Broken jaws, heart murmurs and skin conditions.

These are just three of the many afflictions that nine dogs were diagnosed with after animal welfare group SOSD Singapore went to their rescue.

According to the group, the dogs were living in inhumane conditions under a former breeder – which has since folded.

SOSD posted a video on its Facebook page, highlighting the various medical conditions the dogs have. Since the post was published 17 hours ago, it has been viewed 67,000 times. Netizens were outraged and many condemned the breeders for their actions.

See their full post here:

The dogs are mainly of french bulldog and poodle breeds.

SOSD is currently helping to rehabilitate these dogs, but preliminary medical costs have already surpassed $2,000. The group has since reached out to the public to make a donation on their site.

The group has also responded to netizens on their post, explaining that the investigations are ongoing.

AsiaOne has contacted SOSD. More details will be provided.

Animal welfare groups strongly advocate adopting from shelters instead of buying from breeders to contain the growing number of strays in the country.

Puppy mills are driven by profit and sometimes little regard is given for the dogs’ welfare.

The issue of pet overpopulation and abandonment is not a new one. According to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), commercial breeding has resulted in a proliferation of pet shops and farms.

This encourages consumerism which may lead to abandonment when the novelty wears off.

debwong@sph.com.sg

The world’s first-ever escalator was installed in 1896 on New York’s Coney Island – as a novelty ride.

Today, the device has become a ubiquitous people-mover, and in Singapore, there are more than 6,000 of them.

But for all their speed and convenience, escalators are also potential sites for accidents, especially when people do not exercise care while using them.

Last Thursday, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said that since Nov 1, it had received reports of 63 incidents – or about one a day – relating to the use of escalators.

The BCA said that 95 per cent of the cases were attributed to “user behaviour”.

The common causes?

Escalator users carrying heavy or bulky objects, and losing their balance.

Users also fell due to “inattentiveness, intoxication, being unwell, or from leaning against the sides of the escalator”, the BCA revealed.

To promote the safe use of escalators, the authority is working with owners of escalators – including malls, schools and hospitals – to raise awareness through posters on safety.

The BCA has also introduced new guidelines on escalator maintenance, which include notifying the authority when incidents result in deaths or injuries.

The findings on escalator incidents serve as a timely reminder for Singaporeans to exercise care when using them daily.

Last month, a 71-year-old man fell 3m from an escalator in Tiong Bahru MRT station while trying to support his wife who became unsteady, The New Paper reported.

The month before, a 64-year-old man fell down an escalator at Bishan MRT station, and had to undergo two brain operations.

The BCA said that about 78 per cent of the escalator incidents involved those above the age of 60.

It is timely to study how design and function can make escalators safer, especially for senior citizens.

This is already under way, with the Land Transport Authority – along with SMRT and SBS Transit – testing out reduced escalator speeds at selected MRT stations.

Hopefully, other escalator owners will take a page from their book and look to improve safety.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
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A new drone centre at Republic Polytechnic will also open its doors to people who want to learn how to fly these unmanned craft.

Students can try their hand at tinkering with them too.

The Republic Polytechnic UAV Centre – to be officially launched at the poly’s open house on Thursday – was developed in line with growing interest in drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), from students, the public and organisations.

The $200,000 centre houses more than 50 drones with wing spans ranging from 150mm to 1.2m.

Student at the polytechnic who stand to benefit from the centre include those pursuing diploma courses in aerospace avionics, aerospace engineering as well as interactive and digital media.

The public can also sign up for a two-day basic drone flying course for $1,380 at the centre.

Mr Muhammad Firman Jumat, 20, an interactive and digital media student, is looking forward to the centre’s opening.

“You can use drones to help capture whatever you can’t get using hand-held cameras and videos on the ground,” he said.

Occupying 118 sq m, the centre can accommodate 50 students.

It has an application lab where students can carry out simulations and image processing on computers, as well as an integration lab, similar to a workshop, where students can tinker with drone components.

Drone-flying lessons are conducted on the school’s field.

Said Mr Sasidharan Nair, 39, a trainer at the centre: “One of the most important things we want our students to take away from this is safety. Flying a drone requires a lot of responsibility: A drone is not a toy.”

This article was first published on Jan 02, 2017.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.