The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) holds World Animal Day 2026, a family-friendly weekend on animal welfare, at The Plaza, National Library Building, on Saturday 3 October and Sunday 4 October, from 10am to 5pm each day. Admission is free. AVS, a cluster of NParks, runs the event with support from the National Library Board (NLB) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
The weekend follows a month of free animal programmes at the Central Public Library in September, from volunteers telling stories about their adopted pets to a cat body language session by Love Kuching Project and a badge-making workshop by Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS). October brings adoption drives, a stage line-up of talks and two workshops for groomers and trainers. The National Library Building is at 100 Victoria Street, and Bugis is the nearest MRT station.
Adoption drives on both days
Animal groups bring dogs and cats for adoption in two shifts a day. On Saturday, SPCA, Purely Adoptions and NUS CatCafé take the 10.30am to 1.30pm shift. Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary (MARS), SOSD and Every Stray Matters follow from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
On Sunday, SPCA, NUS CatCafé and NTU Cat Management Network run the morning shift from 10.30am to 1.30pm. Every Stray Matters and NUS CatCafé take over from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
Talks on the Plaza stage
Saturday’s talks start at 1.30pm with SPCA on its Community Clinic, which offers low-cost veterinary care to shelters, independent rescuers, community cat and dog caregivers, and pet guardians who are on or need financial assistance. Veterinarian Dr Daphne Ang follows at 2.30pm with Speaking Your Pet’s Language, a talk for families and aspiring pet owners of all ages on body language, boundaries and what pets need physically, socially and emotionally. Dr Ang has more than 15 years in clinical practice and recently completed a three-year residency under the American College of Veterinary Behaviourists.
At 3.30pm, AVS and SPCA explain TNRM, short for Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage. Under the approach, free-roaming dogs and cats are trapped, sterilised and microchipped, then rehomed where suitable or released back into the community.
Sunday opens at 11.30am with Chained Dog Awareness Singapore on why education matters after a rescue, since dogs from difficult backgrounds can show fear, anxiety or reactivity. NUS CatCafé, a student-run group that has cared for community cats on the NUS campus for over a decade, covers campus cat caregiving at 1.30pm. OSCAS walks through the adoption process for shelter dogs at 2.30pm, and Every Stray Matters closes the stage at 3.30pm with Fostering First, on fostering as a bridge between rescue and a permanent home.
The Plaza talks are open to all with free admission. Participants should arrive 10 minutes before each session starts.
Yoga with an adopted dog, and sessions for professionals
One Sunday session moves indoors. From 2pm to 3pm, yoga therapist Lakshimi and her adopted dog, Nala, present Paws, Presence & Peace in Programme Room 2 at Basement 1 of the Central Library. The talk uses photographs and video from real yoga sessions to show how a calm animal can help with relaxation and mindfulness, and traces Nala’s journey from adoption to trusted companion in wellness sessions. It is pitched at preschoolers, children aged 7 to 12, teenagers and parents.
Dr Ang also runs two workshops for industry professionals on Saturday. A Welfare-Centric Approach to Grooming, from 12pm to 1pm, covers stress-free restraint and handling during shaving, nail-clipping, bathing and drying. The Gut-Brain Axis and the Case for Vet-Trainer Collaboration, from 1pm to 2pm, looks at how a dog’s gut health affects mood, stress and behaviour. Groomers and trainers register at go.gov.sg/waddagroomer26 and go.gov.sg/waddatrainer26 respectively.
