HDB (Housing and Development Board) flat owners can now keep larger local mixed-breed dogs under Project ADORE.

Larger dogs allowed, no more weight limit

In a press release on Sunday, March 1, the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) announced a 10 per cent increase in height limit for local mixed-breed dogs, from 50cm to 55cm.

AVS is a cluster under the National Parks Board (NParks).

In addition, the weight of the dog will also be removed as a criterion for rehoming.

Under the previous criteria, only dogs under 50cm and below 15kg could be adopted by HDB flat owners.

50 more local mixed-breed dogs to be rehomed each year under new criteria

With these revised criteria, about 20 per cent more local mixed-breed dogs can be rehomed to HDB flats each year, AVS said.

While about 250 local mixed-breed dogs are already being rehomed under Project ADORE annually, AVS expects to add about 50 more mixed-breed dogs to the number with the revision.

Stringent conditions for potential adopters apply

The expansion of Project ADORE will be a two-year pilot.

It is led by AVS and supported by HDB, in partnership with Animal Welfare Groups (AWG).

AVS said it will continue to monitor the programme closely to ensure that there are no disamenities to the community.

It explained that the same stringent conditions for the AWGs and adopters under Project ADORE apply, such as the following:

• Screening of potential adopters;
• A framework to encourage community acceptance of the dogs (for instance, through mediation channels for disputes); and
• Dog obedience training

All adopters will be required to comply with the ownership conditions and the Code of Responsible Behaviour as overseen by AVS, it added.

Sun Xue Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and National Development said residents have been "receptive to the presence of these rehomed dogs in their neighbourhoods".

She added that the authorities will continue to "work closely" with Project ADORE's AWG partners to "ensure that proper safeguards are in place, and that responsible pet ownership is practised".

What is Project ADORE?

Project ADORE (ADOption and REhoming of dogs) is a special initiative launched in 2012 that gives local mongrels or “Singapore Specials” a chance at being adopted into families who live in HDB flats.

It allows HDB dwellers to adopt larger dogs that do not fit into AVA’s criteria for “HDB-approved” dogs.

K9 adoption scheme extended

AVS also announced that the K9 scheme that allows for retired sniffer dogs to be adopted will be extended for another two years.

This is because no retired sniffer dogs were available to be adopted by the public in the one-year period after August 2018, when it was expanded to allow the public to adopt retired sniffer dogs under Project ADORE.

The adoptable sniffer dogs are from the K9 units of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force, and Singapore Police Force.

As of December 2019, 25 dogs have been adopted under the Project ADORE-K9 scheme.

Top image adapted via SOSD's Facebook