UPDATE (30 Aug): NParks and SLA have issued a statement to address the issue. You can read the full update here.
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Time is ticking for some animal welfare groups (AWGs) in Lim Chu Kang as they will soon have to vacate their premises once their leases expire.
Despite being allocated units at The Animal Lodge (TAL) ahead of their deadline tomorrow (28 Aug), some AWGs have expressed concerns over the fact that such units are in no condition to house the rescued animals under their care.
Source: F7-Friends of Seven on Facebook
Some of these AWGs have since taken to social media to appeal for experienced fosterers to take in the animals before the deadline.
F7-Friends of Seven is a dog kennel along Lim Chu Kang Lane 1 that looks after rescues.
Folks at the centre, however, are facing immense stress, ahead of Sunday (28 Aug), when they have to vacate their premises.
In a Facebook post on Friday (26 Aug), the kennel said that they’ve managed to find foster homes for three of the farm dogs after searching high and low.
Source: @f7homekennel on Instagram
Among those who’ve yet to secure homes are three dogs with “serious temperament issues” that would need specific arrangements for safety reasons.
F7 also shared that they received an offer for a TAL unit on Monday (22 Aug). However, they found it unsuitable to house dogs due to the lack of safety fences.
The TAL units are apparently also subject to further approval, presumably by the authorities.
Though the kennel has successfully “secured” a home, they can apparently only receive the keys to the unit next Thursday (1 Sep) — four days after the deadline.
Purely Meow Cat Adoptions, a collective focused on rescuing and rehoming abandoned cats, highlighted similar issues with their TAL units.
According to them, some of the AWGs only received the keys to their units this week.
Likewise, their units allegedly lack proper furnishing and require renovation before the rescue animals can move in.
Upset with the developments, the admin questioned the communication between Government agencies that they felt led to the current messy state of affairs.
As the deadline to vacate the Lim Chu Kang space draws closer, Purely Meow Cat Adoptions seeks experienced fosterers to take in a cat or two.
Source: Purely Meow Cat Adoptions on Facebook
The group’s admin told MS News that many of these felines have gone through their fair share of traumatic experiences and are extremely skittish.
As such, prospective fosterers must be confident in managing and rehabilitating them. Fosterers must be able to dedicate lots of time, patience and love.
Those confident in taking on the task can reach out to Purely Meow Cat Adoptions via their Facebook page here.
The authorities first announced plans to take over the plots of land in Lim Chu Kang in Sep 2014.
With the aim of converting the space into army training grounds, 62 farms in the area received notices to vacate.
The takeover wasn’t immediate as tenants had the chance to renew their leases, only having to move out between 2017 and 2021.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), farms north of Lim Chu Kang Lanes 3 and 5 even received a 14-month extension in Sep 2021. This would mean that they have up till Feb 2023 to vacate their locations.
Those south of the two roads, however, weren’t as lucky. They reportedly had only till around July 2022 to vacate as redevelopment in their area was due to start earlier.
Though Government agencies granted extensions, there was apparently an urgent need to kickstart works soon.
Hence, they advised tenants to make full use of their remaining time to execute their transition plans.
MS News has reached out to the agencies in question for comments. We’ll update the article accordingly once they get back.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from F7-Friends of Seven on Facebook and The Catographer Singapore via Purely Meow Cat Adoptions on Facebook.
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