14 veterinary and non-veterinary professionals appointed to new Singapore Veterinary Council

Singapore’s veterinary sector has grown in size, scope and complexity over the years, alongside rising pet ownership and growing demand for animal healthcare services.

Published Sep 11, 2026, 04:40 PM

Updated Sep 11, 2026, 04:40 PM

Fourteen members, including veterinarians and non-veterinary professionals, have been appointed to the new Singapore Veterinary Council (SVC) to regulate and raise standards in the veterinary sector.

SVC, established under the Veterinary Practice Act, will manage vet registration, training accreditation, and discipline, with penalties up to $50,000 and registration suspension for misconduct.

The council aims to ensure animal welfare, improve communication among vets, clients, and animals, and will fully implement its registration framework by 2028 with transitional support from AVS.

SINGAPORE – The 14 members of the newly established Singapore Veterinary Council (SVC) comprise veterinarians from the public and private sectors, as well as two non-veterinary professionals.

The council’s mix is to ensure balanced decision-making that draws on professional expertise while safeguarding the public interest, said the council and Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) in a media release on Sept 11.

SVC, which comes under the Veterinary Practice Act passed on April 8, has been set up to raise professional standards of the growing sector, and to ensure that vets meet established standards and are held accountable for their practice.

SVC president Cathy Chan told The Straits Times that the establishment of the vet council was something the industry had been looking forward to for a long time.

“It is also the desire of all vets to have an impartial body to help set a standard for ourselves that we can all work towards. Being a vet and dealing with animals and their humans, it is multi-layered ,” said Chan, a vet of over 20 years.

SVC would be more of a collaboration between the client, the vet, and also the patient, with the patient being at the core, she added.

“With animal welfare at the centre, the trio have to work together, to agree upon the treatments or other options. It boils down to good communication basically... We try as much as possible to avoid (rectifying) situations.”

SVC is the sector’s regulator under the National Parks Board (NParks). Its responsibilities include overseeing the registration of vets, accreditation of training programmes, and disciplinary processes for the profession.

It will discharge its responsibilities progressively from 2027 and be fully operational in 2028.

The only two members of the council who are not vets are former High Court judge Vincent Hoong and lawyer Gerald Tan.

A wider range of services and treatment options are now available to animal owners.

As of late 2025, there were about 670 to 700 licensed vets practicing in Singapore.

The Veterinary Practice Act establishes a clear and consistent framework for professional registration, education and discipline to safeguard animal welfare, strengthen public confidence in veterinary services, and support the continued growth and development of the veterinary sector.

Under the law, errant vets face stiff penalties , including fines of up to $50,000 and even the cancellation of their registration for serious cases of misconduct or negligence.

Congratulating the members of SVC on their appointments, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said with the council overseeing the regulation of vets, it “will provide greater assurance to pet owners that veterinarians meet established professional standards and are accountable for their practice”.

The transition to SVC’s registration framework will be implemented progressively from 2027, with full implementation targeted for 2028.

As the SVC prepares to get its functions running, AVS will continue to be the point of contact for vet-related matters such as licensing, continuing professional education and complaints.

All vets with valid licences under the Animals and Birds Act will move seamlessly to the new framework with no disruption to their practice.

There will also be engagement sessions held to explain the transition arrangements and address any questions they may have regarding the registration framework and implementation process.

National Parks Board

随着宠物拥有量的增加和对动物保健服务需求的增长，新加坡的兽医行业近年来在规模、范围和复杂性方面都有了显著提升。

发布于2026年9月11日下午4:40

更新于2026年9月11日下午4:40

新加坡新成立的兽医理事会（SVC）由14名成员组成，其中包括兽医和非兽医专业人士，旨在规范和提高兽医行业的标准。

根据《兽医执业法》成立的SVC将负责管理兽医注册、培训认证和纪律处分，对不当行为最高可处以50,000美元的罚款和暂停注册。

该委员会旨在确保动物福利，改善兽医、客户和动物之间的沟通，并将在 AVS 的过渡支持下，于 2028 年全面实施其注册框架。

新加坡——新成立的新加坡兽医理事会（SVC）由14名成员组成，其中包括来自公共和私营部门的兽医，以及两名非兽医专业人士。

9 月 11 日，该委员会和动物及兽医服务局 (AVS) 在一份新闻稿中表示，委员会采取这种组合是为了确保在利用专业知识的同时，做出平衡的决策，从而维护公众利益。

根据 4 月 8 日通过的《兽医执业法》，兽医服务委员会 (SVC) 的设立旨在提高不断发展的兽医行业的专业标准，并确保兽医达到既定标准，并对其执业行为负责。

新加坡兽医理事会主席凯西·陈告诉《海峡时报》，兽医理事会的成立是该行业长期以来一直期待的事情。

“所有兽医都希望有一个公正的机构来帮助我们制定一个共同努力的标准。作为一名兽医，要与动物及其主人打交道，这其中涉及方方面面，”拥有20多年经验的兽医陈说道。

她补充说，SVC 更像是客户、兽医和患者之间的一种合作，其中患者是核心。

“以动物福利为核心，三人必须通力合作，就治疗方案或其他选择达成一致。归根结底，就是良好的沟通……我们尽可能避免（纠正）各种情况。”

新加坡兽医委员会（SVC）是国家公园局（NParks）下属的行业监管机构。其职责包括监督兽医注册、培训项目认证以及该行业的纪律处分程序。

它将从 2027 年开始逐步履行其职责，并在 2028 年全面投入运营。

理事会中仅有的两位非兽医成员是前高等法院法官 Vincent Hoong 和律师 Gerald Tan。

现在，动物主人可以获得更广泛的服务和治疗选择。

截至 2025 年底，新加坡约有 670 至 700 名持牌兽医。

《兽医执业法》为专业注册、教育和纪律建立了一个清晰一致的框架，以保障动物福利，增强公众对兽医服务的信心，并支持兽医行业的持续增长和发展。

根据法律规定，违规兽医将面临严厉的处罚，包括最高 5 万美元的罚款，对于严重的渎职或疏忽行为，甚至可能被吊销执照。

国家发展部政务部长陈庆炎祝贺新加坡兽医理事会成员获得任命，并表示，该理事会负责监管兽医，“将使宠物主人更加确信兽医符合既定的专业标准，并对其执业行为负责”。

从 2027 年开始逐步过渡到 SVC 的注册框架，目标是在 2028 年全面实施。

在 SVC 准备开始运作之际，AVS 将继续作为与兽医相关的事务（如执照、继续职业教育和投诉）的联系点。

所有持有《动物和鸟类法》有效执照的兽医都将无缝过渡到新框架，其执业活动不会受到任何影响。

此外，还将举行交流会，解释过渡安排，并解答他们可能对注册框架和实施过程提出的任何问题。

国家公园管理局