[Organisation] Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Source: The Straits Times

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) - saviours of animals for over 100 years. Prior to their move to their new premises at 50 Sungei Tengah Road, they were housed along Orchard Road in the 1950s and in 1984, moved to 31, Mount Vernon Road. (SPCA Singapore)


History

The confluence of an agricultural island that needed oxens to till the land in the 1800s, to the aristocratic horses that pulled along their carriages and how they were treated must have moved the hearts of residents in Singapore to set up the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). (Tay)

The earliest record of SPCA was found in an archived copy of The Straits Times dated March 4, 1876. (Cruelty to animals) A Second Police Magistrate and a Malay language scholar D. F. A. Hervey was the first person to ask for SPCA to be set up. (The late D. F. A. Hervey) He was appalled by how animals were treated in Singapore. (Cruelty to animals)

Two weeks later, the society was established and a merchant by the name of Sir William Adamson was appointed to lead the society. (Straits Observer)

The first step taken by the society was to "issue notices in English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil" of illegal actions that constituted to cruelty to animals. (Singapore Chamber of Commerce)

One of the first punishments meted out in Singapore was called upon by SPCA against a prisoner who wounded an animal. The prisoner was fined $1. (Straits Times Overland Journal)

SPCA had also brought to court 22 cases of cruelty to hack ponies and bullock. I'm pretty sure the local community would have find this rather amusing during that time especially when bullocks were used for work.  (Untitled, June 1, 1878)



References

Cruelty to animals. March 4, 1876. The Straits Times.  P2.

Singapore Chamber of Commerce. May 27, 1876. Straits Times Overland Journal. P8.

SPCA Singapore. About us. Retrieved on January 17, 2016. http://www.spca.org.sg/about.asp 

Straits Observer (Singapore). March 28, 1876. P2.

Straits Times Overland Journal. June 9, 1877. P 14.

Tay, T. F.  January 16, 2016. SPCA moves to Sungei Tengah next Monday. The Straits Times. Singapore

The late D. F. A. Hervey. July 4, 1911. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P10.

Untitled. The Straits Times. June 1, 1878. P3.