Adele is a lawyer by training, but has been working on animal welfare related matters since she was called to the Singapore Bar in 2016. Adele started out as legal counsel for the then Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore where she provided advice on civil and criminal matters pertaining to animal and food related laws. However, realising that the law was a more reactive rather than preventative tool to address animal welfare issues, she made the move to another department to work on animal welfare and management policies and legislation for a more holistic view of the animal industry in Singapore.
When the then AVA underwent a reorganisation and its non-food animal related functions formed the Animal & Veterinary Service at the National Parks Board of Singapore, Adele was a senior manager at the Centre of Animal Rehabilitation. During her time there, she continued to work on animal welfare policies, organised webinars, gave lectures on animal law, as well as designed and implemented animal-assisted programmes for youth from social service agencies such as Gladiolus Place, YouthGo!, and Campus Impact.
Since 2016, Adele has been pursuing further education in animal-assisted interventions. She currently sits on the board of the International Association for Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) and of the One Welfare Phoenix Project. Pre-pandemic, Adele used to volunteer with SOSD’s Healing Paws with her dog, Rapha, where they visited beneficiaries and participated in animal-assisted activities.
In 2021, Adele was awarded the Animal Law Advocates Scholarship from the Lewis & Clark Law School to pursue a masters in animal law with the Centre of Animal Law Studies.
Qualifications and Certifications:
• Bachelor of Law Degree (Second Upper), University of Bristol
• Animal Law Masters (LLM), Centre for Animal Law Studies, Lewis and Clark Law School (2022)
• Animal Assisted Therapy and Activities Distance Learning Certificate
• Human-Animal Bond Certification (HABRI and NAVC)
• Certificate in Ethology, Ecology and Animal Welfare (Ethology Institute)
• Animals and Human Health Certificate (Institute of Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver)
• Canine Assisted Intervention Specialist Certificate (Institute of Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver)