Recently, a dog named Loki in Singapore was allegedly euthanised by its owners after it bit one of its owners, as well as another girl.

The owners, who adopted Loki two years ago, claimed they did not "want to risk it with the baby", since they had a baby last month.

In response to the incident, Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng is calling for stricter regulations when pet owners wish to put down their pet, especially if the animal is healthy.

Pet owners must try all means possible before euthanising their pets

Ng said that measures have to be put in place to ensure that "convenience euthanasia" would be put to an end.

He suggested that pet owners who wish to put down a healthy pet due to its aggressive behaviour would need to show proof that they have engaged a trainer, and the trainer must certify that he or she tried all means possible to train the animal.

The owners must also try to rehome the pet.

Ng also said that vets should be required to wait a minimum of seven days before putting the animal down, in order to give the animal a chance to be adopted.

The animal's details could be put on NParks, as well as the websites of animal welfare groups.

According to Ng, such a "cooling off" period may give pet owners time to rethink their decision, and also for animal activists to re-home the animal.

In his post, Ng said that he will raise this issue in Parliament.

You can see Ng's full Facebook post here:

Background

A staff at Exclusively Mongrel Limited (EML), a non-profit welfare group that supports mongrel welfare, announced on Facebook that Loki the dog had been put down recently by its owners on May 6.

Loki was adopted by a couple around two years ago.

It would have turned three in two months' time, according to Theng Wei Gan.

Loki was allegedly put down because it had bitten one of the adopters, as well as another girl.

At the same time, the couple recently had a baby, and did not wish to endanger the baby with Loki's presence.

The couple allegedly tried to rehome Loki, but was unsuccessful.

However, the couple did not seek help from EML to rehome the dog, Gan said.

He also questioned whether the couple had engaged a trainer to help the family and Loki adjust to the arrival of the newborn child.

Gan added that euthanasia should be used as an ethical means to preempt suffering, not as an "indiscriminate death sentence".

Top image from Theng Wei Gan and Louis Ng's Facebook pages.