Graphic design by Amanda

1. Government

Pet labeling scheme

At present, there exists no formal labeling scheme for pet animals addressing welfare, public health and safety, or other concerns. It is widely acknowledged that obtaining and keeping any animal as a pet, whether an exotic or domesticated species, requires careful consideration. Labeling schemes for food products are widely used such as color-coded “traffic light” systems which is often used in food selling to convey various health implications.

It may seem inappropriate to refer to any animal as a “product”. However, in terms of commercial and legal considerations, pets are effectively categorized as “products”. Regardless, using the term “product” here does not imply that animals are merely “possessions” or “objects”. Since people are highly concerned with the labeling of food products in regards to health complications, there is a need to deliver straightforward messaging in the labels. Therefore, the need to provide reliable messaging regarding foods via labeling is well recognized. However, these animals lack any labels (unlike food products) and lack accountability or heath and safety standards.

A probable suggestion would be the EMODE system (‘Easy’, ‘Moderate’, ‘Difficult’, ‘Extreme’) which provides the most appropriate model for pet suitability and labeling schemes. The proposed pet labeling scheme emphasizes two important messages that are vital to public education and decision-making. First, the scheme provides a progressive traffic light–based indicator that highlights the challenges of keeping any animal based on EMODE’s public health and safety and animal welfare scores. Second, the scheme provides a clear statement on specific animal enclosures conveying that certain animals are considered unsuitable for homes with young children and other vulnerable groups.

More deterrent methods are needed

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) believes that it is true that Singapore already has very good legislation that clearly states what’s prohibited, what’s not. However, they suggest that more deterrent methods like sniffer dogs programmes can help make Singapore border controls tighter. More efforts need to be made to change the role played by key platforms of the wildlife trade. This includes tighter surveillance of online platforms, airlines and logistics service providers.

 

2. Education

Need for stronger public education and guidance

A large portion of readers on social media seem to view the rearing of exotic species as acceptable, comparing them to the rearing of regular pets such as cats and dogs.  The public may depict a fabricated intimacy between exotic species and people that is comparable to domesticated pets This phenomenon called the ‘contact syndrome’, turns wild animals into friends and promotes the wrong attitude towards them. Therefore, this syndrome makes people believe that exotic animals can tamed into pets and potential friends but seems to be a wrong approach. Due to this gap in knowledge, it is important to educate the people on this syndrome. One study revealed that by informing potential exotic pet purchasers about either the zoonotic disease risks or liability issues associated with buying a certain species, this could reduce consumer demand by up to 40%.

Perception on the risk of exotic animal trade

Perception does not always match severity. The media coverage focuses on sensational events and dramatic deaths. The availability heuristics tells us that people often misjudge the future likelihood of events so it may be hard for people to conceptualize things which they have not experienced. Therefore, since people may risk under-reaction of exotic animal trade, a possible solution would be to use vivid and concrete images that highlight the negative implication of exotic pet trade to counter under-reactions. But ultimately, the best way to deter people from owning an exotic animal is to emphasize the risks they pose to humans, not the animals themselves.