Animals and Birds Act 1965 - Singapore Statutes Online

Cruelty to animals

42.—(1) Any person who —

(a)	cruelly beats, kicks, ill‑treats, over‑rides, over‑drives, over‑loads, tortures, infuriates or terrifies any animal;
(b)	causes or procures or, being the owner, permits any animal to be so used;
(c)	by rashly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act, causes any unnecessary pain or suffering or, being the owner, permits any unnecessary pain or suffering to any animal; [Act 23 of 2021 wef 01/03/2022]
(d)	employs or causes or procures or, being the owner, permits to be employed in any work of labour, any animal which in consequence of any disease, infirmity, wound or sore, or otherwise, is unfit to be so employed; or
(e)	causes, procures or assists at the fighting or baiting of any animal, or keeps, uses, manages, or acts or assists in the management of any premises or place for the purpose, or partly for the purpose, of fighting or baiting any animal, or permits any premises or place to be so kept, managed or used, or receives or causes or procures any person to receive money for the admission of any person to the premises or place,

shall be guilty of an offence.

[46/2014]

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), an owner is deemed to have permitted cruelty to an animal, if the owner has failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of the animal.

(3) Nothing in this section applies to the commission or omission of any act in the course of the destruction, or the preparation for destruction of any animal as food, unless that destruction or preparation was accompanied by the infliction of unnecessary suffering.

(4) A person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable on conviction —

(a)

in the case where the person commits the offence in the course of carrying on, or employment or purported employment with, an animal‑related business —

(i)	for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $40,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both; and
(ii)	for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; or

(b)

in any other case —

(i)	for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $15,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 18 months or to both; and
(ii)	for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $30,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both. [46/2014]

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