MUZZLING OF DOGS

Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for National Development whether he will consider allowing dog-owners to continue exercising their dogs without the use of muzzles after 1st August 1991.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, owners of large and potentially dangerous dogs will not be allowed to exercise their dogs without the use of muzzles in public places after 1st August 1991.

Muzzling is a precautionary measure to safeguard the public against being seriously bitten by such dogs. All dogs can bite. That is obvious. However, some large and powerful breeds are more aggressive, having a greater propensity to attack. Their attacks can be vicious, causing severe injuries.

Using a leash alone may not be adequate in restraining a large dog. Many Singaporeans are not familiar or comfortable with dogs. They are more likely to startle the dogs by running away or moving suddenly when approached by large dogs. If the dog is "provoked" to attack, in such a situation, the owner may not be able to exercise control, or hold on to the leash securely. In such cases, muzzling will minimise serious injuries to the victims.

More than 80% of the pet dogs in Singapore are not affected by the muzzling rule. These include the toy breeds kept in HDB flats. The large dogs affected account for less than 20% of the dogs in Singapore. They are mostly kept by owners living in landed properties and will be able to exercise without muzzles within the owners' compounds.