Singapore Reporter

It is now easier for guide dogs to live in their owners’ Housing Board flats, said Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan in a blog post on Saturday.

Previously, visually impaired residents had to appeal to HDB for exceptions, then apply to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for a licence. With the streamlined process, they need only approach the AVA for licensing now.

Mr Khaw’s announcement comes on the heels of Law Minister K. Shanmugam’s call for clearer rules on guide dogs last year. In a dinner organised by the Guide Dogs Association of the Blind, Mr Shanmugam asked for a “compassionate, proactive inter-agency approach” in addressing problems faced by the visually impaired.

Although there are about 4,000 visually impaired people in Singapore there are just three guide dogs here – two of which live with their owners in HDB flats.