SINGAPORE: If you’re living in an HDB block, chances are you’ve at some point caught a very much undesired and unpleasant scent of morning dog pee on your daily route through the void deck. For one frustrated resident, it’s become a full-blown nasal assault.
“For people like us who live in HDB, our void decks, at most places, across Singapore, we’ll have to tolerate the smell of urine caused by dog keepers/walkers who let their pets pee indiscriminately,” he complained on Reddit r/SingaporeRaw.
Why aren’t the authorities fining dog owners / walkers who let their pets pee indiscriminately l?
byu/Lanky_Spring_4602 inSingaporeRaw
And he’s not alone. That post unleashed a flood of pent-up frustration from fellow Singaporeans — not about the dogs per se, but about the lack of proper enforcement on irresponsible dog keepers/walkers.
“Approaching them when in action can lead to fights…”
The resident noted, “When we complain, all the authorities will do is paste advisory notices instead of sending plainclothes officers to catch these inconsiderate people red-handed.”
Sticker power, it seems, only sticks so far. While the National Environment Agency (NEA) has guidelines on pet fouling and the Town Councils occasionally issue reminders, many feel it’s simply not enough.
“How are you gonna find which dog s**t on the floor?” asked one commenter. “Even then, how are you gonna get the identity of the dog keeper/walker? Approaching them when in action can even lead to fights.”
Others recalled a time when cats were banned from HDB flats due to hygiene concerns. So… are cats getting a raw deal compared to their canine cousins?
“Dogs should have to wear diapers when in public…”
The suggestions ranged from mildly sensible to delightfully dystopian. One Redditor proposed:
“Dogs should have to wear diapers when in public. If even human beings are not allowed the privilege to pee wherever they want, why should dogs have that privilege?”
Another added, “Can they ban smoking in their own house as well? Make a smoke shelter away from the blocks, let the smokers go away there.”
However, the award for the most “Singaporean” comment goes to one netizen who asked:
“What you want the government to do, hire more JLB types who haven’t grown out of their class monitor mindset to become successors to those much-hated Social Distancing ‘Ambassadors’ during COVID, is it?”
“Most of the time, it’s the helper’s fault who are too preoccupied with their phones/calls…”
Of course, not everyone was keen on cracking down harder. “How about banning intolerant people [like you]? Live and let live lah. Every day, complain this, complain that — so miserable, sure uplorry faster,” responded one forum member.
And then one responsible dog keeper added that it’s often the domestic helper’s fault because they are “too preoccupied with their phones/calls” while walking the dogs and are unaware that the dog is urinating on the void deck walls.
“I always get the bad look when people see piss on the floor while I’m walking my dog (responsibly)… I always carry him (dog) until we are in the grass patches and pick up his poop, and I still feel framed [by the helpers],” he explained his situation.
AI-powered pee-detection cameras?
Here’s the real pee problem: Without enforcement, even the best regulations are little more than laminated paper on a void deck pillar.
Singapore might not have AI-powered pee-detection cameras just yet, but surely a middle ground exists between a do-nothing attitude toward leash laws and diaper mandates. Could designated pet relief zones or mobile enforcement patrols be the answer for now instead?
Until then, we’ll just have to keep our heads high and noses pinched, it seems.
