PETS’ DAY OUT: HAPPY ‘HAMMY’ CHINESE NEW YEAR! EDITION

When: 11 January 2020 Where: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

Pets’ Day Out (PDO) returned for another day of fur and fun at a new location, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, on 11 Jan 2020 for a special Chinese New Year edition.

Attracting some 3,000 visitors, pint-sized little pets, such as hamsters and guinea pigs, were this edition’s stars in celebration of the Chinese Year of the Rat. At the free pet health checks, a PDO mainstay, pet owners got a professional’s take on their little critters’ well-being from veterinarians with experience in handling small animals, who were invited specially for this edition.

The Hamster Society Singapore (HSS) joined in the festivities, bringing down a greater number of adorable hamsters looking for ‘fur-ever’ homes.

Pet owners were spoilt for choice at the 40 vendor-strong pet retail bazaar, with items ranging from pet food, accessories to photography services.

Unique to this edition was the collaboration with Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) and HSS for Petzmania, a popular children’s programme where basic pet care and responsible pet ownership were taught through role-playing and educational activities with pet professionals.

Aside from the usual stations where participants completed a pop quiz on responsible pet ownership, learnt how to conduct basic checks on pets and train and walk pet dogs, the 30-odd children between the ages of 7 to 12 also learnt good hamster care practices and how to set up a proper hamster habitat at a special station, conducted by PLC and HSS.

Meanwhile, dog owners had a ball of a time watching their four-legged friends roam free, or mastering the agility course at the pet agility playground. Non-pet owners had plenty to see and do too. From taking Instagram-worthy pictures with the birds; chatting with members of BirdCraze (a bird interest group), as well as interacting with adorable animals looking for ‘fur-ever’ homes and volunteers from Animal Welfare Groups.

For updates on Pets’ Day Out, visit NParks’ website (www.nparks.gov.sg/pdo), their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ nparksbuzz) or subscribe to their Telegram channel (https://t.me/nparksbuzz).