Written Report For A Level Project Work

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank the following
- Our supervising tutor, for all her advice and assistance
- Family and friends for their encouragement and support
- People whom we surveyed and trialled on
- A group member who emigrated to Sydney, for his support
Project Work 2014 Written Report 1 Pet Saved

ABSTRACT
This report seeks to encourage pet owners to have a lifelong journey with their
pets.
To achieve this, our campaign comprising advertisements, interactive online
materials and a phone app would influence pet owners to be more aware of pets’
needs and be more responsible towards their pet and through this, alleviate the
problem of abandonment.
Project Work 2014 Written Report 2 Pets Saved

A Pet’s Tale
1. THE TRAGEDY .................................................................................................... 4
1.1 THE TRAGEDY .................................................................................................. 5

1.2 SERIOUSNESS OF PROBLEM ................................................................................... 7
1.3 THE FUTURE ................................................................................................... 8
1.4 BEHIND THE TRAGEDY ........................................................................................ 9
1.5 CURRENT MEASURES ......................................................................................... 12
1.6 DESIRED OUTCOME ........................................................................................... 13
2. STUDIES AND MODELS ......................................................................................... 15
2.1 FOR THE START! .............................................................................................. 16

2.2 BLUES CLUES .................................................................................................. 16
2.3 REFERENCE MODEL – ONLINE QUIZ......................................................................... 17
2.4 REFERENCE MODEL – HUNGRYGOWHERE ................................................................. 18
2.5 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 21
2.6 THE PLAN!
3 BEFORE JOURNEY ............................................................................................... 24
3.1 PET.JOURNEY.ME’S FOCUSES .............................................................................. 24

3.2 GATEKEEPING ................................................................................................. 25
3.3 PET-MATCHING QUIZ ........................................................................................ 26
3.4 WEBSITE (FACTBOOK) ....................................................................................... 29
3.5 PUBLICITY – STANDEE ........................................................................................ 36
3.6 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD).......................................................................... 37
3.7 EVALUATION .................................................................................................. 37
3.8 LINK TO CHAPTER 4 .......................................................................................... 42
4. BECOMING PET OWNERS ...................................................................................... 43
4.1 LIFELONG JOURNEY .......................................................................................... 44

4.2 MYPET .......................................................................................................... 44
4.3 WHAT YOUR PET NEEDS? .................................................................................... 47
4.4 WHERE TO GET IT? ........................................................................................... 48
4.5 SPECIAL FEATURE – COMPARISON .......................................................................... 49
4.6 CUSTOMER REVIEWS ......................................................................................... 50
4.7 WHERE TO GET HELP FROM? ................................................................................ 51
4.8 REMINDERS FOR YOU!........................................................................................ 52
4.9 PUBLICITY ..................................................................................................... 53
4.10 TRIAL- MYPET APP .......................................................................................... 59
4.11 EVALUATION ................................................................................................. 59
5. IT’S NOT THE END .............................................................................................. 62
5.1 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 63

5.2 FUTURE OUTLOOK ........................................................................................... 63
5.3 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 65

“Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love and make him wag
its tail”
~Kinky Friedman
The Tragedy
1. The Tragedy

1.1 THE TRAGEDY
The abandonment of pets still exists1 in Singapore society. Though the number of
animals brought into the SPCA shelter2 has been declining over the years (Refer to
Figure 1), more can be done.
Total number of animals brought into SPCA
7509
6350
4707
2010 2011 2012
Figure 1: Trend showing the total number of animals brought into SPCA shelter alone
1
Short of statistics to show increasing abandonment due to the presence of official and non-official
shelters and some do not keep such records
2
SPCA shelter – largest pet shelter service in Singapore

However, the statistics in Figure 1 are only from the SPCA and do not include those
of private and official shelters around Singapore. The news (Refer to Figure 2) in
fact show that pet abandonment is increasing every year3.
The House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS), for instance, attends to

two to three cases of abandoned rabbits a week. Its president, Ms Betty
Tan, has noticed a 10 per cent increase in such cases every year for the
past four years.
Figure 2: 2014 MyPaper News article on pet abandonment
3
Soon, Wei Sze. "More Help for Animals in Need." MyPaper. February 14, 2014. Accessed August 19,
2014. http://mypaper.sg/top-stories/more-help-animals-need-20140214.

1.2 SERIOUSNESS OF PROBLEM
We strongly feel that animals deserve rights like
humans do as animals have emotions like we do 4.
Dr Gregory Berns, an American neuroeconomist
and a professor of psychiatry of Emory
University in Georgia, has shown in his research
that dogs have emotions just like humans. Figure 3: Abandoned cats
Furthermore, other pets like cats and hamsters are
shown to have emotions5 as found by Marc Bekoff, a
Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Figure 4: Abandoned rabbits
Pets are sentient beings, not toys to be discarded
on a whim.
Also, domesticated pets would not be able to
adapt to the wild, being reliant on their owners’
care, 6abandonment could lead to starvation and

Figure 5: Abandoned dog
death and it is cruel.
4
Aureli, Filippo. "Animals and Humans Experience the Same Emotions." .
http://phys.org/news6250.html
5
"Do Animals Have Emotions?" The Bark. May 1, 2007. http://thebark.com/content/do-animals-
have-emotions.
6
Francione, Gary. ""Pets": The Inherent Problems of Domestication - Animal Rights: The Abolitionist
Approach." Animal Rights The Abolitionist Approach. July 31, 2012.
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/pets-the-inherent-problems-of-
domestication/#.U_Nc3fmSwuc.

1.3 THE FUTURE
Jason Ng, Project Director of Pet Expo has said “Equally important is there will
also be this need for more educational efforts to promote responsible pet
ownership, as well as animal welfare. This is to prevent a possible corresponding
increase in pet abuse and abandonment cases."
Thus, it is important to strengthen the responsibility of the community in line with
the projected increase in pet population in the future7. (Refer to figure 6)
PROJECTED INCREASE IN PET

POPULATION
No. of pets
824300
789300
2011 2016
Figure 6: trend shows the projected increase in pet population
7
Channel News Asia. "Pet expo aims to promote responsible pet ownership." .
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/mobile/latestnews/pet-fair-aims-to-promote/1015984.html

1.4 BEHIND THE TRAGEDY
Problem of pet abandonment in Singapore comes from two root causes. (Refer to
Figure 7)
Pet
Abandonment
Lack of Throwaway
knowledge society
Figure 7: Root causes of pet abandonment
1.4.1 LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Some “reasons” people give for abandoning their pets include lack of time 8,
behavioural problems and allergies of a relative, as shown from the research by
National Council on Pet Population and Study. (Refer to Figure 8).9
Figure 8: Reason for abandoning pet
8
Singapore Seen, "Irresponsible boy has 'no time' for his hamster and wants to sell it -- because he's
getting a guinea pig," January 24, 2014.
9
Towell, Lisa. "Why People Abandon Animals." PETA Prime Why People Abandon Animals Comments.
http://prime.peta.org/2010/01/why-people-abandon-animals

However, most of these reasons are caused by ‘lack of knowledge’.
Let us further explain how abandonment arises from lack of knowledge with the
buying process.
The buying process10 is simplified into three stages: (Refer to Figure 9)
1. Awareness
a. When a customer becomes aware of the product
2. Consideration
a. When a customer starts deciding whether the product is necessary
3. Purchase
Figure 9: the buying process
We strongly feel that pet buyers do not have enough consideration before
purchasing a pet.
By not having enough knowledge and hence lack consideration of pet’s needs
before buying, many people end up with unexpected pet-related problems. Finally,
they become frustrated over pet care and eventually this leads to them
abandoning their pets. (Refer to Figure 10 below)
10
Skok, David. "Understanding the Customer Buying Cycle & Triggers." For Enterpreneurs. January 11,
2012. http://www.forentrepreneurs.com/buying-cycle-and-triggers/.

Do not have enough Frustruation over
Lack of knowledge consideration before unexpected pet- Abandonment
buying related problems
Figure 10: ‘Lack of knowledge’ leading to abandonment
Therefore, ‘lack of knowledge’ can be the root cause of abandonment!
In addition, we also realised that ‘lack of knowledge’ is caused by both potential
pet owners and shop retailers not being proactive in obtaining and providing pet
care knowledge11. (Refer to Figure 11)
Figure 11: 92% of pet retailers did not question buyers’ knowledge of pet care and fewer pet retailers
were proactive at offering information about proper pet care
11
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Singapore). "SPCA and other Animal Welfare
Groups go undercover to pet shops and farms." . http://www.spca.org.sg/pressrelease/Joint-
Press_release_Puppy_Mills_(24%20Feb%202011)-web.pdf (accessed June 8, 2014).

1.4.2 THROWAWAY SOCIETY
We also agree with the claim that abandonment of pets is related to the affluence
of locals12. (Refer to Figure 12)
Figure 12: Trend in Singapore – from MyPaper
While affluence might encourage people to buy more, ‘lack of knowledge’ is a
more significant cause as it directly affects the decision to buy.
1.5 CURRENT MEASURES
Expo
The Pet Expo is held annually at
the Singapore Expo. There are
seminars to help pet owners

Figure 13: 2014 Pet Expo logo
learn more about pet ownership
and promote responsible pet ownership, 13 such as: basic cat care and grooming
demonstration, workshop for dog behavioural management and etc. 14
12
Soon Wei Sze. “More help for animals in need”
http://mypaper.sg/top-stories/more-help-animals-need-20140214
13
Pet Central. "RPO @ Pet Expo 2014 (28 Feb – 2 Mar) [Updated as of 25 Feb] |." .
http://www.petsforlife.com.sg/news/?p=6793 (accessed June 20, 2014).
14
Pet Expo. "Courses available at Pet Expo." . http://www.petexpo.sg/courses (accessed June 20,
2014).

Limitations
Limited outreach since it is an annual event.
Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)
A law was passed to prohibit the selling of
pets to anyone below 16 years of age15
Limitation
Those underage could exploit this by

Figure 14: Agri-food and Veterinary
requesting those of legal age to purchase Authority of Singapore logo
in their place.
Furthermore, pet abandonment is committed by old and young alike.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
SPCA conducts talks 16 in schools to teach students
what it takes to keep a pet and to teach valuable
tips to help them better understand their pet.
Topics covered during talks include what SPCA does,
pet care and animal abuse. Figure 15: Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals logo
Limitation
Talks are optional and only conducted when requested by schools, this gives rise to
limited outreach as not everyone would have a chance to gain pet care knowledge.
15
The Singapore Press Holdings. "Children under 16 not allowed to buy pets from retailers starting
next year." AsiaOne. http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/children-under-16-not-allowed-
buy-pets-retailers-starting-next-year.
16
"Our Services." SPCA, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Singapore.
http://www.spca.org.sg/services_education.asp.

1.6 DESIRED OUTCOME
Our proposal aims to influence potential pet owners to practise responsible
ownership through alleviating ‘lack of knowledge’.
The following chapter shows a few learning points gained from successful
reference models that would be incorporated into our proposal to achieve our aim.

Credits: Kevin Loh
“Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you”
~Confucius
-Parker Wilson (Hachi: A Dog’s Tale)
Studies and Models
2. Studies and Models

2.1 FOR THE START!
We would be drawing 3 learning points to enhance our proposal to tackle the
existing issue of pet abandonment.
2.2 BLUES CLUES
Blue’s Clues (Refer to Figure 16) is a children’s television show which aimed to
build the self-esteem of pre-schoolers. The show’s repetition strategy17, i.e. the
use of repeated hand signs and phrases, improved children's comprehension while
holding their attention and increasing their participation.
Figure 16: Blue’s Clues
17
"Blue's Clues." About Parenting. http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/bluesclues/fr/bluerev.htm.

2.2.1 LEARNING POINT 1 – INDIRECT CONVEYING OF INFO
We would like to incorporate the idea of interacting with the audience from the
screen i.e. pets “talking” to you and at the same time providing crucial
information.
2.3 REFERENCE MODEL – BUZZFEED QUIZ
The picture below (Refer to Figure 17) is an example of popular Buzzfeed quizzes18
that matches the user to the ideal profiles based on options chosen.
Figure 17: Buzzfeed quiz on Dreamworks’ character
18
A quiz called “What State Do You Actually Belong In?” netted a massive 40.5 million views

2.3.1 LEARNING POINT 2 – PET QUIZ!
Buzzfeed quizzes are popular19, our product can be in a similar form to be more
appealing. We would incorporate this idea into our online quiz to match people to
certain pets.
2.4 REFERENCE MODEL – HUNGRYGOWHERE
HungryGoWhere (Refer to Figure 18) is a local food resource app that allows users
to search for eateries, read user reviews and book a table from a touch of a finger
Figure 18: screenshot of HungryGoWhere
19
"Why Online Quizzes Are Taking over Your Facebook Feed." New York Post. February 24, 2014.
http://nypost.com/2014/02/24/why-online-quizzes-are-taking-over-your-facebook-feed/.

2.4.1 NOTABLE FUNCTIONS
HungryGoWhere allows users to view and write reviews about the eatery. (Refer to
Figure 19)
Figure 19: Users are able view photos and write reviews for other users to view them to know
more about the eatery to help them make better decisions about where to eat.

It also provides location services (Refer to Figure 20) and allows bookings to beat
the crowds (Refer to Figure 21)
Figure 20: Location services to help customers find the place
Figure 21: Booking services to help customers beat the crowds

2.4.2 LEARNING POINT 3 – EASY PET CARE!
We would like to make use of the functions HungryGoWhere app has and
incorporate it into our very own app to make pet care much more manageable for
new pet owners.
2.5 METHODOLOGY
Singapore has high smartphone penetration (87%) 20 , allowing us to utilise
smartphones to market our campaign effectively.
Therefore, we propose smartphones and the Internet as platforms to help assess
whether potential pet owners are ready to own a pet and at the same time equip
pet owners with the basic knowledge required to own one.
20
South China Morning Post. "Are you addicted to your smartphone? You may need professional
help...." South China Morning Post.
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1533017/psychiatrists-singapore-launch-effort-have-
smartphone-addiction-recognised.

2.6 THE PLAN!
Our overall concept for Pet.Journey.Me is a journey with one’s pet. We have
adopted strategies from the 4 reference models as mentioned above to help pet
owners on their long and loving journey. See figure below (Figure 22) for a graphic
overview of our proposal.
Figure 22: Process overview chapter 3 - 4
We shall now explore what it takes to be a pet owner in the gatekeeping Chapter 3.

“Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections,
predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards
for people to live up to”
~Alfred A. Montapert
Before Journey

3 Before Journe y
3.1 FOCUS
A survey we conducted showed (Refer to Figure 23) that many are not equipped
with sufficient pet care knowledge. As explained in Chapter 1, this could lead to
the lack of consideration before buying and thus pet abandonment. Therefore,
before a person begins the journey as a pet owner, there is a need to help them
make an informed decision.
Figure 23: Survey results showing uncertainty in pet care

3.2 GATEKEEPING
We have designed a website comprising a pet-matching quiz and a factbook. First
thing that greets the users is the quiz entitled “YourPetMatch”. (Refer to Figure
24)
Figure 24: Website opening page

3.3 PET-MATCHING QUIZ
Learning from the popularity of Buzzfeed quizzes, the quiz will comprise of a
series of questions to match the user to a suitable pet. Also, to make it more
relevant for Singaporeans, we have localised the quiz into Singapore’s context.
Here are some mock-ups of the quiz (Refer to Figures 25-29)
Figure 25: Sample question on living environment
Figure 26: Sample question on living environment

Figure 27: Sample question on family status
Figure 28: Sample question on user's lifestyle habits
Our purpose is to match potential pet owners to pets that suit their personality
and the living environment the best, reducing pet abandonment in the future.

Figure 29: Results page of quiz
For example, a dog may not be suitable for someone who is always away at work; a
cat however, may be more suitable as it demands much less attention from its
owner.

3.4 FACTBOOK
Once the match is made, the user would be brought to the specific breed in the
factbook entitled “Purrfact”, where he will learn more. Learning from Blue’s Clues,
the factbook is designed to be interactive.
We used Microsoft PowerPoint to create an online factbook. (Refer to Figure 30)
Figure 30: Process of making prototype factbook

3.4.1 BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Users are brought to the general background page (Refer to figure 31), where basic
pet care knowledge is provided.
Information provided includes:
1) Brief Background
a. Size range
b. Lifespan
c. Estimated cost per year
d. Compatibility with children
2) Food
3) Cage & Environment
4) Exercise
Figure 31: general background page

Our Factbook uses animation to impart useful tips. For example, in the food
section, an animation would start showing what to feed the pet. (Refer to Figure
32)
Figure 32: Sample animation clip

When user has finished browsing through the general background page, clicking the
arrow (Circled in red in Figure 33) would bring the user to breeds section.
Figure 33: general background page

3.4.2 THOSE FABULOUS BREEDS!
Here are featured breeds of the pet. (Refer to Figure 34)
Figure 34: Popular breed of hamsters in Singapore

3.4.3 HERE I AM! THE BREED YOU CHOSE
Clicking on one of the popular breeds presented will bring the user to the fact
page for that particular breed. (Refer to Figure 35)
Figure 35: Fact sheet of the Syrian Hamster

3.4.4 REMINDER FOR ALL!
All browsing of our factbook will conclude with a reminder to emphasise the need
to uphold one’s responsibility when owning a pet. (Refer to Figures 36-37)
Figure 36: Near end of factbook
Figure 37: End of factbook

3.5 PUBLICITY – STANDEE
In order to publicise our website, we would
collaborate with various pet shops and shelters
to maximise outreach to potential pet owners.
We are well aware that pet retailers might not
cooperate with us, as it may deter potential
customers. We came up with a standee that
could help pet retailers attract customers and
yet at the same time, publicise our product. Figure 38: Model of the standee
The standee will be a model of a pet mounting
on top one another to catch people’s attention.
(Refer to Figure 38 for sample standee)
Figure 39: Standee at pet shops
The standee could be placed in the compounds
of the pet shops and shelters (Refer to Figures
39 and 40)
Figure 40: Standee at pet shelters

3.6 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)
A group discussion was carried out with
classmates to gather feedback on our
proposal. We focused on those who have not
had pets before. (Refer to Figure 41 and 42
for FGD conducted)
Figure 41: Focus group discussion with other groups for

3.7 EVALUATION feedback
3.7.1 STRENGTHS
We received positive feedback on both the
quiz and the factbook. (Refer to Figures 43
and 44).
Figure 42: Asking for feedback from

other school mates
Figure 43: Feedback by Javier Toh, a college Figure 44: Feedback by Chua Cheng Tat, a
student and potential pet owner college student and potential pet owner

Pet Quiz
Most of the feedback showed that the quiz is unique in the sense that it adopts
Singapore’s context and considers material aspects of the users’ life, giving a more
accurate result.
Factbook
The factbook is useful in providing an overview of a pet’s needs. It is also effective
in a way that it conveys a message that pet care should not be taken lightly.
3.7.2 WEAKNESSES
Pet Quiz
From the focus group discussion, some have said that the quiz tries to match every
user to a pet and ignores the fact that some may not have the financial capacity to
own one.
Factbook
Some found it cumbersome to have to go through the quiz again when they want to
revisit the factbook.

3.7.3 IMPROVEMENTS
Factbook
1) Separation
When the quiz is completed at least once, the website would be updated with the
factbook separated from the quiz. Users would not have to complete the quiz
again when revisiting the factbook. (Refer to Figure 45 and 46)
Figure 45: Factbook is separated from the quiz when the quiz revisits the page and has done the
quiz

Figure 46: Opening page of factbook “Purrfact”
2) Search function
For added convenience, we added a search function for users to directly search for
facts of interest. (Refer to Figure 47)
Figure 47: Factbook’s search function

Quiz
1) Money and Costs
We have overlooked the monetary aspect to gauge whether users can afford a pet.
Thus, we have added questions related to the financial situation of the user.
(Refer to Figure 48 and 49)
Figure 48: Sample question on willingness to spend per year on pets
Figure 49: Results page for those who cannot afford

2) Promote volunteer work
Alternatively, we could expand to direct those who cannot afford but are
interested in pets, by encouraging volunteer work at various pet shelters. Through
volunteer works, they not only provide extra help to pet shelter, but also get a
chance to interact with pets. (Refer to Figure 50)
Figure 50: Mockup of the result page showing otherwise
3.8 NEXT PHASE
With potential pet owners knowing that they are prepared, we can now move on to
the next part of our proposal which focus on the long journey with one’s pet.

Credits: Kevin Loh
Loh
“The love for all living creatures is the noblest attribute of man”
~Charles Darwin
Becoming Pet Owners
4. Becoming Pet Owners

4.1 LIFELONG JOURNEY
As stated in Chapter 1, some of the owners chose to give up on their pets when
they are troubled by overwhelming responsibilities that were previously unknown
at the point of purchase. This part of the proposal focuses on making pet care less
troublesome and more convenient such that new owners could forge a healthy and
lifelong relationship with their pets. Hence, reduces pet abandonment as a whole.
4.2 MYPET
Supporting evidence from our survey (Figure 51) shows that this generation is tech-
reliant. We take advantage of this by making information more easily accessible,
i.e. through a phone app. Learning from HungryGoWhere app’s various functions,
we propose a multitasking application named MyPet.
MyPet will help to make pet care easier for new pet owners and constantly reminds
them of their responsibilities.
Figure 51: Responses from survey

4.2.1 MOCKUPS
MyPet provides proper management and aid in the local context. The user has to
choose the type of pet he has. (Refer to Figure 52)
Figure 52: Opening page

Once the user chooses the type of pet he has, he will come to the homepage to fill
in the particulars for the his pet (Refer to Figures 53 and 54)
Figure 53: homepage for cats Figure 54: completed sample of homepage

4.2.2 WHAT DOES YOUR PET NEED?
There is a page featuring a checklist (Refer to Figure 55) and it has options which
are already thought out for the user, giving him a rough idea of what he needs to
take care of the pet.
Figure 55: Equipment and Food page

4.2.3 WHERE TO GET IT?
For convenience, the app features a location service that helps the user find the
nearest service provider. (Refer to Figure 56)
Figure 56: Location services for pet owners

4.2.4 SPECIAL FEATURE – COMPARISON
A special feature of our app is that users are able to compare prices of different
products, i.e. food (Refer to Figure 57). This helps pet owners to save time in
finding the best choices, making it more convenient for them.
Figure 57: Comparing prices

4.2.5 CUSTOMER REVIEWS
MyPet also has review pages of the service providers as well as a booking function
to avoid the crowds. (Refer to Figure 58)
Figure 58: Appointment scheduling function

4.2.6 WHERE TO GET HELP FROM?
The app features a forum community for all pet
owners to clear any doubts online. The forum can
be managed by pet expert communities in Singapore
such as ‘pets’ magazine. (Refer to Figure 59) This
could be a possible incentive for them as they will
be able to publicise their magazine while providing
useful tips to the users. (Refer to Figure 60)
Figure 59: “pets” – Singapore’s

leading magazine for pet lovers
Figure 60: Forum for pet owners

4.2.7 REMINDERS FOR YOU!
The last feature of the app comes in the form of pop-ups as reminders. These help
the owners to remember to uphold their responsibilities. (Refer to Figure 61)
Figure 61: Reminder function
We plan work with Codigo21 to develop the app and collaborate with Agri-food and
Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to strongly encourage pet shops and pet
shelters to promote this app to new pet owners.
21
Codigo - Award winning Mobile App Development Studio and Digital Marketing Agency in
Singapore

4.3 PUBLICITY
We plan to use two methods of publicity as shown below. (Refer to Figure 62)
Advertisement MRT/Bus Stop

Publicity
Twist Posters
Figure 62: Publicity overview
4.3.1 ADVERTISEMENTS
Through collaboration with advertising companies such as Clear Channel, and
animal shelters such as Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), we
can set up electronic interactive advertisements on public transport waiting areas
such as bus stop and MRT platforms.
4.3.2 ADVERTISEMNTS – MOCKUPS
With the use of bus stop and MRT advertisement channels, we can reach out to a
larger audience, specifically those who are waiting for their buses to arrive. (Refer
to Figure 63 and 64)

Figure 63: Advertisement at bus stops
Figure 64: Advertisements at MRT stations

When the user taps the pet on the touchscreen, he will be brought to a fact page
that has information about that pet he has chosen. (Refer to Figure 65)
1. General information
2. Fun facts
3. Quiz
Figure 65: Page for dogs
This is similar to the factbook in Chapter 3 but only much briefer objective
information is given.

It has a Quiz section where the public can attempt while waiting for the bus.
(Refer to Figure 66)
Figure 66: Example of advertisement quiz
When the user gets the correct answer, the advertisement will make the sound of
a happy animal. However if the user gets it wrong the advertisement will instead
make an angry pet sound to show its unhappiness. (Refer to Figure 67)
Figure 67: getting the right answer (Left) Vs. getting the wrong answer (Right)
At every question, the user can access our group’s webpage (contains the quiz and
factbook) for more information via QR code (Refer to Figure 67). Through this, we
would be able to spread the knowledge of pet care to potential pet owners as well
as existing pet owners.

According to the cocktail party effect22, a person is able to focus on a particular
stimulus while filtering out other range of stimuli. By making the advertisements
standout through sound and interaction, waiting commuters’ attention would be
focused on the advertisement and not the surrounding.
4.3.2 PLOT TWISTS
Often around Singapore bus stops, we can find missing posters of pets. Telling us
when and where the pet was last seen, as well as, the description of its
appearance along with a picture of it. (Refer to Figure 68)
Figure 68: Common missing posters around Singapore
As such, we switched the main subject of the missing posters, from just pets to the
pet owners. (Refer to Figure 69) The twist in the use of missing posters would
22
Bronkhorst, Adelbert W. (2000). "The Cocktail Party Phenomenon: A Review on Speech Intelligibility in
Multiple-Talker Conditions"(pdf). Acta Acustica united with Acustica 86: 117–128.

better fit the situation of pet abandonment. It gives a passer-by an impression that
the pet made this poster and is looking for the pet owner that just abandoned it.
Figure 69: Mockup of a twist in missing posters
This evokes empathy in the readers by putting them into the shoes of the pets that
were abandoned by the owners. Hence, discourages and reduces pet abandonment.

4.4 TRIAL- MYPET APP
We gathered feedbacks from pet owners.
Figure 70: Trial with pet owner, Mdm Annie

Neo
4.5 EVALUATION
4.5.1 STRENGTHS
On the whole, the feedback received is favourable and the comments were
positive on some of the functions. i.e. comparison of prices and booking
appointments
4.5.2 WEAKNESSES
However, one concern that we may have is that after a period of time, the app
would lose its freshness and people would cease to use it. Also, the app may not
be suitable for those with multiple pets.

4.5.3 IMPROVEMENTS
App
1) Multiple pets
In order to better suit the app to those with multiple pets, we have added a page
where more than one pet profile can be made. (Refer to Figure 71)
Figure 71: Profile page for owners with more than one pet

2) Freshness
We decided to include an “Events” function, (Refer to Figures 72 and 73) where
pet owners are informed of current and future pet related events. We want pet
owners to get more involved with their pets. In doing so, it encourages them to use
the app more frequently.
Figure 73: Event listing Figure 72: Alert function to inform user of
upcoming events

Credits: Kevin Loh
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t
help then, at least don’t hurt them.”
~Dalai Lama
It’s Not the End
5. It’s Not the End

5.1 SUMMARY
Our proposal “Pet.Journey.Me” serves to support current measures that are in
place to reduce pet abandonment. Through our app ‘MyPet’, factbook ‘Purrfact’
and quiz ‘YourPetMatch’, we want to influence people into becoming more
responsible pet owners by educating them about proper pet care, and encouraging
them to be with their pet throughout their lives.
5.2 FUTURE OUTLOOK
Looking ahead, our project can be expanded to target exotic pets: prevent
potential pet owners from buying them without the proper pet care knowledge.
There has been an increase in number of exotic pets23. However, there may not be
enough awareness on the responsibilities these pets entail 24. Examples of exotic
animals sold in Singapore are Arowanas and Chinchillas. Even though the sales of
these pets are small in numbers, pet abandonment affects them the same. Our
project can be easily modified to encompass exotic pets. We could design a
modified factbook just for the exotic pets allowed in Singapore. (Refer to Figure 73)
23
Asia One, "Exotic animals common household pets." Accessed October 15, 2014.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest News/Asia/Story/A1Story20110731-292000.html.
24
Asia One, "Exotic animals common household pets." Accessed October 15, 2014.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest News/Asia/Story/A1Story20110731-292000.html.

Figure 74: Information on exotic pets in Singapore
Additionally, this can act as a warning to the public about illegal animal smuggling
in Singapore. There have been cases of people smuggling endangered birds25 and
other exotic animals to fulfil the demands of these pet owners. Some people do
not know that these pets are illegal and might only purchase these pets to show off
to their friends. In order to reduce the number of illegal exotic pets from being
smuggled and sold in Singapore, we can first target the buyers.
As some are uninformed of such illegal pets in Singapore, we can include a page in
our factbook dedicated to these illegal animals (Refer to Figure 74). This is to
inform potential pet buyers that such pets are illegal, deters them from buying and
hence reduces illegal trafficking of illegal pets.
25
Asia One, "3 people fined for smuggling birds stuffed in toothpaste boxes - See more at:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/crime/3-people-fined-smuggling-birds-stuffed-toothpaste-boxes

Figure 75: Warning to deter the sale of exotic
pets
5.3 CONCLUSION
Pet.Journey.Me embodies our aspiration to establish an abandonment-free society
in Singapore; where both pets and owners can enjoy living together, progressing
towards a more understanding and knowledgeable society filled with kindness to
man and animals alike.
As Anatole France said: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains
unawakened”
We hope that through this proposal, potential pet owners will be more
knowledgeable and thus pet abandonment can be reduced to the minimum!

*WORD COUNT
1.1 67
1.2 117
1.3 69
1.4 181
1.5 170
1.6 41
Chapter 1 total = 645
2.1 19
2.2 66
2.3 53
2.4 81
2.5 53
2.6 60
3.1 56
3.2 21
3.3 105
3.4 197
3.5 94
3.6 24
3.7 271
3.8 31
4.1 69
4.2 105
4.3 34
4.4 17
4.5 36
4.6 19
4.7 54
4.8 51
4.9 390
4.10 6
4.11 123
5.1 54
5.2 234
5.3 59
GRANDE TOTAL = 2978 WORDS

Written Report For A Level Project Work

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the following

- Our supervising tutor, for all her advice and assistance

- Family and friends for their encouragement and support

- People whom we surveyed and trialled on

- A group member who emigrated to Sydney, for his support

Project Work 2014 Written Report 1 Pet Saved

To achieve this, our campaign comprising advertisements, interactive online

Project Work 2014 Written Report 2 Pets Saved

1.1 THE TRAGEDY .................................................................................................. 5

2. STUDIES AND MODELS ......................................................................................... 15

2.1 FOR THE START! .............................................................................................. 16

3 BEFORE JOURNEY ............................................................................................... 24

3.1 PET.JOURNEY.ME’S FOCUSES .............................................................................. 24

4. BECOMING PET OWNERS ...................................................................................... 43

4.1 LIFELONG JOURNEY .......................................................................................... 44

5. IT’S NOT THE END .............................................................................................. 62

5.1 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 63

Project Work 2014 Written Report 3 Pets Saved

Project Work 2014 Written Report 4 Pets Saved

Figure 1), more can be done.

Total number of animals brought into SPCA

2010 2011 2012

Project Work 2014 Written Report 5 Pets Saved

fact show that pet abandonment is increasing every year3.

The House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS), for instance, attends to

Figure 2: 2014 MyPaper News article on pet abandonment

Project Work 2014 Written Report 6 Pets Saved

We strongly feel that animals deserve rights like

humans do as animals have emotions like we do 4.

Dr Gregory Berns, an American neuroeconomist

and a professor of psychiatry of Emory

University in Georgia, has shown in his research

Furthermore, other pets like cats and hamsters are

shown to have emotions5 as found by Marc Bekoff, a

Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary

Biology at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Pets are sentient beings, not toys to be discarded

Also, domesticated pets would not be able to

adapt to the wild, being reliant on their owners’

care, 6abandonment could lead to starvation and

Project Work 2014 Written Report 7 Pets Saved

ownership, as well as animal welfare. This is to prevent a possible corresponding

increase in pet abuse and abandonment cases."

Thus, it is important to strengthen the responsibility of the community in line with

the projected increase in pet population in the future7. (Refer to figure 6)

PROJECTED INCREASE IN PET

Figure 6: trend shows the projected increase in pet population

Project Work 2014 Written Report 8 Pets Saved

1.4.1 LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

behavioural problems and allergies of a relative, as shown from the research by

National Council on Pet Population and Study. (Refer to Figure 8).9

Figure 8: Reason for abandoning pet

Project Work 2014 Written Report 9 Pets Saved

The buying process10 is simplified into three stages: (Refer to Figure 9)

a. When a customer becomes aware of the product

a. When a customer starts deciding whether the product is necessary

Figure 9: the buying process

abandoning their pets. (Refer to Figure 10 below)

Project Work 2014 Written Report 10 Pets Saved

Figure 10: ‘Lack of knowledge’ leading to abandonment

Therefore, ‘lack of knowledge’ can be the root cause of abandonment!

In addition, we also realised that ‘lack of knowledge’ is caused by both potential