Giving Up On Love

We received an e-mail from Lady J informing us that her dog, Lele, was unwell as it kept whining and howling. She came to us for advice as she had no idea what to do, and was considering giving up the dog as her neighbours could not tolerate the noises her dog made. Lady J told us that the dog was fine as she had brought her to a vet. We told her to bring the dog again to a vet for a more thorough check-up involving parvo, distemper and a blood test, with the recommendation of one of our regular vets. Lady J ended up bringing Lele to the same vet saying he was familiar with her condition. After taking an x-ray, the vet determined that Lele had a lung problem, and was given medication for it. Lady J felt that if Lele did not get better, she would be put to sleep. We were surprised that the vet’s diagnosis of Lele’s lung problem was attributed to old age – Lele was only an 8 year old Maltese! She was hardly old as any dog could live to almost twice that age.


In subsequent e-mail conversations over the next two weeks, Lady J initially agreed to bring her to another vet for a second opinion if Lele did not get better. However, a few days later, Lady J e-mailed to inform us that she did not have the capability to take care of Lele and decided to let Lele go to end her suffering. One of our volunteers informed Lady J that HOPE would take over the case, and to not end Lele's life yet. Although our volunteer managed to contact her in time, we found out that Lady J's mother was already on the way to the vet to put Lele down. We rushed to mobilize volunteers to pick Lele up and bring her to one of our vets.

Volunteer, Buven, collecting Lele from her family who gave her up

Lele's owner handing her to us

Lele sick at the vet

Lele was warded immediately and was at the vet for 4 days before we transferred her to see Dr Ly. Poor Lele was almost in an unconscious state and we were warned about the risks of attempting to transfer her. However, we were desperate for a second opinion and a means to ease her pain. As soon as we arrived at the second vet, Lele was placed on oxygen therapy as her breathing was terribly laboured. Dr Ly commented that with Lele’s condition, she would not respond to conventional treatments and the best that could be done was to make her feel more comfortable and reduce her pain.
We contacted Lele's family and insisted that they visited her. We felt it would be a pity to put Lele down, but we knew that Lele was approaching her final hours. We believed it was important for Lele to have her family with her. That night, Lele's family came to visit her, but the mood was not a solemn one. Instead, there were smiles and laughter as if it was a joyous occasion. On that very night, poor Lele had 3 seizures within a few hours. Although it was in the wee hours of the morning, we felt that Lele shouldn't be left alone at the vet so plans were made for a fellow volunteer to take Lele home first thing in the morning as Lady J was reluctant to bring Lele home for the weekend. Before morning came, sweet Lele passed away. It was as if she was contented to have had her family visit her one final time. Such is the loyalty of a dog, despite knowing that her family had given up on her.

Farewell Lele

We rushed down in the wee hours of the morning to collect her body and arranged for a private cremation the next morning. Our volunteers attended the cremation and even though we did not know Lele for a long time, we were deeply saddened by her hard life. We may not have been able to do much for Lele in her final days, but we are sure she knew how much we cared for her.
The vet bills and cremation were paid by Hope Dog Rescue. Support our work so that we may continue to help more dogs in need.
Written by Jasmine Chng

Thankfully, two of our volunteers, Annie and Buven, happened to be in the vicinity and chanced upon our group message for volunteers to retrieve Lele and bring her to the vet. It was a long wait at the vet as we did not have any appointment booked. As we were waiting, Lele was crying out with such pain that we couldn’t bear to see her in such a condition. We decided that we could no longer wait patiently as Lele's pain was reaching unbearable levels for her. Buven approached the vet tech and based on Lele's condition, they took her in for an examination by the vet immediately. As we waited outside, the vet ran multiple tests on Lele, and we were told that the x-rays indicated that she also had spinal problems, and the blood test showed that her liver was extremely swollen.

Three Days To Doomsday

Oscar, a 9-month-old stray puppy, was spotted wandering around alone and seeking shelter in a quiet neighbourhood. Sharon, who lived in the same neighbourhood, had heard about this stray puppy wandering around the estate and notified us about this homeless puppy.

This stray puppy is believed to have been living within the Bukit Timah forested area before he decided to make this French household his home.

This family usually leave their main gate open and one day, this stray puppy, whom they named Oscar, wandered into their home during a heavy storm, hiding under their car to seek shelter from the rain. They didn’t chase him away so Oscar continued to come into the home as and when he pleased. Eventually he moved into the house and they let him be.

Oscar hiding under the table at the French home

For 2 months, the family has been kindly feeding him and he has become family to them. Oscar also became good friends with the family dog, a senior golden retriever. Although he has been living together with them for a while now and is comfortable playing with the family dog, he is still extremely wary of human beings. He still shies from the family and refuses to be touched by them. It took them an hour to corner him when they wanted to put a collar on him!

After 2 months without much progress with the dog, they asked their neighbour Sharon for advise, who in turn asked us.

To understand their situation better, volunteers from Hope went to visit Oscar and the family. He is young and extremely playful. He roams around the house freely and even takes walks outside the home on his own before returning again. He also enjoys playing in the garden and digging holes under the tree. He goes in and out of the house via a hole he dug under the fence. Such is the intelligence of a stray!

The hole that Oscar dug 

The family told us that Oscar could stay till they left Singapore in a few weeks’ time to return to France but it was not possible to bring Oscar along as “he is not our family” and hence, they will need to find him a home before they leave town.

It was agreed on that we would help them catch Oscar, send him to the vet for a full medical check-up, vaccinate and microchip him, as well as have him sterilized then return him to the family while they looked for a family to adopt him permanently. The entire vet bill was to be paid for by Hope Dog Rescue.

This is Oscar in the garden

We kept our side of the agreement but unfortunately, the family didn’t.

As soon as we took Oscar to the vet, the family called and said they no longer wanted Oscar back in their home and if we did return him, they would call AVA to take him away. Their reason was that Oscar had caused their senior Golden Retriever to have a maggot wound. How on earth did that happen, we don't exactly know. Oscar was clean, there were no flies swarming around him and for a wound to have maggots, it would mean that the dog had an original wound and that it had probably been neglected.

We offered to bathe Oscar so he would be clean. We even advised the family to separate the dogs, to keep Oscar in the garden and their dog inside the house but they said it was not possible. Oscar just had to go.

We were shocked and at a loss! Where would we put him? We paid for him to stay at the vet an extra day, hopefully to buy time and have them change their minds about calling the authorities on him but they were adamant about it and we had nowhere for Oscar to go, so we dropped him off back outside their home and watched Oscar crawl in from under the fence where he had dug a hole. The family was extremely angry that we had put Oscar back without their approval, but we didn’t. Oscar had gone in on his own! Besides, wasn’t Oscar from their home to start with?

Oscar needs you to save his life before the authorities come for him on Wednesday

Oscar's escape route

They have now told Sharon that Oscar has 3 days to be out before they call the authorities on him. This means by Wednesday, 26 February 2014, Oscar needs to find a home or else he will be taken away by the authorities. Time is of the essence.

Sadly, we can’t take Oscar as we already have 19 dogs and they have yet to be rehomed. We won’t be accepting boarding sponsors either because sometimes these dogs take years to be rehomed and we definitely can’t afford to maintain him for that long.

And so Oscar has a deadline on his head. If you can adopt him right away, please call Sharon at 96513565.

Written By Lim Yunlu

ADOPTION DRIVE This Saturday at Singapore Polo Club (22 February 2014)

Join us at our adoption drive, brought to you by Exclusively Mongrels, and meet our little furkids. These little ones deserve a new home and they will be at Singapore Polo Club to interact with everyone.

When: 22 February 2014 (Saturday)
Time: 11am – 3pm
Where: Singapore Polo Club, Covered Arena, 80 Mount Pleasant Road

All these dogs have amazing stories of their bravery, courage and survival to share with you. Each one of them is unique in their own special way. They are all fully vaccinated and sterilised.

Our dogs are friendly, well-socialised and ready to embark on a new journey to a new home. They range from 4-months of age to 8-years-old. Angel, at 8-years-old, still behaves like a puppy and the rest of our pack are all local crossbreeds. These local street dogs are known to be one of the hardiest, most intelligent breeds around! Well, look at how well they have endured and survived!

Sasha, Female, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 3-years-old

Blake, Male, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 8-months-old (Puppy)

Happy, Female, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 2-years-old 

Walter, Male, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 2-years-old

Harper, Female, Local crossbreed, low energy, 11-months-old

Timothy, Male, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 6-years-old

Jerry, Male, Local crossbreed, moderate energy, 11-months-old

Elmo, Male, low energy, 1 year old (breed unknown)

Alfie, Male, Local crossbreed, low energy, 2-years-old

Marni, Female, Local crossbreed, low to moderate energy, 2-years-old

Oscar, Male, Local crossbreed, low energy, 2-years-old

Poppy, Female, Sharpei cross, moderate energy, 6-months-old (Puppy)

Marigold, Female, Sharpei cross, moderate energy, 6-months-old (Puppy)

Leila, Female, Sharpei cross, moderate energy, 6-months-old (Puppy)

Little Duchess, Female, Local breed, moderate energy, 4-months-old (Puppy)

Angel, Female, Jack Russell Terrier, high energy, 8-years-old

So, what are you waiting for? Come meet them, tell your friends about our adoption drive, share the news and come on down to say hi to our brave little ones!

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Exclusive Mongrels for inviting us!

P.S. You can also grab a copy of our HOPE 2014 calendar at just $5!

Valentine’s Day With A Four-Legged

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we sometimes get carried away with all that hype but the best part about having a four-legged partner is that their love for you is unconditional, something you get all year round, not just on Valentine’s Day!

Jaspar and his mommy (Read about Jaspar's rescue)

COMMITMENT. LOYALTY. TRUST.

Not very much that they ask for and in return, you get their devoted love and a forever family!

How often would you find someone crazy and madly in love with you! You’ll easily find that in your four –legged partner, regardless of whether you’re feeling up, down, happy or sad.

Lulu's new mini owner, whom she loves very much.

Cooper, a true gentleman, has been adopted and so loved now.

Your best furry pal would love to spend this special day and everyday with you. No need for expensive holidays, cruises or flowers. Especially NO CHOCOLATES! He’s a cheap date and too good a friend to pressure you into fine dining and expensive dates – in fact, a walk in the park and getting dirty in the mud would be the best gift he could ever have! Lying on the grass, basking in the sun, tossing a few balls – way cheaper and more exciting than golf. He may expect a kiss from you at the end of the night, but he sure won’t tell you your breath smells!

Sparky and Momo - siblings who were adopted as cute puppies and then returned, finally found true love after more than a year in the kennels.

Although your dog loves routines, he is happy with your flexibility. Come home late without an excuse and he is still happy to see you. You can even celebrate Valentine’s Day with him another day and he won’t even mind at all! He probably won’t even notice!

So dogs make the best loves in the world!! If you have a dog, go give him a big hug and kiss. They may seem like they don’t understand your words, but they definitely understand the feelings behind a hug.

Watch a happy video on our doggies that have found love. 

Our wish for all our rescued doggies who have yet to find homes and a family of their own, we hope they find the love and happiness they deserve REAL SOON!

Be spoiled for choice. Take your pick from our wide selection of dogs. 

ADOPT A DOG OR TWO. Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Little Duchess’ Update (3)

Remember Little Aziz? We have renamed her Duchess and we think her ears resemble that of a Dachshund! As she looks quite similar to Harper, with the exception of her large floppy ears, we named her Little Aziz then due to similar unfortunate circumstances that we found both of them in and both were found by Mr Aziz.

Before and after. Duchess' long wound on her belly is healing beautifully

Little Duchess has known more pain in her short time here on Earth than we could ever imagine in our worst nightmares. And honestly, she wouldn't even be alive today if not for kind Mr Aziz who noticed her and called us for help.

We can’t imagine how a 2+ month old puppy survived that mind numbing pain and endured on desperately, waiting to be saved.

When she was just rescued and how she is today, less than a month later.

Gorgeous Duchess. She is much smaller than she looks in the photographs. 

Duchess has had surgery on her stomach, 14 stitches to close up the 8cm wound and also a fracture repair on her broken leg where she had 3 fractures. She had 2 pins inserted into her leg to hold the fractured bones together and Dr Ly commented that some parts of her bones were shattered so badly, he had to remove the fragments entirely, thus little Duchess’ right hind leg will be slightly shorter than the left but this is really a minor issue – we are just grateful that she will soon be able to walk, run and play like a regular puppy once she recovers fully.

She absolutely loves basking in the sun! 

Surgical wound from the leg fracture is healing nicely although she still requires weekly visits to the vets to check on the 2 pins inserted  to hold her bones together. 

Because she is young and her bones thin and frail, she should be receiving lots of rest and minimal movement. Dr Ly also recommends she gets double the dosage of calcium so her bones will heal faster. For now, Duchess needs to go back for a vet review every week, just to ensure her leg is healing well. There is some swelling but the tough little princess doesn’t seem to be in any form of pain. She enjoys exploring and is starting to bear weight on her leg.

Enjoying her snooze in safety and comfort

Baby Duchess, just 3 mths old

The staff at the clinic love little Duchess tremendously, commenting that she is well behaved, eager to please and very sweet natured. Duchess is a smart doggy, and a fast learner - she's already pee pad trained! The green paint on her fur have all been shaved off but she does still have lead poisoning, which will take a while to clear from her body system. This tiny little puppy has gone through one of the saddest existence we can ever imagine.

Intelligent and elegant looking

Despite all the abuse, suffering and pain she had gone through, she’s still such a trusting dog, interacting with humans and enjoying their company! We hope that with enough love and care, Duchess will grow up to be a strong healthy dog, much like how her sibling, Harper, is doing now!

It would be a joy for Duchess to have her own family and for her to have someone say “I love you” to her.

For many street dogs, most will never experience love or compassion. They will never know a life without agonizing pain, immense hunger and complete despair. We pray that a family will come forth to adopt little Duchess. Her road to recovery has started, the desperation she had gone through has been replaced with trust and hope. Duchess is enroute to a blessed and incredible life ahead.

Little Duchess falling asleep

If you wish to help Duchess, you can do so in one of the following ways:

·       FOSTER. You can help foster Duchess from 10 Feb 2014 onwards. For now, her movements should be restricted and she is fed 4 meals a day as she is still a puppy.

·       ADOPT. Find it in your heart to give Duchess a loving home. After such an ordeal, all she needs is LOVE! She needs a loving home environment to rest and recuperate in!

·       Help buy Duchess Calcium powder during this critical recovery period.

Please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg for more information on any of the above.

Written by June Oh