SINGAPORE: Residents of several HDB flats complained that their neighbour kept his two dogs in his home and just allowed them to defecate and urinate inside the unit and in the corridor. This behaviour causes disturbance to others, especially due to its terrible smell, and the neighbouring units had to keep their doors and windows closed to cast away the stench.
One of the neighbours contacted Shin Min Daily News and shared the unruly hygiene of a family of three in a unit that allows their pets to defecate and urinate inside and outside the house without cleaning it up.
With this, photos showed that two dogs—one white and one brown—were inside the living room of the unit, and the floor was covered with dog pee pads, faeces, and urine stains.
When reporters visited the area, they discovered that most of the units on the same floor had their doors and windows shut, and the unit in question had piles of dried dog faeces between its main door and the iron gate.
Furthermore, residents on the same floor and downstairs said they were disturbed, admitting that the resident had been letting their pet dogs do their things anywhere since the owner moved there more than two years ago.
A female neighbour also expressed that the unit owner would occasionally leave the door open, and the foul odour would emanate.
“Sometimes when the wind blows, the stench wafts into my house, forcing me to keep the doors and windows closed for long periods of time. I don’t object to keeping dogs in homes, but homeowners must clean up their excrement promptly; otherwise, in addition to the stench, bacteria will also grow,” she remarked.
Additionally, she shared that when passing, residents were not very careful, and they might accidentally step on the dogs’ faeces in the corridor.
Another resident became concerned for the health of the elderly people in the building, stating that long-term exposure to poor sanitation could cause serious health implications.
“Actually, everyone gets along very well here, except for that family who repeatedly refuse to listen to advice, which makes everyone a little dissatisfied,” a resident declared.
In Singapore, concerns like this can be reported via Life SG. Life SG is an effective service to assist residents in reporting any issues or concerns in their neighbourhood. With this, individuals can easily communicate with the appropriate government agencies or relevant authorities to address the issues at hand.
