SINGAPORE — Pet boarders in Singapore that are not located on farmland are not required to be licensed, but authorities will review how to better regulate the pet industry, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Sun Xueling said on Wednesday (Feb 13).

She was speaking in Parliament in response to a question by Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Louis Ng, who asked whether the authorities had a list of pet boarders in Singapore so that they could conduct unannounced spot checks on these businesses.

His question comes after the industry came under the spotlight in December following allegations of animal abuse by pet boarding house Platinium Dogs Club. The owner of the boarding house along Galistan Avenue in Bukit Panjang was arrested by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) on Jan 6.

Ms Sun replied that AVA only has a list of commercial boarders housed in pet farms.

Mr Ng noted that this reflects a gap in the regulations: "As with the recent case of the Platinium Dogs Club, it wasn't in the pet farms, and that perhaps is where the issue lies.”

He also asked if the Ministry of National Development will introduce a licensing requirement for pet boarding businesses.

Ms Sun said that AVA will conduct a review on how best to regulate the pet industry, including pet boarding businesses.

She added that there was a need to balance the needs and interests of the various stakeholders in the industry, including pet owners and animal welfare groups.

"We also need to be mindful there are many pet boarders out there who are do-gooders, well-meaning pet lovers who provide pet boarding facilities," she said.

The pet industry is currently regulated by the Animals and Birds Act, while a code of animal welfare by the AVA sets out the minimum standards and best practices for pet businesses on animal housing, management and care.