Fishes, along with cats, dogs, and rabbits are among the more common pets in Singapore.
While owning them as pets is legal, keeping them for business purposes and selling them without a licence apparently aren’t.
A 28-year-old Ang Mo Kio resident learned this the hard way when he was fined $3,000 for 1 count of using his home as a pet shop to sell 10 fighting fish and 2 counts of intentionally keeping wildlife without approval.
He was also found with 2 bearded dragons in his home.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Muhammad Irfan Khairudin had been selling fighting fish or betta, on Telegram under the username “Ayam Betta”.
Sales began at the start of 2019 and lasted till Apr 2020, when NParks received an anonymous tip-off. By then, Irfan had reportedly sold 10 bettas already.
Upon visiting his home 3 months later in Jul 2020, officers found 2 Central Bearded Dragons in separate tanks.
While the bettas don’t seem to carry any risks, Yahoo News Singapore reports that bearded dragons can pose a threat if they were to escape.
An NParks prosecutor explained that these creatures are native to Australia but are often smuggled across the border into Singapore from Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Furthermore, to prevent breeding of animals in unsanitary conditions, the authorities strictly regulate the sale of pets here.
The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) website states that obtaining a licence from them is the first step to opening a pet shop here in Singapore.
Some of the animals allowed for sale include:
Any other animals not on the list are subject to certain conditions outlined on the website too.
In Irfan’s case, he had failed to obtain a pet shop licence to sell the animals he kept, which is illegal under the Wildlife Act.
The responsibility of owning or selling animals is a hefty one.
Rules are set in stone for a reason — to protect the harmless creatures who do not have a voice to speak up for themselves.
Wildlife are just as precious, so let’s hope breeders or sellers will do them justice by caring for them the right away before giving them away to new, loving homes.
Kudos to NParks too, for taking action and curbing such unethical practices in Singapore.
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Featured image adapted from Timothy Dykes on Unsplash.
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