|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| 29 May, 2003 | |||||||||
| TOURIST WHO CUT SHORT VISIT: | |||||||||
| Singapore's not OK | |||||||||
| I LOVE Singapore, having visited and enjoyed the city many times. I was one of the few tourists who ignored warnings of disease and terrorism, and sat in an airplane for 13 hours to return to visit my friends here. | |||||||||
| Having enjoyed a pleasant day on Friday - shopping, eating, drinking, people-watching and spending at least an hour at Boat Quay photographing and enjoying the presence of two incredibly beautifully coloured calico cats (strays), I thought Singapore was truly a great place. But when I read the paper at breakfast the next day, the food stuck in my throat and tears welled up in my eyes. I love animals (most Western tourists do) and reading that the Government decided to have the strays rounded up and killed in an effort to further 'clean up Singapore', I decided to cut short my two-week stay. I am appalled, to say the least, and this is enough reason for me not to return to Singapore. | |||||||||
| I have read about and applaud the efforts of animal-welfare societies here, like the SPCA, and private individuals who have spent time, effort and money to help bring the stray population under control. | |||||||||
| What kind of place is Singapore that the Government decides to quietly go about rounding up all these innocent creatures to kill them? | |||||||||
| Why kill innocent creatures who are in the predicament they are in only because irresponsible residents abandon them or do not get them spayed? | |||||||||
| ANNETTE VAN MEIJER-SMITH (MRS) | |||||||||
| Germany | |||||||||