SINGAPORE - A new law passed on April 8 will see errant veterinarians facing stiff penalties, including fines of up to $50,000 and even the cancellation of their registration.

The Veterinary Practice Act aims to raise professional standards of the growing sector through a regulatory body, the Veterinary Council, to ensure that vets meet established standards and are held accountable for their practice.

For serious cases of misconduct or negligence, for instance, it has the teeth to cancel or suspend a vet’s registration, and impose a penalty of up to $50,000, in line with human healthcare professions.

The new council will oversee the registration and issuance of practising certificates to vets, regulate the standards of conduct and ethics of registered vets, set continuing professional education requirements, accredit training programmes, and investigate and take disciplinary action against veterinary professional misconduct and negligence.

The council will be set up in 2026, while other parts of the Act such as the registration regime and disciplinary framework for vets will come into effect in 2027.

Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said in Parliament on April 8: “(The law) will strengthen professional accountability, support better animal health and welfare outcomes and uphold public confidence in the sector.”

The law is an important milestone in the maturation of Singapore’s vet sector, he added.

Singapore’s veterinary sector has transformed dramatically over the years, along with the exponential increase in pet ownership, said NParks.

In the last 20 years, the number of vets expanded more than five times to about 700 licensed vets at end-2025.

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