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September 1, 2026

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Leases for 8 out of 35 tenants at The Animal Lodge will not be renewed after failing tender requirements: AVS

The affected tenants include seven dog breeders and an operator of a pet boarding facility.

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Koh Wan Ting

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SINGAPORE: Eight commercial tenants at The Animal Lodge will not have their tenancies renewed when they expire in December this year, after they failed to meet the minimum requirements of a tender exercise aimed at raising animal welfare and operational standards in the pet sector.

Of the eight, seven are dog breeders and the remaining tenant is an operator of a pet boarding facility.

The businesses are among 35 existing commercial tenants at the Sungei Tengah facility whose current tenancies expire on Dec 5, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), which is under the National Parks Board, said on Tuesday (Sep 1).

The remaining 27 tenants met the requirements of AVS’ tender exercise and will be allowed to remain at The Animal Lodge, with tenancies that can be renewed for up to three terms until Dec 5, 2035.

The 35 businesses currently occupy 53 units at the facility and comprise pet breeders, boarders and a pet crematorium.

Citing confidentiality reasons, AVS did not reveal the identities of the eight businesses that will not have their leases renewed.

Nevertheless, CNA spoke to two dog breeders and the pet boarding operator that were unsuccessful in their bids and were unhappy with AVS’ decision.

AVS director Trisha Eng said that during the tender exercise, tenderers were required to submit proposals demonstrating how they would enhance animal welfare and operational outcomes beyond baseline regulatory requirements.

AVS had provided assistance and guidance to tenderers in the preparation of their proposals. Proposals were assessed holistically against both price and quality criteria, including animal health and welfare standards, husbandry practices and their regulatory track record.

“These criteria reflect the standards AVS expects licensed operators to meet in supporting the broader objective of fostering higher standards across the pet industry,” she said.

Ms Eng said AVS would work with the eight unsuccessful tenants to ensure plans are in place for the relocation and the rehoming of animals under their care.

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She said the decision was final and that no appeals would be considered.

TARGETED TENDER

The Animal Lodge at 59 Sungei Tengah Road houses animal welfare groups as well as commercial pet businesses, including breeders and boarding facilities.

It was developed by the former Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority in 2017 to accommodate animal-related establishments affected by the redevelopment of areas such as Pasir Ris Farmway. AVS took over the management of the facility in April 2019 and oversees its operations.

Ms Eng said that while an open tender approach would typically be taken for such commercial premises, AVS limited the exercise to existing tenants before considering opening units to new entrants.

AVS said this approach was to minimise disruption and displacement of animals housed at The Animal Lodge under these businesses.

As part of the tender, businesses had to submit proposals showing how they would improve animal welfare and their operations beyond baseline regulatory requirements.

This included providing higher standards of living environments for animals, strengthening health and welfare practices including biosecurity, and improving breeding and boarding facilities.

AVS had been engaging and providing guidance to tenants since November last year through more than 15 sessions, including town halls, tender briefings and workshops.

While all the tenants met existing regulatory requirements needed to hold their licences, AVS said businesses had to demonstrate that they would go “above and beyond” these baseline standards to score points in the tender.

For example, dog breeders are required to provide annual health checks for their breeding animals, but businesses that proposed more frequent veterinary checks could receive additional points.

AVS said the eight unsuccessful tenants did not propose enough measures that went beyond the baseline requirements across areas such as animal health and welfare and husbandry practices.

“For the ones who are unsuccessful … they did not have enough items proposed that went above and beyond whatever the baseline requirements are,” Ms Eng said.

AVS will monitor the other 27 businesses throughout their tenancies to ensure they fulfil the commitments made in their tender proposals.

“Tenants who fail to meet these standards may face consequences, including the possibility of non-renewal at the next tenancy review,” Ms Eng said.

Following the exercise, Ms Eng said AVS will review the future use of The Animal Lodge based on industry needs and operational considerations.

Available units could subsequently be offered through future tender exercises, including to new entrants, she added.

Ms Sheryl Chia, who runs cat breeder Chubby Buddy, is one of the businesses at The Animal Lodge who managed to secure a lease past its original December 2026 deadline. (PHOTO: CNA/Koh Wan Ting)

For Ms Sheryl Chia, who runs cat breeding business Chubby Buddy at The Animal Lodge, being awarded a new tenancy was a relief. Her premises currently have about 50 cats.

Ms Chia said her tender proposal included measures such as providing enrichment spaces where cats can move around freely and socialise, rather than being confined to smaller rooms.

She also plans to carry out further improvements to her premises at The Animal Lodge, including replacing parts of the flooring with non-slip material, repainting and upgrading furnishings.

“We always feel that we can always be better and better … We will always try to think of ways to improve and make some changes,” Ms Chia said.

House of Pups owner Michael Teo is one of the breeders who will not have his lease renewed at The Animal Lodge when it expires in December 2026. (Photo: CNA/Koh Wan Ting)

TIGHT DEADLINE TO REHOME ANIMALS

Speaking to CNA, several tenants who were unsuccessful in the lease renewal bid said the news came as a shock.

Among the seven dog breeders that failed to get their tenancies renewed are House of Pups and Rayru Kennel, which presently house a combined total of more than 200 dogs.

House of Pups owner Michael Teo described the outcome as “unfair” and said the roughly three months until the Dec 5 deadline was insufficient to make arrangements for the animals, some of which are pregnant.

“It’s just like all of a sudden, within three months, we have to move out,” Mr Teo said.

He estimated that he will need at least eight months to a year to wind down the business and rehome all the dogs, and plans to make an appeal to a Member of Parliament.

He said immediately ceasing his business would also be difficult as he still had to pay rent, feed and care for the animals, and support his employees.

Mr Teo, who said he had been in the industry for about 15 years, also questioned how his tender proposal had been assessed.

House of Pups, a dog breeder at The Animal Lodge, is among the businesses whose tenancies will not be renewed beyond Dec 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Natalie Ong)

He said his premises already had measures aimed at improving the animals’ welfare, including air-conditioning, and that his workers walked the dogs.

However, he said he had not included all of these existing practices in his written proposal because he regarded some of them as basic aspects of animal care.

He said he had sought clarification from the authorities on why his bid was unsuccessful but felt he had not received a sufficiently specific explanation.

Mr Teo maintained that his premises were well-kept and said he had complied with existing AVS licensing requirements, including requirements relating to vaccination, microchipping and veterinary care.

Rayru Kennel owner Raymond Toh also felt that the decision for his business to move out in three months was unreasonable.

“My dogs are fine, there is no issue with them, but they suddenly told me I don’t get the lease extension because my proposal is not good,” Mr Toh said in Mandarin.

The owner of Tara Pet Care, the lone pet boarding operator that failed in its tender, expressed anger at the way things unfolded.

Ms Esther Wong said she had been operating at The Animal Lodge since it opened and had attended consultations ahead of the tender exercise.

The operator said she runs her business alone and deliberately keeps the number of long-term boarding dogs low. She also takes in abandoned animals, which she will have to rehome when the deadline comes.

Ms Wong also said she had spent a few thousand dollars improving her premises in recent months, including installing additional fans to improve ventilation and replacing ageing doors.

The operator said she was upset because the improvements were made before she knew whether her tenancy would be renewed.

Like the other unsuccessful tenants, Ms Wong now has about three months to make arrangements for her business and the animals under her care. She told CNA that she was considering leaving the pet industry.

“In this trade there’s no rest, I’ve been working 365 days for the past 15 years, so I told my neighbour, maybe I’ll quit,” Ms Wong said.

While the affected tenants are expected to move out by Dec 5, AVS said it would consider requests for extensions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the animals’ welfare, as well as tenants’ relocation plans and progress.

Source: CNA/wt(nj)

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