Only 25, And A Pioneer Of Singapore’s Only Uniformed 24hr Private Pet Rescue Service

Imagine you’re out for a routine evening stroll with your beloved dog when the unexpected happens: a sudden lunge from another animal leaves your pet severely injured and bleeding profusely.

In the frantic chaos that follows, you realise you do not know where the nearest emergency vet is, and local taxis refuse to take you in because of the mess. For many Singaporean pet owners, this nightmare scenario represents a terrifying gap in urban pet care.

Enter Major (MAJ) Benjamin Burke aka MAJ Ben, 25, and his partner, 22-year-old Captain (CPT) Rinchen Koh. At an age when most Gen Zs are just navigating their first corporate jobs, this young couple co-founded Royal Animal Rescue (RAR), a private, 24-hour emergency pet rescue service designed to bring swift pre-hospital medical care directly to distressed animals.

Royal Animal Rescue now comprises four full-timers, more than 50 volunteers, and a fleet of two ambulances, a rescue vehicle and a medical motorbike. | IMAGE: ROYALANIMALRESCUESG.COM

To fund the venture and acquire their specialised equipment – which has grown from a single rental van to an impressive fleet of two ambulances, a rescue vehicle, and a medical motorbike – the duo partnered up with a vet and invested their own capital into the company.

If you’ve spotted them around the island, you’ll notice they look strikingly official. That is completely intentional. The couple made the strategic decision to make RAR a uniformed organisation, mirroring the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to ensure operational success on the ground.

Backed by a dedicated squad of 50-plus emergency volunteers across Singapore, MAJ Ben and CPT Rinchen are completely redefining what it means to protect our furry, feathered or scaled family members.

We spotted MAJ Ben and his team at Furkids Fiesta 2026 at Clarke Quay, and chatted with him about how a personal tragedy sparked a revolutionary business, how his national service days prepared him for the job, and how he copes with the high-stakes hustle.

What’s the story behind why you decided to launch Royal Animal Rescue?

My partner and I had a dog once named was Casper. He was a 16-year-old Shih Tzu. We were walking him in the park one day and a German Shepherd lunged out and bit him in the jaw. The whole jaw got ripped off and he was bleeding profusely.

We had no idea if there were nearby hospitals or how to even transport him. A taxi even rejected us because of the amount of blood. So, a neighbour actually drove us to Beecroft, [an emergency vet and animal hospital], which is in the south of Singapore. We were in the west [when the incident happened], so it's a pretty far distance. Casper was lucky to survive.

Because of that, RAR was founded about three months afterwards, in September of 2023.

Casper passed away in May 2025.

How did you get your training to act as a paramedic for pets?

There are actually no animal paramedic courses in Singapore. So, we attend first aid courses for animals. I was also personally mentored by Dr. Jean-Paul Ly. He's the founder of Animal Wellness Centre, [an integrated veterinary medical centre].

MAJ Ben served as a firefighter with SCDF during his NS. | IMAGE: BENJAMIN BURKE

Did you manage to bring any skills from your national service stint over to RAR?

Yes, I'm actually a firefighter from the SCDF. During my time in the SCDF, we had the first aid training for humans. We also had rescue training where we used rescue equipment, heavy equipment.

So for RAR cases, for example, a cat is stuck on a ledge, we’re able to do rappelling. If an animal is stuck in a vehicle or any motorised structure, we’re able to cut open the structure. And of course, the first aid is very similar to humans as well. If there’s bleeding, just apply pressure.

Every RAR team member is fully trained in diverse animal first aid procedures to stabilise your pet – whether furry, feathered, or scaled. | IMAGES: MAJ BENJAMIN BURKE

What’s been the most memorable rescue mission you’ve encountered so far?

One memorable incident that I hold close to my heart is probably a double cardiac arrest case. Both dogs had been placed in a heater for too long, and they collapsed. So, my EMT [Emergency Medical Technician] and I had to execute our cardiac arrest protocol.

Basically, we started doing CPR for both the dogs, and we managed to resuscitate one of the dogs. It is actually very rare and very difficult to resuscitate a dog outside of hospital settings. So, for us to have achieved that, it was definitely memorable.

Being on call 24/7 can be incredibly stressful. How do you and the team cope with the physical, mental, and emotional toll?

We all have various ways to cope with the stress. Most of us choose to exercise, game or find some hobby to pursue while off duty.

Between running a business and saving lives, do you get any me time? What does a day off look like for you?

Not a lot of free time but whenever I have time, I usually spend it with my partner.

We saw you guys on duty at Furkids Fiesta at CQ @ Clarke Quay. What exactly is your operational role at public pet events?

We’re on standby for any emergencies. So, if something were to happen, we are the first line over here to start initial treatment to stabilise the patient before we convey them to the nearest 24-hour hospital.

Word on the street is that you’re actively expanding. What should interested applicants know before applying?

To those who want to join RAR, you will have to be quick on your feet. There are a lot of uncertainties over here. Anything can happen out of anywhere, so you have to be quick to adapt. You have to also be able to see fluids, like blood, all those gory things.

Some people, they come, they expect to see cute-cute pets and all that, but the moment they see [what’s happening]… it's a very real situation.

Currently there are four full-timers, myself included, and we also have about 50-plus volunteers. In the event of a cardiac arrest emergency, we will activate the nearest volunteer, so they will start doing CPR first before the ambulance arrives.

How did your own family take the news when you decided to venture into this uncharted territory?

My family was a bit sceptical when I first started RAR because it's something very unique – there was no pet ambulance service available before this in Singapore. But I think after one year, when they started to see the company growing, they became more supportive.

Looking ahead, where do you want to steer RAR in the near future?

We started off with one rental van at the moment. Currently, we have two ambulances, we have one rescue vehicle and one medical motorbike as well. So I would like to see, in about three years’ time, that we will have bases all around Singapore, so that our response time will be much quicker.

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