SINGAPORE – Stereotypes don’t just apply to people — they apply to animals, too, as broadcasting company Mediacorp discovered when they raised the hackles of dog lovers over the long weekend.

On Monday (May 1), local non-profit organisation Exclusively Mongrels Limited posted a series of screenshots detailing a Facebook conversation with a Mediacorp crew member. The crew member had approached Exclusively Mongrels to request for their help in sourcing for a mongrel to cast in a drama scene. According to the screenshots, the requirements included the mongrel being able to “bark fiercely” and “chase after ppl”.

Mongrels are mixed-breed dogs that make up a vast majority of the stray dog population in Singapore.

Exclusively Mongrels explained to the Mediacorp member that they would not assist them in doing so, as doing so would further perpetuate the stereotype that mongrels are “fierce and aggressive”, which goes against Exclusively Mongrels’ efforts to support and promote mongrel welfare, as well as to improve the image of mongrels in the public eye.

The Mediacorp member then said that they were searching for a mongrel as the scene was to be filmed at Lim Chu Kang Cemetary, hence rendering other dog breeds, such as golden retrievers or labradors, unsuitable candidates.

Exclusively Mongrels firmly refused to support them, and added, “Your guys are not helping our cause at all.”

They later added in a comment on the post:

“We are not about to let a scene that will likely last no more than 3 min negate the good efforts made by (Exclusively Mongrels and other animal welfare groups).”

Singaporean netizens were divided in their reactions to the post, but most were supportive of Exclusively Mongrels’ stand on the matter.

Many praised their refusal to render their support to the filming of the show and their resolve on improving the perception of mongrels. They also called upon Mediacorp to rethink the portrayal of the mongrels in the show, and expressed hope that Mediacorp could adjust the scene to place mongrels in a better light.

Some, however, felt that Exclusively Mongrels was making a mountain out of a molehill. Facebook user Christopher Li said, “If people are gullible and stupid enough to be influenced on their view of mongrels by a tv scene, then let them be lor.”

This drew heated debate from other netizens, such as Facebook user Theng Wei Gan, who wrote in response: “Do you know how many strays get caught and culled when the authority acts on ‘gullible and stupid’ people’s complaints each year? In 2015, there were more than 900 dogs put to sleep. We have enough gullibility and stupidity amongst us. Why perpetuate that?”

According to the Ministry of National Development, there were an estimated 7,000 stray dogs in Singapore in 2015, 942 of which were culled.

SOSD Singapore, a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to sterilising and rehoming Singapore’s street dogs, writes on their website that “the culling of our strays (sic) dogs is continuing at an alarming pace”.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) rounds up stray dogs and assesses them for rehoming. If deemed suitable for rehoming, AVA then works with animal welfare groups to find them a suitable home. The SOSD wrote in their FY2015/2016 report that they took in 28 dogs from AVA that year.

pariel@sph.com.sg

Last month, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it will be scrapping its plans for a national bicycle-sharing initiative after the emergence of private bike-sharing companies in Singapore.

But on Saturday (April 29), Jurong-Clementi Town Council signed a partnership with the three bike-sharing companies in Singapore – China-based Mobike and ofo; as well as homegrown oBike – to launch a one-year pilot bicycle sharing programme.

Bicycle parking zones intended mainly for rental bicycles will be added to 30 sites in Jurong, on top of 120 new bicycle racks, to ease the problem of bicycle-sharing firms’ vehicles being parked willy-nilly in public areas.

These zones, marked with yellow rectangle boxes, can be found in areas such as HDB void decks or near the Chinese Garden MRT station.

The town council said it will add more bicycle racks, but these will be paid for by the companies themselves.

Jurong MP Ang Wei Nang is hopeful that these added parking spaces will help to deter acts of vandalism, following the recent spate of media reports about damage to shared bicycles, such as repainting the bicycle frames or throwing them into drains.

Clamping Down On Irresponsible Parking

As part of the agreement, the companies also have to ensure that bicycle users park them in the right place, and not obstruct common areas in the neighbourhood.

All three companies claim that they have implemented incentive and demerit schemes to encourage right riding and parking behaviour, but there have been cases of irresponsible parking, with bicycles blocking letterboxes, corridors, or fire exit routes.

As such, companies have been instructed to remove these illegally parked bicycles. When notified, they will have to remove the bicycle within four hours, if alerted between 8.30am and 7pm.

Otherwise, the bicycle must be removed by 7am the next day.

“If we receive any reports, we are going to find the previous user, and this is possible because we have a GPS system,” said mobike’s Singapore Manager Sharon Meng.

“We know who the previous user is, and we are going to deduct points from the previous user.”

Additionally, the companies also have to provide third-party insurance covering accidents or bicycle damages; and provide users’ cycling pattern information to the authorities to improve the planning of future cycling paths.

Possible Replacement Of National Bicycle Scheme

According to Mr Ang, this scheme may be extended to all seven divisions in Jurong GRC, Yuhua, and Bukit Batok SMC, if successful.

This success will be dependent on the responsible behaviour of users, which can be achieved through education, he pointed out.

“We want to embrace the bicycle-sharing scheme rather than rejecting it. We want our residents to enjoy the convenience of rental bicycles right at the void deck without the disamenities,” he said.

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