I refer to your report Animal welfare groups outraged over dog slaughter .

It is tragic that 13 of Eng Her Sun's dogs were shot when officials went to his home to investigate complaints about the noise and smell. While the SPCA is right to encourage the government to properly train city officers in handling animals, this horrible occurrence may have been prevented if Eng had not kept so many animals.

It appears that Eng may be an 'animal hoarder' - someone who compulsively accumulates animals and fails to realise when the situation becomes abusive and a threat to human and animal health.

Hoarders are often well-intentioned people who, faced with the tragic dog and cat overpopulation problem, try to 'rescue' homeless animals, but inevitably get in way over their heads and wind up abusing the animals instead.

We can help prevent abuses like hoarding in our own communities by spaying and neutering our animals and encouraging others to do the same. For information on ways you can help animals, please visit this website .

The writer is director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), Asia-Pacific.