Channelnewsasia

Only one animal welfare group has managed to win a recent tender to build and run animal sanctuaries in Singapore.

The need for such shelters grew after the Town Councils intensified efforts to cull stray cats to improve public hygiene.

Cohen Ng, who is an obedience trainer for pets, has also been providing mobile pet training services for nearly 10 years.

And although Mr Ng and his partner did not offer the highest bid, they were the only successful ones from five groups that had taken part in the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority's tender in June.

Construction of shelters on two plots of land along Pasir Ris Drive 1 and Pasir Ris Farmway 2 will cost Mr Ng and his partner around S$1 million.

And as the strays will have to be sterilised, vaccinated and microchipped, Mr Ng says donations will not be enough to keep their operations going.

"We've set aside another 50 percent of the kennel for commercial boarding, where owners who go for holidays would place their pets with us, or owners who want to place their pets with us for day-care," Mr Ng said.

Cathy Strong, president of the Animal Lovers' League and an advocate for the building of animal shelters, did not participate in the tender.

"We did our sums and we found that for the number of dogs and cats to be housed here, it will take S$2-3 million to build up the place, and we didn't have enough funds. But we are going to start again raising money, and this time when we have at least S$2.5 million, we'll re-tender for the land," she said.

The AVA says if animal welfare groups express further interest, the authorities are willing to consider letting them re-tender for the remaining three plots of land.

But in the mean time, stray animals would have to wait up to a year for the construction to be completed before they can call this place their new home.