the animals without addressing these irresponsible behaviour will not solve the problems.

• Sterilisation: Sterilisation, also known as neutering, is a well-established and reliable method of preventing unwanted pets. It is a routine surgical procedure to remove the reproductive organs of animals. Sterilisation is likely to make pets less aggressive and may minimise many anti-social behaviours like marking of territory, biting and mating calls.


• Adoption: Adopting a rescued animal also saves a life and helps reduce the stray population. Animal welfare groups have many rescued animals that need a home. They can also offer advice and information to help guide and support adopters. Contacts and links to more information about the animal welfare groups can be found here.

Stray management



In many estates, the Town Councils and AVA are working with animal welfare groups and concerned citizens to ensure that the stray population is controlled and managed. In particular, AVA is working with animal welfare groups on the re-homing of stray dogs. Impounded dogs that are assessed by AVA to be suitable in terms of health and temperament will be handed to animal welfare groups for re-homing. Those which are deemed unsuitable will be humanely put down.


In addition, sterilisation is recognised as one of the important pillars in stray control. In 2011, AVA launched the pilot Stray Cat Sterilisation Programme in four zones in Singapore in Ang Mo Kio, Chong Pang, Macpherson and Tampines to ensure that cats in these selected zones are sterilised and responsibly managed.




Animal welfare groups like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Cat Welfare Society (CWS) and Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) also have sterilisation programmes that members of the public can participate in to neuter strays. These programmes combined have made a difference in stray numbers and your help can make more of a difference.







Stray or lost? 
If you find a dog and suspect it is owned, bring it to a vet clinic or AVA to scan for a microchip. If there is a microchip present, AVA will be able to check its database for owner details and inform the owner.

If you find a cat that is scared and generally not street savvy, it could be a lost or abandoned cat.

You can post lost animal notices by writing to animal welfare groups to see if they can help connect to the owner who may be frantically looking for his/her pet.