No evidence that they spread Sars virus, but animal-rights groups here worry that many believe otherwise.

By Ben Nadarajan

ALMOST 100 stray dogs and cats from the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre were rounded up and killed when the centre was closed for 15 days last month, after three cases of Sars were linked to it.

In China, there have been cases of police officers killing pets seized from Sars patients' homes. A pet owner in Beijing reportedly flung his Pekinese from his sixth-floor apartment because the dog had a high fever.

Some animal-rights groups in Singapore are protesting against what they perceive as a misconception that animals can carry and spread the virus.

However, Mr Madhavan Kannan, head of the Centre for Animal Welfare and Control under the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), said the putting down of the 100 strays from the wholesale centre had nothing to do with Sars, and was simply part of its routine checks.

It is believed that when the market was closed and being disinfected, the large number of strays was noted and the AVA called in. Last year, the AVA impounded 4,570 dogs and 5,517 cats, most of which were killed.

Mr Madhavan said: 'AVA's stand is that there is no evidence that Sars can affect pet animals like dogs and cats.'

The same stand is taken by the World Health Organisation, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and other local animal-welfare groups.

Ms Dawn Kua, the Cat Welfare Society's director of operations, said: 'There is no evidence to date that animals can carry the Sars virus. Out of 8,000 Sars cases worldwide, none was contracted from an animal.'

However, some experts have speculated that the coronavirus that causes Sars may have originated in domestic farm animals and crossed over to humans.

Whether that is why the number of dogs and cats abandoned by their owners increased by 100 each last month cannot be determined, said SPCA executive officer Deirdre Moss.

On average, the SPCA receives 300 abandoned dogs and 400 cats a month.

There were also 136 rabbits abandoned last month, compared to the monthly average of 100.

Ms Moss said, however, that the increase might not be due to a fear among pet owners that their pets are carrying the virus, as there are some months when more animals are abandoned.

These are usually just before festivals such as the Chinese New Year, Christmas and Hari Raya Puasa when families clean their houses, she said.

A veterinarian said that diseases spread from animals to humans are uncommon.

Less rare are people who abandon their pets. Under the Animals & Birds Act, they can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for 12 months.

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