Usher in the Lunar
New Year With HOPE
 |
| Fat Sister, Matthieu and Beano wish you a prosperous Lunar New Year so their fellow four-legged friends may benefit too. |
The clamour of beating drums, the cling-clang of cymbals, and the loud chatters among scurrying shoppers awash the embellished streets in the lead up to the popular Lunar New Year. This is the season when family members from around the world gather, indulge in a spread of delicacies, and exchange a year worth of stories with one another.
The same nagging dialogues from concerned
parents, the familiar aroma of home-cooked dishes, and the sight and sound of
faces and voices you grew up seeing and hearing carries a heady, fuzzy feeling that
tugs deep at our heartstrings, sending gushes of warmth right through our bodies.
This is the feeling of home; the ever-forgiving haven that will always have its doors
opened to you.
Admittedly, in our day-to-day hustle and
bustle of city life, many of us forget to appreciate the simple goodness of
home. Unlike us, street dogs don’t, and may never have a home to return to. For
most of them, the rough gravel road is their makeshift home, the lone discarded
bone makes a meal, and the stationary car serves as a temporary roof.
 |
| For many of these street dogs, this is the only HOME they know |
 |
| These puppies were so hungry they were eating metal shards |
 |
| Puppy with his leg trapped between the beams. No one knew how long he had been in that position |
In our years of rescue, we have seen countless of street dogs living in extreme misery and roaming the streets aimlessly hoping that someone will lend some help. Do you remember the disturbing photograph of Molly with bones jutting out from where her paw should have been? What about the story of Matthieu who is paralyzed from waist down and was spotted dragging his hind legs across rough gravel roads in search of help? Don’t forget Cooper, the victim of a hit-and-run accident; and Beano, the target of a cruel chemical attack.
 |
| This dog was so old and weak, he could hardly stand. We eventually put him down. Look at the oil on him from years of living under lorries and trucks. |
 |
| This puppy was stuck under the beams. She was eventually put down as her pelvic was crushed and she no longer had bowel control. |
On the other end of the spectrum are
breeding dogs, like Prince.
While they have a roof overhead, many of them have never felt the grass beneath
their paw pads, never had a full meal, and never received a pat for a job well
done. Life, to them, was about working and dying without dignity. They live a
life akin to overworked machines, they serve their owners with absolute
loyalty, and when they’re past their prime years of reproduction, are left to
starve to death in disgusting puppy mills. Some people just aren’t grateful,
are they?
From dusk to dawn, these dogs struggle for
another day to live. Life isn’t about frolicking under the sun without a hint
of worry; life is a game of survival, a constant struggle and a daunting
challenge.
So, as we relish in the delicacies and busk
in the warmth in our families this season, take a moment to appreciate what you
have on the table and the people around you. Think about the dogs roaming the
streets in search for the lone bone before you discard the leftovers, think
about the caged breeding dogs who have never experienced the love before you
brush off the nagging comments made by your parents, and just give thanks for
all that you have.
 |
| Puppy crushed to death |
Share your love, spread the warmth and do a
little more than you did last year. Adopt a dog if you can, or donate a penny
if you may.
Thank you to the people who have supported
us in your own ways. We promise to continue touching more lives, and do what we
do best – saving lives – in the year of the snake.
Happy Lunar New Year and we wish you all a
happy, healthy and wealthy new year.
Written by
Claire Chai
