S'pore cancer patient told to remove 3 foster dogs from rented HDB unit or face eviction

According to HDB regulations, pet owners are not allowed to have more than one dog in a HDB flat.

Joshua Lee | January 31, 2021, 11:00 AM

Update: Ngan informed Mothership that all three dogs have found foster families.

A woman who is currently fostering four dogs in Singapore is looking for people to adopt three of them.

Facebook user Corly Ngan posted in Facebook page Dogs Singapore appealing for people to take in a blind Shih Tzu, a Poodle with cancer and a heart problem and a healthy Pomeranian.

According to Ngan, who is currently undergoing treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, her landlord recently demanded that she remove three dogs because it is illegal to have more than one dog in a HDB unit.

Ngan said that she is currently undergoing breast cancer treatment. The demand to remove her dogs is allegedly affecting her physical and mental health. Image credit: Corly Ngan/Facebook.

In what appears to be a letter sent by the landlord on January 28, the landlord demanded that Ngan remove three of the dogs by January 31 (today).

Failure to comply will result in Ngan's eviction, said the landlord.

Ngan said in her post that she requested for until after Chinese New Year to find families for the dogs, or until June for her to move out after her cancer treatment is completed in June.

However, the landlord rejected her request, said Ngan.

The dogs have been pretty well-behaved, according to Ngan. Her neighbours have never complained, her maid cleans up after the dogs, and they all go to sleep at 9pm daily. They also never bark at night.

Ngan's post also contains an appeal from her daughter who claimed that the landlord's demand was "very unreasonable" because they had never expressed any issues with the dogs over the years.

Ngan only intends to keep the Japanese Spitz. Credit: Corly Ngan/Facebook.

While it is unclear if the landlord had known about the dogs prior, Ngan's daughter said that the agent had known about the dogs when the contract was renewed in January this year.

The daughter also said that the dogs provide Ngan with companionship and comfort since Ngan cannot leave the house due to her cancer. The landlord's demand is allegedly affecting her physical and mental health.

According to HDB, pet owners can only keep one dog — from a list of approved breeds. Flat owners (in this case, the landlord) who run afoul of this regulation can be fined up to S$4,000.

All images via Corly Ngan/Facebook.