I READ with utter disgust the report, "Some wonder: Are they an 'incident' waiting to happen?" (The New Paper, 18 Apr), about the "pack" of stray dogs in Bishan.

Why is it that while the stray dogs are in the spotlight and it looks like they will be impounded, nothing is said about the stray cats that are also reported to be roaming the area there?

Let me first profess that I am the owner of an adorable canine which, I stress, carries a legitimate licence from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

While I don't condone the act of putting down stray animals, especially when their dismal fate is the result of irresponsible pet owners in Singapore, I absolutely agree that they should not be allowed to roam the streets.

Animals, by nature, are unpredictable creatures. Even well-trained dogs can turn aggressive when a stray cat or small child sneaks up behind them and their survival instinct kicks in.

It is for this very reason that I never allow my dog to go unleashed outside, even though it is trained to respond to my commands.

Those stray dogs in Bishan should be rounded up and re-homed with families who understand what it takes to own a pet.

However, so should the stray cats that Madam Lily Wee herself acknowledged were roaming in the area.

As far I know, AVA's policy on the culling of stray animals includes both cats and dogs.

Madam Wee said cats are like her children.

Well, allow me to then proclaim that dogs are like my children.

But, unlike Madam Wee, I accept that humans are ranked higher in the chain and our well-being must override that of canines and felines.

And what makes a dog's right to live any lower than a cat's?

I urge people like Madam Wee to not let their personal prejudices dictate the fate of nature's creatures.

Miss Eileen Yu Sue Ching