Payment system could help authorities look after abandoned pets

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) proposes to implement a no-kill policy regarding abandoned pets in its care.

It would be naive to think the fate of pets will improve under this no-kill policy. All it will mean is that, in effect, the 'guillotine' is passed to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).

An unwanted pet turned away by the SPCA may end up scavenging in the streets. It will run the risk of being run over or contracting a disease. If it is picked up by the AFCD it will probably be put down.

If, on the other hand, the owner can be traced and agrees to take it back, the animal will be returning to a person who has already rejected it . The SPCA's new policy may not make things worse, but it does not represent a genuine improvement.

There should be a system under which people buying an animal from a pet shop have to pay a hefty charge on top of the purchase price. This would be passed on to the SPCA or AFCD. With the revenue earned the authorities could look after pets that had been abandoned until they died of natural causes. The sale of pets not monitored by the relevant authorities would be illegal.

Many people who abandon pets do so because they no longer have enough space for them, or through a change of circumstances, can no longer afford to look after them and pay such things as medical expenses.