Migration Across The Nation

By mid-2018, more than 1,800 shelter dogs and cats will be “migrating” across the country into a new home. This large scale move — just as anyone can expect — comes with an equally large set of challenges.

Ask any animal lover about the place to go if you want to volunteer or hang out with furry friends, and their response will most probably be Pasir Ris Farmway. Soon, however, that answer will change.

After years of being home to a number of animal farms, shelters and welfare groups, the land will have to be vacated by mid-2018 (extended from an initial deadline of December 31, 2017.) Following a letter by Singapore Land Authority in October 2016, which stated that the land at Pasir Ris Farmway will be reclaimed for industrial development, most of the tenants in the premises will be relocated to Sungei Tengah — where the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is located. As explained by a spokesman of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), Sungei Tengah was chosen as the site is better served by public transport and is near the Kranji Expressway.

Despite the year-long notice, however, occupants of the spaces in Pasir Ris Farmway are still finding it tough to cope with this arduous undertaking.

“We have been anticipating this move for a while now, but no notice is ever ‘enough’ — part of us will always wish that we could have continued staying in Pasir Ris Farmway,” shares Dr Siew, President of Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD). “The challenges we face are mainly logistical — it won’t be easy moving 100 dogs! On top that, we have so many supplies and accessories to take with us. We are in the midst of packing, organising and decluttering at the moment.”

A journey with obstacles

Moving hundreds and thousands of animals and supplies from the east to the west is a process that surely comes with a hefty bill.