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Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS)

Code of Animal Welfare

Guidelines and standards for the proper care of animals

Last updated on 3 October 2026

Code of Animal Welfare

Development of the Codes of Animal Welfare

The Code of Animal Welfare for pet owners and the Code of Animal Welfare for the pet industry were first launched in 2017 and 2016 respectively. The Codes were developed by the Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Committee (MSCC), a committee formed in October 2013 and chaired by Mr Alex Yam, former Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

The MSCC comprised representatives from Members of Parliament, the community, animal groups, the pet industry, the veterinary profession, and former Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)*. In developing the Codes, the MSCC worked in close collaboration with these stakeholders, taking into consideration their varied interests, as well as the views of the wider public.

In 2024, AVS began reviewing the Codes, engaging relevant stakeholders across the pet industry, animal groups, the veterinary profession, and members of the public. This ongoing review aims to ensure that the Codes remain relevant to Singapore's context while positioning Singapore at the forefront of global animal welfare standards.

Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) 

The Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) was issued by the former AVA* on 15 June 2017. The code specifies the minimum standards for animal housing, management, and care that pet owners are expected to comply with.

The Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) is made available in the form of a booklet and infographics.  

Download it here: 

Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) Booklet (opens in new tab)

Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) Infographic (opens in new tab)

These materials can be obtained from veterinary clinics, pet shops, animal welfare groups, public libraries, and at our community events on responsible pet ownership. 

Code of Animal Welfare (for pet industry) 

The former AVA* issued the Code of Animal Welfare (for the pet industry) on 11 August 2016.   

Launched on 1 October 2016, the Code comprises minimum standards and best practices for the  housing, management, and care of animals to protect the health and welfare of our pets. Failure to meet the Codes’ minimum standards may be taken into account in animal welfare investigations.

On 3 October 2026, as part of the Code’s ongoing review, the annex for Pet Groomers was updated, and a new annex providing minimum standards and best practices for Dog Trainers was introduced.

Download it here: 

Code of Animal Welfare (for the pet industry) [PDF, 829.53 KB] (opens in new tab)

For a summary of the Code of Animal Welfare (for pet industry), please refer to the infographic below. 

Download it here: 

Code of Animal Welfare (for the pet industry) Infographic (opens in new tab)

 For a summary of the updated annex for Pet Groomers and the new annex for Dog Trainers, please refer to the annexes and infographics below.

Download it here:

Code of Animal Welfare (pet groomers annex) [PDF, 718.70 KB] (opens in new tab)

Code of Animal Welfare (pet groomers) Infographic (opens in new tab)


Code of Animal Welfare (dog trainers annex) [PDF, 718.70 KB] (opens in new tab)

Code of Animal Welfare (dog trainers) Infographic [PDF, 1.92 MB] (opens in new tab)


*The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore is dissolved, effective 1 April 2019. All farm, food and fishery functions will be managed by the Singapore Food Agency, while the animal and veterinary functions will come under the purview of the Animal & Veterinary Service, a cluster of the National Parks Board.  

Guidelines and advisories

To learn more about guidelines and advisories on animal welfare, please refer to this page (opens in new tab).