by Teo pau Lin, published in Straits Times, LIFE! 15 August 2000. THE founding of Singapore's Cat Welfare Society has all the trappings of an urban success story. A bunch of upwardly mobile professionals - including a lawyer and a doctor - set up a non-profit organisation which aims to stop the abuse and killing of stray cats. They invest their time and energy in saving what appears to be an unimportant sector of the Singapore populace. This speaks of open-heartedness and sacrifice. Yet, there lie wider implications than just altruism towards animals, says the society's treasurer and spokesman, Dr Lynn Yeo, 36, an eye surgeon in private practice. The more we do this, the more we realise it's not just about animals she says. It actually revolves around issues about humans and our level of understanding and tolerance. On the wall of her office hangs a poster of a kitten with a famous quote by India's independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. This nugget of wisdom has been stamped on all of the society's brochures to show the inextricable link between kindness to animals and a society's level of advancement. We talk about wanting to be a gracious society notes Dr Yeo. I think it starts with being kind to the most defenceless in society. Being kind to animals lies at the root of our ability to empathise and be kind to our fellow human beings. She notes how sociological studies point to a link between animal violence and violence against human beings. A number of these studies have shown that children who are abusive towards helpless and defenceless animals tend to develop violent behaviour towards people later in life. What's the link? STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSIVE TOWARDS HELPLESS AND DEFENCELESS ANIMALS TEND TO DEVELOP VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS PEOPLE LATER IN LIFE. Other studies have shown that children who were taught to love and care for animals grow up to be more responsible and valuable citizens she says. So it would be great if kindness to animals could, be part of the school curriculum in Singapore, she adds. Since being registered with the Registry of Societies last October, the Cat Welfare Society has grown from just a core committee of 10 cat lovers to a group with more than 300 members and over 100 volunteers. It all started when headlines about kittens being burnt alive and cats being thrown from high-rise buildings hit last year. Added to the knowledge that a staggering 13,000 stray cats have been culled every year for the past 20 years, the group of friends concluded that they had to do som ething about it. Over coffee at one member's house on a Sunday afternoon last year, they decided to make it official and register their group. It is the only registered society in Singapore which cares for the welfare of felines. Another group, the Singapore Cat Club, organises shows and gatherings. Dr Yeo, who is single, notes that there are many small, non-official groups which take care of stray cats. But they are working in a vacuum by themselves. If we set up a society, we can form a network and be stronger that way. A collective voice is always better than an individual voice,she says. With initial donations of up to ,000 gathered from friends and relatives, the committee set up a post office mailing box, an e-mail address and a pager that serves as a hotline to callers who stumble upon cats in distress. Money is spent on rescue work, hospital and treatment bills, sterilisation and other equipment The society also arranges for needy cats to find owners. The members spend weekends organising and manning exhibitions such as this year's Singapore2l@Work Conference, the Food-Agri21 Exhibition, the Singapore Kindness Movement and the National Volunteer Centre exhibition. There are also plans to launch next month an educational roadshow, during which the society can have talks and video presentations at schools and community centres. Small sacrifices are made. Dr Yeo, who owns six cats herself, relates how she does not go to the gym or the movies as often now. But I get to meet a lot of people from different walks of life who share the same vision of improving the life of animals, and that's very gratifying, says the surgeon. For the society, the motivation factor is very clear. Animals are the most defenseless in society, yet they don't have help,she says. We just want to speak up for those who can't speak up for themselves.