They are abandoned, neglected and often feared. The sad state of Singapore's stray dogs is the reason why Dr Siew Tuck Wah is committed to SOSD (Save Our Street Dogs).
The 37-year-old aesthetic doctor is president of SOSD, an organisation set up in 2011 and now has 400 volunteers.
There are an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 stray dogs in Singapore, says Dr Siew, who has been volunteering with SOSD since 2012.
The shelter rescues about 30 dogs a month and rehomes around 20. In this episode of video series Heroes Among us, he talks about the challenges of dealing with Singapore’s stray dog problem.
“The Government's way of dealing with the stray dog problem previously was to catch and cull, but you can't catch and cull faster than they reproduce. So if you don't rescue and sterilise them, the problem will perpetuate,” says Dr Siew.
SOSD receives two to five calls a day alerting them to a stray dog sighting. They have rescued more than 1,000 dogs over the past five years.
The organisation spends close to $80,000 a month, mostly on medical bills because a lot of the dogs in the animal shelter in Pasir Ris are sick.
“For these dogs, it’s not about having a good life. All they want is to have shelter, food and just to live," he says.