Yes you’ve heard that right. We daren’t believe the news when we heard it too. We have never thought this was possible. SIDA IS ADOPTED!!!
For long-time followers of Hope Dog Rescue, you might be familiar with one of our longest ‘resident’, Sida. She is part of The Diaper Club, a term affectionately used to describe the dogs under our care that we have rescued that are paralysed. Sida used to roam freely around with her pack at a construction site and was badly injured in an accident when a lorry hit and ran over her. She suffered serious spinal injuries and never stood up or wagged her tail after that day. Read her story here.
When Hope rescued her, she was despondent and depressed, not understanding why she was unable to feel the grass under her paws and to chase birds ever again. As we do not have a shelter, we decided the best place to house Sida was with a lady Anna, who had experience caring for dogs like Sida. We were assured that her meals and daily needs would be taken care of.
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| Ever the Manja Queen |
Hope paid for Sida’s upkeep, weekly massages and medications for her condition. Occasionally her boarding lady would help with her medical fees. We also arranged outings and frequently brought her out to cheer her up. Not one to be daunted by her condition, Sida slowly regained her confidence and naughty nature and we discovered her true colours.
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| The dog that needs treats in her water before she drinks |
Sida is one of the greediest dog we’ve ever had and is truly food motivated. She is also extremely intelligent and will gaze at you with those soulful eyes until you drop the piece of chicken you were holding in your hand into her mouth. She also has a bossy character and is suitably known as “The Queen” amongst the volunteers and other dogs.
Sida’s silly antics and lovable nature made us believe that we made the right decision when we decided not to go with the vet’s initial recommendation to put her to sleep, reasons cited as she will not be able to enjoy quality of life. I bet Sida’s quality of life now is tons better than most of us, weekly massages and all. We have not even mentioned about the delicious home-cooked food she gets daily and air-flown treats from all over world donated by some of Sida’s fans.
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| Never-ending pat pats |
However what Sida really wants is a home and family to call her own. For the longest time ever, we have been searching for an adopter for Sida. It would be such a pity to have her in long-time boarding, given her very affectionate and endearing nature. There were interests from some families but most could not commit after knowing the amount of work involved in caring for a special needs dog like Sida. As Sida is incontinent due to her spinal injuries, the potential adopter would have to express her bladder every 4 hours and clean up her poo after she is done with her business.
Imagine doing that daily with a 25kg furball! Just to add, this particular furball complains and whines when she is handled in the way she doesn’t like too. Depending on her mood (and whether she likes the potential adopter or not), she would either be on her best behavior or her most whiny. Yes that is why we love Sida to bits, very naughty but extremely cute. Sida is very intelligent and could sense that we were trying to help her find an adopter.
We had many screenings and viewings and most families lost interest and hesitated to commit after the 3rd or 4th visits. We can understand why, but seeing the miserable look on Sida’s face each time a potential adopter didn’t work out upset us. It made us even more determined to find the most suitable adopter for Sida. When The DoDo contacted us to help reach a wider audience to help Sida find her forever home, we were thrilled. Watch Sida’s video here.
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| SiDa & Harper giving back to society as Pet Therapy dogs |
A few weeks back, Anna reached out to us and expressed interest in adopting Sida. Anna mentioned that they had become attached to each other after so many years of living under one roof and her family could not imagine living without Sida. In addition Sida is getting on in age and it was in Sida’s best interest that they became her forever family. Sida also gets along well with her other dogs and they have forged a close bond after being companions for a few years. This was music to our ears!! All of us felt an immense sense of jubilance and accomplishment for Sida! Finally she will have a place to belong and a home to call her own!
Thank you Anna for your kindness and compassion in adopting one of the hardest-to-look-after dog in Hope. We are very sure Sida will bring you many years of happiness and bliss, which is what adopting a dog is all about. Bless you and your family!
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| CONGRATULATIONS SIDA! May you have a happy life from henceforth! |
We cannot change what God decides to take away from us and our fellow sentient beings, but humanity is the awareness that most times, it is in our hands to do something to make the loss more bearable for them and taking the action to do it.
Written by: Jamie
