Destined To Be A Coffee Shop Pup

And so Oliver’s fate was not changed. From a coffee shop puppy, he will be returned to being a coffee shop puppy.

Oliver was spotted at a coffee shop and a worker having lunch there, called us

This poor little puppy's maggot wound was terribly deep

We tried many times to intervene, to change his fate and find him a home but to no avail.  

A few people had written in but when we replied, they never wrote back, despite us repeatedly trying to contact them. Some offered to board him but how long are we going to keep poor Oliver in boarding? We have dogs that have been with us for 3 years and still not able to find a home, and these are sweet, pleasant dogs. We can’t possibly afford to upkeep another dog for an indefinite period. It’s not just the boarding charges, but also the food, medical etc. It may be “just one dog” but this “just one dog” will add on to our 32 dogs and we truly can’t afford another one dog.

Oliver is a very good boy and doesn't bark. He only whines a little when he is hungry

Such a sweetie pie although this face didn't manage to move hearts

Oliver was found with a maggot wound on his right shoulder 3 weeks back and has been at the vet since. His wound was very deep and he had to undergo a surgery to stitch the wound up as it was healing too slowly. He is about 4 months old, a local street dog, and the vet and staff fuss over him every single day. They gush about how sweet, calm and affectionate he is, how well behaved he is and how they can change his dressing  and clean his wound while he stands patiently waiting for them to complete their task. All this from a 4 month old stray puppy. Amazing.

Huge long scar running down Oliver's right shoulder

And yet, no one genuine has come forth to ADOPT POOR OLIVER.

This weekend, his fate will be sealed. He returns to the coffee shop. We pray that he stays safe and that he will not be attacked by bigger dogs again, or be hurt in a traffic accident. We pray that that the coffee shop customers don’t report him to NEA and AVA and have him culled because he is a stray, a nuisance hovering around begging for food.

Sorry we couldn't save you, Oliver

Today he was sterilized and vaccinated, in preparation for his release.

Sorry Oliver dear. You’re a very good boy and we’re sorry we let you down and gave you false hopes. We’re sorry we could not find you a home.

Prison Break

As posted on our Facebook on 22 April 2015

We received this photograph of two badly neglected dogs in the playpen. It was sent to us by Patrick Cher of Purely Adoptions, asking us if we could help save one of these two dogs. Purely Adoptions had taken the dog in the background 3 days back but somehow did not manage to get both dogs to safety. The dog standing in front had been left behind.

Photograph received from Purely Adoptions

The look of desperation on their faces spoke volumes of their sadness and suffering. From the little we have gathered, the dogs are about 7 to 8 years, have been caged for the past 5 years, not vaccinated and never been to the vet.

We immediately agreed to help even though we are already stretched to the max with more than 30 dogs, no shelter and limited funds saved for a rainy day.

It seems that these two dogs belong to an elderly lady who had a stroke some years back. The dogs were left to the care of her 30-something year old son who didn’t bother very much about these two dogs, resulting in gross neglect. Neglect constitutes abuse; what different is this from a breeding farm? Looking at the blurred photograph, the dog standing in front looks senior, blind and unkempt.

With faith in our supporters and fellow dog lovers, we intend to take the dog out and rush him to the vet, in the belief that we will have your support. We hope he is still alive and we hope that they have not changed their minds about handing the dog over to us.

Stay tuned for more updates and thank you Purely Adoptions for helping the dog and allowing us to help the remaining dog.

Updates :
Two volunteers went to the home during midday to take the second and last remaining dog out. Our intention was to take him straight to the vet. An elderly lady greeted us at the corridor. She spoke English and looked to be in her mid 60s. She gestured for us to enter her home to take the dog away. Her left side of her body seemed to have mild paralysis, most probably from her stroke, but she was still able to walk with the aid of a walking stick.

We entered the house, towards the kitchen but could not see the Shihtzu or playpen. But we could smell him from a distance. He reeked of urine and smelled moldy as if he has not had a bath in years. Surrounding the playpen were chairs, tables and weights, to ensure the pen could not move / collapse and perhaps ensure that the dogs could not escape. The playpen and its surrounding were dirty and it blended in with the furniture and mess in the kitchen. Inside the small playpen was just a pee tray. There was no water bowl inside. The little Shihtzu was bouncing on his hind legs continuously, begging to be carried, begging for attention.

We bent over and gingerly lifted him up, as we weren’t sure if he had any injuries. Despite his thick badly matted fur, we could feel his ribs protruding. He was so excited to be lifted up and carried. His joy at just being lifted out of that playpen was indescribable. It felt as if he had not been touched or patted for ages. He reeked of urine and that stench stayed on our clothes, hair and car for the rest of the day.

The owner called him “Pui Pui” (fat fat) but he was far from that. His fur was so badly matted that it was hardened and stuck to his body. Parts of his fur was literally peeling off his skin, revealing red and raw skin beneath. He must have been so used to living with that pain and discomfort that he seemed unperturbed. He was just so glad to be carried out of the playpen. We wondered when was the last time he had a bath. The elderly lady said last month . . . . .We were thinking like last year . . . .She told us he had been fed with white rice and a few pieces of chicken once a day. We guess money was an issue . . . but the least she could do was to at least clean them up . . .She also said he was about 3 years old.

We decided to name him Ethan.

Ethan’s eyes were wet and teary and we could see an ulcer on his left eye. His ears smelled bad too, but these weren’t really big concerns. It was part and parcel of a neglect case. All we wanted to do was to get him out of the hell hole and take him to the vet.

The elderly lady bid her farewell and we left.

The fur on his chest had literally peeled off

Imagine the stench coming from poor Ethan

Once downstairs, Ethan was excited and curious. It must have been ages since he felt the grass under his feet and sunshine on his back. As the vet was closed for lunch, we took him to a volunteer’s home to trim off all his badly matted fur and clean him up. It took two volunteers 2 hours and it was still uncompleted but he was due for his vet appointment.

When we entered the clinic, the vet stared at him and said, “Oh my god, what happened to this dog and where did you get him from?” Poor Ethan.

The fur on his underside had peeled off too but it must have been a while, leaving dry scabs on him

What a cute, sweet face he has!

We spent 2 hours cutting off his badly matted fur

We had never seen this before, the fur on his chest was literally peeling off 

Ethan was given a complete health check and had his blood taken. He was also given a dewormer and a jab for his skin condition. While waiting for his blood results, we let him walk about the clinic and we noticed that his lower back would swing to the side as he walked. We went in for another consult and asked the vet to check his spine and vet confirmed that he his spine was degenerating, possibly from standing and jumping on his hind legs for years in the playpen, begging to be carried.

Ethan was a very good boy, just lying on the floor for 2 hours patiently waiting for us to trim his fur 

Conclusion of the vet visit :

· *Gross neglect, malnourished, underweight

· *Male, unsterilized, unvaccinated, estimated 3 to 4 years old

· *Negative for Heartworm and Tick Fever

· *Ulcer on left eye caused by an abrasion and left untreated (will need eye drops for life)

· *Ear infection

· *Kidney readings slightly elevated

· *Low muscle tone in hind legs, bow legged in front legs from lack of exercise

· *Spinal degeneration (needs to wear a waist band / corset). Must not be allowed to jump,stand on hind legs, climb stairs. Will need hydrotherapy to strengthen muscles

· *To be put on supplements for his bones


The vet felt so sorry for poor Ethan, who was so grossly neglected and had nowhere to go, he allowed Ethan to stay free for the night and the kind nurses spent another hour shaving off the fur that was peeling off his skin. All the clinic staff commented how sweet and adorable he is.

Ethan had an ulcer in his left eye

Ethan’s new family should be one that would devote all their free time to him, to be able to make up for all the things he never had, take him for nice walks, to the park, feed him yummy meals and love him like he’s never been loved.

He is due back at the vet in a week’s time to be vaccinated and in a month’s time for a blood test to recheck his kidney functions. We are glad we have him with us and from now on, things can only get better.

If you would like to help Ethan with his vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Little Oliver The Coffee Shop Puppy

Remember the little puppy at the coffee shop with a maggot wound on it’s right shoulder? Well, she is actually a He. It’s a little male puppy, about 3 to 4 months old. And he is extremely sweet.

Deep maggot wound on little Oliver 

Oozing pus

He was sent to the vet for his maggot wound, which is likely caused by an attack from the adult dogs in the vicinity. We have renamed him Oliver.

Upon arrival at the vet, Oliver was terribly weak. He had difficulty keeping his eyes open and staying awake. We also noticed he had discharge in his eyes and thus requested that the vet test him for distemper, for which he tested Negative.

His maggot wound was rather deep and the vet said he needed to be warded and the next day, be put under general anesthesia to clean the wound. Little Oliver was put on drip to stabilize his condition. While waiting to be warded, little Oliver had bloody diarrhea with lots of hook worms! Hook worms are the hardest to rid. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so drowsy; he was anemic from the blood sucking hook worms.

Sweet Oliver has been warded since 16 April and is almost ready for discharge. The vets have all commented that he is very very sweet, just standing there patiently allowing them to change his dressing and clean his wound. They mentioned that it would be a pity to have to release him back to the coffee shop because he is such a good boy and well-behaved.

Unfortunately, we can’t keep Oliver as we already have 9 baby beanies on top of our 21 rescue dogs. We are NOT looking for a foster but if you wish to ADOPT OLIVER within this week, please write to us before we release him. He still has his bandage on and his new family would need to clean his wound and change his dressing daily. 

To help with Oliver’s vet bills or ADOPT him, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Mommy Emily Bean & Her Baby Beanies

Things are not looking good for the puppies. After their brother passed away, the 9 remaining baby beanies are doubly precious to us. It drives home how fragile life is and how they are holding on to life on only a tiny thread.

Despite being sick, cute like a bear

Rushing all 9 to the vet

After our baby beanie left us, we decided to bring ALL the puppies to our regular vet for a review. The diagnosis is no good and the vet predicted that the weakest (and biggest) puppy may die within the same day. In short, they have roundworms, respiratory issues, pneumonia, nasal discharge and these evil round worms are sucking blood and nutrients from their intestines. The clinic cannot accommodate all 9 puppies but after lots of pleading, kindly agreed to keep them for a few days till Tuesday as we have NOWHERE to house them at all. They're too young and sick to go to the kennels and too expensive to stay at the vet. 

 We DESPERATELY NEED foster homes for the 9 puppies. 

Cute Beanies, cute siblings. 

The sickest puppy of the lot; vet doesn't think he'll live past tomorrow

The puppies are now separated with 4 puppies who are in critical condition being isolated and the other 5 who were somewhat more stable in a cage together. We received a devastating update today that out of the 5 healthier ones, 2 are displaying signs of nasal discharge and respiratory issues. We are heartbroken and so is Mummy Emily Bean, that’s what we’ve named her. Mommy Emily Bean was left behind in the foster’s house when all her puppies were rushed to the vet, leaving her anxious, confused and missing her puppies badly. Mommy is not well either and has mastitis. Her breasts are extremely engorged and she is feeling very uncomfortable. Mommy Emily Bean has been a great mother who always ensures all her beanies are well fed before taking care of her own needs. Whenever any of her beanies cries, she immediately attends to them. We can only imagine the anguish she is suffering and hope that we can bring her to meet some of her puppies, but we cannot afford another dog at the clinic. Her baby beanies are costing us almost $2000/- per day and these are on credit and the bills are mounting mercilessly day by day.

Puppy Power!

It has been a traumatizing week as we lost two of our doggies (Hugo and one baby beanie). They may have been with us for only a short time but that doesn’t make them any less precious and we are all the more determined to ensure that the remaining 9 beanies and Mommy Emily Bean pull through. We are trying our best scrambling around to look for fosters for each beanie as we have to separate them to ensure there is no contagion. We hope to discharge the healthier beanies this Monday but we need your help! Our Beanies are only 3 weeks old and require 4 meals a day. They need to be monitored strictly to ensure their conditions do not deteriorate and observed closely for diarrhea, pale gums, loss of appetite and breathing issues. If any of these signs appear, we need to rush them back to the vet immediately! Additionally, it will be best if you do not have another dog, unless he/she is young, healthy and vaccinated and it is of utmost importance that good hygiene is practiced.

All 9 puppies have been admitted to hospital for respiratory issues

Latest Updates :

1. One of the puppies had a rectal prolapse caused by constant diarrhea. He needs an immediate surgery. We feel so sorry for the puppies, having to suffer so much at this tender age. 
2. Mommy Emily Bean has also been warded for mastitis, engorgement and high fever. The vet had said that her condition was extremely painful and had we not brought her in, her breast may be torn. 

Puppy's anus sticking out, caused by excessive diarrhea and round worms

Mommy, Emily Bean, depressed, in pain and confused

As of now, Mommy and her 9 puppies are all warded but they are separated as the puppies are all on IV drip and kept away from their mommy. One can never imagine the amount of stress we are facing at the moment.

If you can help with their vet bills, foster or even adopt, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

One Death Too Many

We were dealt a heartbreaking blow last night when Hugo left us. Never did we expect that we have to bid another of our charges good bye so soon.

Remember Mommy dog and her ten puppies? They have been in a foster home since all were discharged about three weeks back. Yesterday their foster informed us that the puppies were unwell and needed to see the vet. They were having bloody diarrhea, worms in their poo and nasal discharge. Before we could rush down to get the puppies, the foster had already sent Mommy dog and the 10 puppies to their nearest vet. After seeing the vet, Mommy and 6 puppies were discharged. 4 were warded as they were in critical condition. They had difficulty breathing and all were put on oxygen. It was after some tests that it was discovered they have Round Worms too. 

Gorgeous Mommy and her precious beanies when they were just discharged

Warded for breathing difficulties

Also warded for breathing difficulties 

Also warded

Nasal discharge.Sadly, this little one passed away

More volunteers rushed down after work and the 4 puppies conditions had somewhat stabilized but when a volunteer visited them again this evening, she noticed the little black pup was gasping for air and his tongue was turning pale. She immediately informed the vet nurse who then put the tiny pup on oxygen but it was a tad too late . . . .the tiny one slipped away . . . .According to the vet, he had contacted pneumonia and the vet suspected canine influenza which means the entire litter is in danger as it is airborne.

Mommy and her precious

Nasal discharge. We hope they make it through the night.

We are heartbroken and we can imagine how distressed Mommy would be as she is an excellent Mommy, constantly cleaning her puppies and counting them. Despite the grim circumstances, we can only push forward as we are rushing against time to ensure Mommy and her remaining 9 baby beanies are treated in time and we need all the help we can get. 

Today, we will be taking all 9 puppies to our regular vet for a thorough medical check up. We just pray that throughout the night, we will not lose any more precious baby beanies.

If you are able to help foster or assist with the medical bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Sorry Hugo

This puppy with a head wound was first spotted on 1 April 2015 by a feeder. Our volunteers immediately agreed to help and we took turns going down every evening after work, braving lots of sandflies and mosquito bites to search for him. Despite not seeing him, we never gave up. We combed the area every night.

Just 2 weeks was all it took for the maggots to kill Hugo

He was last spotted 4 nights ago and we were very close to him but a group of cyclist sped past loudly and scared him back into the densely forested area. We continued searching the next few nights, right up to this evening but we never caught sight of him.

At 11pm we received a call from a member of the public who happened to see this young dog. The dog, who is about 7 to 8 months old only, was lying on the grass, very weak; he was dying. The stench of rotting flesh filled the air and we asked the passer by to keep an eye on the dog while we swung into action. 4 volunteers rushed down at 11.30pm and with the help of a dog trapper, we managed to catch him.

Half of his face was eaten by maggots

We rushed him to the emergency vet and in a brightly lit area, it hit us, the extent of his injury was bad. His left eye was gone, part of his head was eaten by maggots and he could no longer open his right eye. The pain must have been so bad. He had endured and suffered for at least 2 weeks. Blood dripped on the floor and maggots crawled on his wound. We felt nauseous from the sight and smell. This, by far, is the worst maggot wound case we have seen. Four nights ago when we spotted him, it wasn’t this bad. But now . . . .the maggots must have thrived in the hot weather because they had destroyed his eye and part of his head. There was nothing much we could do except to let him go. He had suffered enough . . . .two long weeks. We guess he must have been stuck in the forested area and not been able to find his way out because he could no longer see, which is why perhaps we had not spotted him the past few nights. It was a good thing he came out tonight . . . rather than die a slow death in the dense forestation.

Farewell Hugo, may peace be with you

We said a silent prayer for this young, handsome puppy, whom we named Hugo, as the vet injected euthanasia into his vein. I write this with a heavy heart; how sad a stray’s life is.

We will hold a private cremation for Hugo on Friday. His vet bill for the night, inclusive of the cremation, is $998/-. If you would like to help with Hugo’s bill, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Rest in peace, little Hugo. We’re sorry we couldn’t find you earlier and save you.

At 2.40am, sleep is the furthest from my mind.

Sick, Senior Factory Cat

During one of our regular feeding rounds at a factory, our volunteers noticed a poor female cat who was obviously unwell, weak and sneezing with a runny nose. Her tongue was sticking out and her eyes were red and watery. Our volunteers felt so sorry for this senior girl who deserved our respect after managing to survive over 10 years on the streets.

On arrival at the vet, dirty and covered with grime 

They knew they had to act quickly as they suspected she had cat flu and gum disease which is serious especially for an older cat. The volunteers were advised that this senior cat had not eaten for 3 days despite the security uncle, Ah Seng, pounding and mashing all her food for her. Despite poor living conditions in the factory, Ah Seng tries his best to give the cats and dogs the best possible care. Ah Seng is 70 years old and lives in the guard house 24/7. The cats and dogs are his family; they are all he has.

Mouth full of ulcers

Despite us being low on funds, the volunteers decided that they needed to get this cat to the vet, especially since it was a senior cat and meant the world to Ah Seng.

On arrival at the vet, she mewed loudly from inside her carrier, obviously showing her disdain in not wanting to be caged up. The volunteers noticed she had mucous discharge from her nose.

Obviously not too pleased with being manhandled. Grouchy but still cooperative

The regular blood works were run and it was then found out that she had cat flu, gum disease, her kidneys were slightly small but functioning, and her liver was a little irregular. Perhaps this was why she felt so unwell and was unable to eat.

Drawing blood to run some tests

Mouth ulcers and pale gums

As a result of her diagnosis, this senior cat needed to be warded for a few days and to be put on drip as well as she was slightly dehydrated. The vet wanted to treat her for all the ulcers in her mouth before returning her to the factory.

She has been kept in isolation, away from the other cats, and needs to be syringe fed by the staff. Despite all this, she is still alert and full of character, constantly mewing and making her presence felt.

She will be returned to Ah Seng when she has fully recovered.

If you can help with this senior cat’s vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Save Kimmy

The golfers threatened to call AVA to take Kimmy and her friends away, simply because they felt that these dogs were a nuisance, a sight for sore eyes on their lovely putting green, despite the dogs minding their own business. Calling AVA would mean the end for Kimmy and her friends’ life. The workers became worried and built a temporary shed to house the 5 dogs, hence their life imprisonment started, locked her up 24/7 in a tiny cage. Was it to save their lives, protecting them from AVA? Or was it ending it because they lost their freedom and became prisoners for life?

The workers could not afford to feed the dogs, so poor Kimmy and friends did not have a proper diet. She lived on white bread, occasionally, a little kibbles or canned food. When we found her, her anus was protruding so much and it was dripping blood, her little cage filled with bloody diarrhea and flies, not to mention the unbearable stench of blood and poo all over. Her fur was infested with fleas and ticks. We decided we had to take her to the vet.

Poor Kimmy was in pain with her anus sticking out and yet all she cared about was gobbling up her food

Kimmy was scared and did not know what to expect. It was her first time being in a vehicle. Our volunteers then brought her into the vet clinic and everything looked strange to her – the air-conditioner and the smell of disinfectant. Our volunteers found so many ticks and fleas on her and Kimmy was scratching profusely. She left a trace of blood because her anus was still bleeding. We brought her for a variety of tests and found that she was anemic because the ticks had got a great amount of blood from her. Her abdomen and spleen were both enlarged and she was tested positive for heartworm. Our vet bills have rocketed to about $3,000. She is currently still staying at the vet for treatment of her rectal prolapse, as well as heartworm and our bills will continue to increase. We would really appreciate it if you can help us with Kimmy’s vet bills. Kimmy would be thankful too!

One sweet doggy! (HDB Approved)

She had a cut on her ear as well

Anus dripping poo and blood on the floor at the vet

Kimmy is a sweet girl and she looked at us with very doleful, asking us to love her. Yet, on the other hand, a little apprehensive at being patted as she had never been shown affection. Eventually, she allowed us to pat her, carry her, and lay her on her side for her x-ray and ultrasound scans. She even fell asleep during her ultrasound scan because our volunteers were stroking her and for once, she probably felt safe. Her trust in us was amazing, considering she had never met us prior to this vet appointment. Such a sweet dog like Kimmy deserves a loving home. We would be delighted if we could find her a foster home or a family to adopt her, so that she need not go back to being locked up 24/7, to find someone who would love and care for her and feed her a proper diet, instead of white bread, lest her anus gets pushed out again.

Falling asleep during ultrasound scan

If no one steps up to foster or adopt Kimmy, sadly she will be returned to her cage for a lifetime sentence. We have no means of taking Kimmy because if you recall, we recently had a mommy dog give birth to 10 puppies and there is no way we have space or funds for another dog and that’s the sad fact.

No aggression whatsoever and allowed a total stranger (the vet) to check her gums

Kimmy is estimated to be about 4 years old, very small sized, just slightly taller than a Cocker Spaniel size and definitely HDB approved.

If you can SAVE KIMMY, please do not hesitate to help. If you can SAVE us from drowning in vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg