By Joanne Soh for The Straits Times
Copyright tnp
Animal activist Derrick Tan has a bone to pick with pet owners.
The Singaporean, who founded dog shelter Voices For Animals (VFA) in 2013, has noticed a recent increase in messages on the social media platform Telegram advertising puppies for sale.
He would often reply in those chat groups, cautioning pet owners to buy from licensed pet sellers.
Mr Tan claims that the advertised prices of pets from illegal breeders overseas could be about half of what one would pay at local pet shops.
“But the risk that such animals may not have had the proper vaccinations or health checks outweighs the cost,” says the 44-year-old.
According to the Animal & Veterinary Service, animals entering Singapore require rabies vaccination, blood tests and quarantine, depending on the exporting country’s rabies risk status.
The biggest problem, says Mr Tan, is pet owners wanting to get specific breeds cheaply. “And when they realise the animal has some health issues or may not be what they had expected, the animal will then be abandoned,” he adds.
He has seen too many cases of abandonment over the years since he started VFA. The shelter – located at The Animal Lodge in Sungei Tengah, a facility for animal shelters and businesses – now houses about 200 dogs.
VFA was set up to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome retired breeding dogs of various breeds, such as shiba inu, husky, beagle and poodle-mix.
Most of them are aged six years or older and past their reproductive age. Depending on the breed and size of the dog, it is considered a senior from six to seven years old for a large breed, and 10 to 12 for a small breed.
VFA also houses other rescued dogs, like Nara, a Singapore Special that was hit by a car. Mr Tan says his volunteers found the dog and he has been living at VFA since 2018. “Because he does not have a lower jaw after the accident, he is usually shunned by adopters,” he says.
Consider senior dogs
One of Mr Tan’s pet peeves is when people ask for “cute, young puppies” at VFA’s adoption drives.
“It irks me that some people at the adoption drives want healthy and young puppies and are not interested in the senior dogs,” he says.
People have the misconception that older dogs cannot be trained, but that is not true, says Mr Tan, explaining that adult dogs are, in fact, easier to discipline.
Some potential adopters also commented that they want puppies because they “can live longer”. The lifespan of a dog is unpredictable, he says, adding: “Some of our adopted senior dogs lived longer than expected.
“It can be upsetting and sad when people don’t understand what pet adoptions are about. They just want to get a nice deal from the shelter.”
VFA adoption rates have decreased since 2024, he says, adding that it receives more dogs than it rehomes.
Operational costs – rental, utility bills, shelter maintenance, internal and external parasites treatments – are substantial too, at about $20,000 to $25,000 monthly. “Medical fees are a large part of our monthly expenditure,” says Mr Tan, sharing that vet costs are dependent on how many animals get sick and the type of medical intervention needed.
The shelter can keep going because of generous donors and regular adopters, he says.
VFA is operated by volunteers, including Mr Tan, who runs Rock N Ruff, a pet boarding and daycare facility in Upper Bukit Timah.
The nature of his day job offers him the flexibility to oversee the operations at VFA, while his team takes care of Rock N Ruff’s clients.
“My team also helps manage, train, rehabilitate and socialise dogs we rescued before putting them up for adoption,” he adds.
Many times, Mr Tan felt like giving up his work at VFA. But the love for the animals keeps him going. He names all the dogs and knows each of their quirks and personalities.
When he started VFA, he used to get emotional when the dogs he rescued were in bad condition or when those under his care died.
“I don’t get traumatised now. I have learnt to focus on giving the rescues the best care and helping them find a loving forever home.”
Mr Tan regularly posts photos of VFA’s residents on Instagram and Facebook to raise awareness. VFA also gets attention from its local celebrity adopters, such as actors Desmond Tan, Zoe Tay, Chen Xiuhuan and Elvin Ng.
Minister of State Mr Alvin Tan recently adopted a maltipoo from VFA, sharing about his new family member on his social media accounts on Sept 16. The 10-month-old dog was abandoned because the owners thought the maltipoo’s underbite was “ugly”.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam’s three dogs, including a one-eyed rescued dog, were also adopted from VFA.
Mr Derrick Tan is heartened to see that there are now more animal welfare groups and independent rescuers in Singapore.
He adds: “More people are more vocal now when it comes to animal welfare issues. We are also thankful to our regular adopters and those pet owners who specifically want to give senior dogs a home to settle in.”
