
Arf Arf: A History of Dogs in Singapore
Remedial Kids is a social community for the culturally curious. We host playful academic lectures at cosy bars across Singapore.
Note: Ticket includes 1 happy hour beer/wine or 2 sodas
Session #9
Dogs have been in Singapore for hundreds of years and for much of their history they roamed the forests and streets of the island, acting as utilitarian companions to Singaporeans.
In the late 1800s, this changed. The animal shifted from a barely tamed canine to a cherished household pet. And, this process was not smooth as it involved the importation of rabid poodles and terriers that terrorized the population and led to the imposition of numerous regulations that shape how we perceive dogs in our modern nation-state.
Join us for a discussion of how the dog and Singaporean society changed over time.
About the speaker: Timothy P. Barnard is an Associate Professor of cultural and environmental history of the Straits of Melaka at the National University of Singapore. He is also the author of several books including Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City and Imperial Creatures: Humans and Other Animals in Colonial Singapore, 1819–1942.