Introduction
Mr. Speaker, as a proud parent of a fur kid, I relate to the stress faced by pet owners when bringing their pet, often with much resistance, to the vet for a medical treatment or check-up. I am sure many pet owners can relate to how, they can somehow figure out whether they’re being taken to the dog run or being taken to the vet for a medical appointment. However, no matter how anxious or rebellious the patient may be, it is the patience, skill, and professionalism of our veterinary corps that often place both the patient and its owner at ease.
In Singapore, demand for veterinary services is booming, owing to the rise in pet ownership and how pets are now often regarded as a member of the family, and not just a pet per se.
The Bill introduces a new 3-tiered registration framework for veterinarians based on one’s qualifications, namely Full, Restricted, and Specialist. Establishing the Veterinary Council as the industry’s professional body is therefore instrumental towards upholding the high standards expected of the profession and a move I strongly support.
Nevertheless, this Bill arrives against a backdrop of stretched veterinary manpower, mounting public concerns about care costs, and an overall pet care ecosystem that still has significant gaps. Allow me to touch on these topics in turn in my speech.
Strengthening the Veterinarian Pipeline
In addition to regulating the veterinary industry, I hope that the Council would strengthen the pipeline of registered veterinarians to ease Singapore’s shortage of veterinary professionals. According to the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA), there are approximately 898 pets per vet as of 2022.
Currently, there is no university course in veterinary science available locally. While Ngee Ann and Temasek Polytechnic offer veterinary-related diplomas, they do not provide students with the prerequisite qualifications to become a full-fledged licensed veterinarian.
To apply for a license to treat birds and animals under the present system, one must study overseas at a veterinary school recognised either by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), or the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC). If they hold a veterinary degree from a non-recognised university, they could also sit for and pass either the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership, the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), or the Australasian Veterinary Examination (AVE).
This is a costly pathway only open to those who have the means to do so or are awarded a scholarship, discriminating against many potential veterinarians with the love and passion for helping animals from pursuing such a noble aspiration.
In February 2026, a parliamentary question was posed to the Minister for Education on whether the Ministry would work with autonomous universities to introduce a locally-offered veterinary degree in view of growing demand and reliance on overseas-trained vets.
The reply was that MOE would: "MOE will continue to work with the AUs and sector agencies such as MND and NParks to monitor and assess how best to meet Singapore's long-term veterinary manpower needs”. I find the answer to be quite inadequate.
I understand the arguments that Singapore's small land area means limited farm animal populations, and that there may not be sufficient scale to justify the opening up of a new programme. But the question is not whether current supply is sufficient, which increasingly appears to be insufficient, but whether the pipeline is resilient. A profession whose entire intake depends on Singaporeans willing to bear the cost and disruption of overseas education, with no guarantee of returning, is a profession with a structurally fragile supply chain.
Moreover, we can always start with a partnership model for starters. I am reminded of the double-degree programme offered by NTU in biomedical sciences and Chinese medicine with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, which began in 2005. Today, NTU is launching its own four-year Bachelor of Chinese Medicine degree programme, which enrolled its first class of 25 students in August 2024, with plans to go up to 40 eventually. I believe this is a model which we can replicate for our own veterinary degree.
Will the Government be keen to introduce a locally-offered veterinary degree?
Plugging the Brain Drain
In addition to strengthening the supply pipeline of veterinarians, which is crucial in addressing the manpower gap, I hope that the Council looks into plugging the brain drain faced by the industry.
As of September 2025, Singapore had approximately 674 licensed veterinarians, rising to around 700 by end-2025. This is up nearly sixfold from just 122 in 2006. Demand for veterinary services have been rising alongside the rising incidence of pet ownership, yet every single veterinarian in Singapore has been trained entirely abroad.
Amongst the Singaporean veterinary students that study overseas, which comprises an overwhelming majority, only 50% or less choose to return home to practice as many prefer to work in Australia or the United Kingdom, where opportunities abound with better work-life balance.
A study conducted by James Cook University and the SVA highlights that veterinary professionals are 4 to 9 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms compared to their human healthcare counterparts.
Improving our local talent pipeline would therefore help plug the brain drain within the industry by spreading out the workload more sustainably, thus reducing the likelihood of burnout.
Recognising our Veterinary Paraprofessionals
Another issue faced by the industry is the lack of career progression, especially amongst veterinary paraprofessionals such as nurses and technicians. When combined with burnout and wages incommensurate with their less-than-ideal working conditions, it has resulted in a high attrition rate and manpower shortage. According to the SVA, only 20% of veterinary nursing graduates remained in the industry after 5 years as of 2022, with many of them viewing this profession as unviable.
With plans to regulate veterinary nurses and technicians in the works, I hope that the Council develop structured opportunities for career progression and specialisation, thus boosting their wages and job prospects.
Furthermore, while Clause 4(3) of the Bill specifies that the Council should minimally comprise of four fully-registered veterinarians and two laypeople, there is no explicit requirement for veterinary paraprofessionals to be represented. Given their invaluable contributions to the industry, paraprofessionals should also have a seat at the table, thus providing an avenue for their concerns to be heard.
Consumer Protection and Fee Transparency
Mr Speaker, reforms to the veterinary sector should also protect consumers’ interests.
Big conglomerates and private equity firms have recently been heavily investing into and acquiring pet care chains and veterinary practices. In fact, although dogs are allergic to chocolate, the Mars Corporation is ironically one of the biggest players in the veterinary scene. While such clinics benefit from a flush of capital, veterinarians might have to keep a closer eye on their bottom lines and the demands of upper management instead of their patients.
Some years ago, our family adopted a dog from the SPCA. We named him Yellow. It was uncommon to find what appeared to be a purebred dog put up for adoption, but Yellow had physical deformities that required consistent and ongoing medical attention. Towards the end of his life, the cost of managing his condition was not far from what one might expect to pay for a human specialist. He was family, and we wanted to do everything we could to ease his suffering.
But I am acutely aware that not every family is in the same position. For some, the cost of treatment is simply prohibitive. And the cruellest irony of all is that euthanasia, the most unbearable option, may also be the cheapest one.
During the consultation process of this Bill, some respondents have also raised the issue of high veterinary fees and a lack of transparency. Although regulating clinic fees is beyond the remit of the Council, I believe that there is space for the Council to act in the interest of consumer protection, and to prevent runaway healthcare costs in the Veterinary scene.
It would be instructive for us to study the approach taken by other jurisdictions. For instance, the United Kingdom recently started mandating veterinary clinics to publicly disclose their practice’s ownership structure and introduce price lists for common procedures to boost transparency for consumers. I do hope the Ministry and the Council can consider regularly publishing hospital bills and fee benchmarks, similar to how the Ministry of Health have done so, or even fee guidelines for starters.
Enforcement against Pet Groomers and Trainers
Finally, I return to the concern I have raised previously about pet groomers. Beyond veterinary professionals, there are others within the wider animal care ecosystem that play a key role in ensuring the health and well-being of animals, such as pet groomers and trainers.
This Bill creates full professional registration, practising certificates, continuing education requirements, and a multi-tiered disciplinary framework for veterinarians. But pet groomers, who handle animals daily and a number of whom have been linked to dozens of investigated welfare incidents, and who in some cases have been responsible for animal deaths remain entirely unregulated.
A Parliamentary Reply this year revealed that NParks investigated 54 cases of harm to animals involving pet groomers over the past 3 years. Following questions raised in this House, MND indicated in January 2026 that the Animals and Birds Act review would consider whether to include requirements for CCTV recordings.
There have also been cases of mishandling involving dog trainers. For instance, two employees of a dog training firm were suspended in 2024 for physically harming two dogs under their care in preparation for a “photo op”.
Currently, pet groomers and trainers are simply required to adhere to the Code of Animal Welfare, a set of minimum standards and best practices regarding certain aspects of animal care, such as housing, feeding, and transport.
Back in September 2024, I asked a Parliamentary Question about whether there are plans to implement licensing requirements for pet groomers in a manner similar to pet breeders and boarders. I understand the Government is currently reviewing the Code of Animal Welfare with a focus on groomers, as well as introducing a new chapter for dog trainers. However, the aforementioned instances of negligence by pet groomers and trainers highlight the need for a tighter enforcement regime for this group of professionals, in addition to revising the penalties for animal cruelty and failure to fulfil duty of care, to ensure that practitioners actually adhere to professional standards.
Conclusion
Mr. Speaker, to care for animals is a labour of love. I support the passage of this Bill, but there is more we can do to develop a fully functional animal health and welfare ecosystem.
I hope we can do more by strengthening the pipeline of veterinary professionals, plugging the brain drain faced by the industry, recognising the contributions of our veterinary paraprofessionals, enhancing consumer protection measures within the industry and tightening the enforcement regime for pet groomers and trainers.
This will nurture a thriving animal care ecosystem that is centred around the health and welfare of its patients, whether it be domesticated pets, community animals, or the wildlife in our garden city.
Thank you.
