If you've received an SMS about a pet shop closing and offering to give away its dogs, you're not the only one.
Since yesterday, scores of people have been receiving the same mass text message forwarded to them by friends. The emotional and moral edge of the SMS was probably what prompted its viral spread to countless others.
The simple message conveys a sense of desperation and urgency, with a plea for help from a pet shop in Joo Chiat that is closing down. It says there are five dogs to be given away - 2 Huskies, 1 black Labrador, I Shitzu, and 1 cross-breed Huskie terrier.
"If not, will b putdown. Pls help. call mariam," says the SMS, giving the mobile number.
The person mentioned in the SMS is uncontactable. AsiaOne called the number many times and it was either busy or shut off.
"I have always wanted a Huskie but I couldn't get through when I tried dialing the number!" said Ms Liew, 23, a student and one of the many members of the public who received the SMS on her mobile.
A check with pet shops around Singapore showed that they are also aware of the SMS. Views on it were mixed however.
When asked if they thought it was a hoax, Ms Yvonne Lim, a retail assistant at Pet Lovers' Centre, Shaw Branch, said: "I'm not too sure, but you can't really tell in any case because it's a chain SMS.
"I wouldn't really do anything about it though, because you must be prepared for the responsibility - it's not so easy taking care of a dog."
Retail assistant-cum-groomer, Ms Yeo, of Marine Pet Image Pte Ltd says she has received the SMS "three or four times yesterday already".
"I think it's a prank, because it's been going around for a few days already - a friend of mine received it the day before I did," she added.
She also said that a pet shop will definitely not give away its animals for free just because it is closing.
Mr Kenneth Chai, manager of My Pet Store (Hillview), says: "I actually think it's for real, but the shop should have come up with a solution rather than just saying that they will put the dog down if no one comes forward for them.
"They should have thought of what to do with the dogs before closing the shop down - I find it quite irresponsible of them," continued Mr Chai.
AsiaOne also asked SPCA executive officer, Ms Deirdre Moss, if the SMS could have been a hoax.
Ms Moss confirmed that she, too, had received the same SMS, as well as queries from concerned members of the public. SPCA had checked with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), and learnt that the agency is also aware of it.
SPCA also sent an officer down to Joo Chiat for investigations. While no official confirmation could be made as yet, SPCA says there was a pet shop suspected to be the one referred to in the SMS.
The shop was closed with a sign bearing the hand-written words: "Sorry, we are closed, no more dogs".
"There was no sign of any animals," Ms Moss said.
"When you read something like that, there's no proper source. It's an upsetting SMS to receive," says Ms Moss of the text message. She also commented that it would be emotionally disturbing, especially for animal-lovers, citing numerous concerned emails she had gotten from the public.
"They shouldn't source for homes in this manner. There are far better ways to get the message across rather than by stirring up people's emotions."
Ms Moss said that the pedigree dogs described in the SMS should have no problems finding a home. If the shop really intended for the animals to be given away, they could have done so by putting up proper signs in their shop.
To send out an SMS message like that to the masses is obviously a "shock tactic" that "plays on people's emotions", she added.
Online, the SMS has also been generating some strong responses.
Ms Moss mentioned that an email to her from a member of the public said the SMS was "extremely irresponsible and disturbing".
A forum user apparently claimed that the SMS was a hoax, after verifying through a Google search.
Another says: "Somehow I think it was just a plot to get people to buy their dogs."
Regarding the moral edge of the SMS - that of putting the dogs down - it is still unclear why this would be necessary as the dogs are pedigree in breed.
The pet shops interviewed also said that it is not "standard practice" for animals to be put down just because a store is closing.
To use the emotional threat of culling the dogs in the SMS is "a dilemma to put the public in" according to Ms Moss, who reiterates that such a strategy smacks of irresponsibility.
"As long as you're in the business of selling animals, you have to be responsible," she says.
As for the contact person in the SMS, it seems Mariam is still unreachable.
