When love meets the bill: The cost of loving a pet in Singapore
The cost of pet care in Singapore has been steadily rising, with emergency veterinary care posing a significant challenge for owners. At the Animal Wellness Referral Centre (AWRC) in Bukit Timah, a 24-hour veterinary facility, veterinarians like Kek Shing Jye and Tammie Wong handle urgent cases, such as Zaizai, a 17-year-old Yorkshire terrier recovering from a stroke, and Coco, a 14-year-old poodle battling cancer.
Owners, like finance professional Carol Ang and retiree Jan Tan, are willing to spend substantial amounts on their pets' health, despite the growing financial strain. Diagnoses and treatments, including cancer surgeries and immunotherapies, can easily exceed $10,000, while basic consultations have nearly doubled in price. Despite the financial burden, many owners, such as Tan, remain committed to providing the best possible care for their pets, recognizing that there are no guarantees in veterinary treatment.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
