Jasper; love means letting go.

Its almost the end of January and in just one month to the start of  2022, we have saved Peanut, Jackie, Blackie, Mimi the cat and taken in  Buddy, Tipsy the dog abandoned in the farm, Timmy the skeleton dog and  last night, one more. Lest you think it’s the season for spring  cleaning; let us tell you not to judge like we did. Not all owners who  surrender their dogs are unkind or don’t love them.

Dear old Jasper

Let us share with you the sad story of Leo and Jasper. Leo is human, Jasper is the dog whom we just took in.

Jaspar has a huge lump in his right ear.

Leo had adopted an ex-breeding Maltipoo from a breeder some 2 years back and he had asked the breeder if the dog was sterilized. Breeder said yes. A year later the dog came in heat, and he asked the breeder again and the breeder insisted that dogs sterilized will still be in heat. In the meantime, Leo’s father didn’t want the dog in his house  and so Leo and his dog moved in with his uncle.

At the vet with our volunteer

Discharge dripping from his nose

The second year, the Maltipoo had her heat again and this time Leo had planned to take the dog to the vet to check but sadly, before he could  do that, his dog suddenly collapsed. He rush his dog to the vet and  found out the dog had pyometra, infection of the uterus, common in  unsterilized females. She was only 9.

Checking for spinal pain

Anyway, during this period, he had moved in with his uncle, who had a  15 year old schnauzer. As the schnauzer got older, his brain started  to show signs of dementia. The uncle started getting impatient with  the old dog and would kick him away if the dog went near him.

Checking teeth. Nasal discharge observed.

Leo works long hours to make ends meet. When he is home, he takes care  of Jasper - feeds him, bathes him, lets Jasper sleep in his room etc.  Leo even bought diapers for Jasper so the dog would not pee everywhere and anger his uncle.

Rotten teeth. Left side of mouth totally no teeth.

Three weeks back, Leo had contacted us to say his uncle had an old  schnauzer that they wanted to surrender. Thereafter, we hadn’t heard from him again till yesterday. Leo told us he had thought long and  hard about giving Jasper up, but his genuine concern was that the  uncle would abuse Jasper when he was at work. And so, he made that difficult decision to surrender the dog.

Leo met us at the vet with a bag carrying Jasper’s food, bedding and diapers folded nicely for him. He had taken time off from work to give him a bath before meeting us. If a person doesn’t love the dog, they  will not bother to buy diapers, pack the stuff nicely etc – they would  probably give you a dirty, smelly dog in a plastic box, like Buddy.

Jasper weighs just 5kg. He is 15 years old.

Stomach full of food. Vet is concerned there is a blockage

Seems to have a narrowing of the trachea

We ran some bloods and did xrays as he has some nasal discharge, which  was a concern.

Here’s a summary :

• Bad heart murmur (grade 4-5 out of 6)
• Hind legs were so stiff like chopsticks, he can hardly bend them
• Front legs – arthritis as well
• No spinal and back pain
• Poor vision, poor / no hearing 
• Previously had hematoma in left ear
• Left of mouth no teeth at all, right side 4 decayed teeth
• Anaemic / pale gums – will get an iron jab
• Lump inside the right ear but doesn’t seem worrying so to leave it
• Dehydrated – will put on drip but drips needs to start slow as his  
• heart is not so good
• Not sterilized – left testicle is bigger than right.
• Kidney / Liver ok
• Xray shows stomach full of food – meds given to poo and try to clear  
• food in stomach.
• Incidental findings – bladder stones – can be caused by lack of water or diet
• Ultrasound scheduled tomorrow to check heart and abdomen

Senior dogs are so precious

Inserting IV line as he was slightly dehydrated

Jasper will be warded for a few days till his condition stabilizes. To  foster or help with Jasper’s vet bills, please email  hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

For fostering, we require someone with some experience with senior  dogs and reasonably attentive to be able to pick up on his health if  he is unwell etc. Not leave him alone for more than 3 to 4 hours  as he may get hurt / stuck, or can't find water, etc.

Timmy the Skeleton Dog

Just this year alone, and its still January, we have rescued Buddy, Jackie, Peanut, Blackie, Mimi the cat and Tipsy the abandoned shitzu. That’s definitely one too many and we said we would not be rescuing anymore for a while as we have vet bills piling up. But when we were shown this photo of a dog that barely resembles a schnauzer, how do we say sorry, we can't save you? 

Left alone and forgotten, almost like his rusty cage

It all started in November when a volunteer, Irene, happened to see this dog being walked in her housing estate. The person claimed he walked the dog once a month. Irene was appalled and saddened by the state of the dog - furless, skin & bones. 

Irene asked around for a couple of days and managed to find out where the skeleton dog lived. We then went down to the home and offered to take their dog to the vet for free, to cook and deliver food but the family said they didn’t need help. They told us that the dog had cancer and their vet had said nothing more could be done. The door was closed on us.

Insufficient food for how long to reach this sorry state? 

Irene was persistent as she was worried about the dog’s well-being and so she wrote to NParks, asking them to check on the dog for possible neglect. We can't reveal the exact details but 2 months later, the family suddenly decided they wanted to surrender their dog to us and so we quickly rushed down to take him, before they changed their mind. 

he dog was handed to us in a rusty cage and he smelled so bad that the car was filled with his damp, mouldy smell. We named him Timmy.

Dry flaky skin

Inside his ears

Timmy is 15 years old and is supposed to be a schnauzer but all you see is his skeletal frame, red sore skin, pressure sores from lying down long term and hardly any fur. To say he was a sorry sight would be an understatement. 

Pressure sores from lying down long term

Itchy scratchy

Timmy weighed just 5.8 kg, a fraction of what he should be. In order to reach this skeletal state, the dog would either be extremely sick or starved for a very, very long time.

Eyes that have given up on life

Guess what? His blood tests revealed he is in perfect health! Kidney and liver functions perfect! We thought maybe he had thyroid or diabetes and so that was tested too – came back negative. Blood pressure perfect too. The only issue he seems to have is malnourishment, bad skin and bad teeth. We don’t think he has cancer as the owner said because if he did, his white blood count would have been high, but it isn’t. Nonetheless, like all our rescues, we do our best for all of them and so Timmy has been booked in for a cardiac and abdomen ultrasound next week. 

How can this not be constituted as animal cruelty?

Paw pad has poo stuck in the fur

Scratched till his neck has no fur

Irene has offered to foster Timmy till he has gained weight and is stronger, before we put him up for adoption. 

Will you please save me?

Email us hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg if you would like to help Timmy the skeleton dog.

Tipsy, abandoned in the farm

 We received a message via our Facebook page at 12.15am two nights ago.

“Hello, anyone there?” 

“I just found a dog.”

“Are you guys able to keep it?”

And that started a string of messages that sent us into yet another frenzy in the middle of the night when we were all set for bed.

The lady told us that they were driving along Neo Tiew Road, which is a dimly lit farm area way out in the boonies, when they saw a small dog in the middle of the road. There were two stray dogs near her and we saw a small wild board when we went to pick her up.

Picked up from the main road and kept in a discarded trolley

Worrying about the small dog’s safety, from being road kill as well as being attacked by the strays or wild boar, she immediately pulled her car over and put the dog in her car. 

It was way past midnight and the area was very ulu (deserted) – we needed to find two volunteers who were not asleep and had cars to quickly head down. It was too risky to send one lone volunteer to such a place in the wee hours. 

We got to Neo Tiew Lane at 1.15am and found the abandoned shitzu in a discarded trolley. The lady had put her inside to keep her safe while waiting for us. 

Extremely dirty and neglected

The dog seemed blind and was trying to sniff the air when we approached. Her face was so dirty, her eyes full of discharge and her fur so sticky, it stuck to her skin. Her coat was dry and flaky and her nails were so long it curled sideways.

She was extremely sweet and allowed us to carry her. 

By the time we got to the vet, it was 2am! We ran bloods on her and her blood results were not too bad, except for the fact that she was dehydrated and her adrenal glands enlarged. She is estimated to be around 14 to 15 because of her neglected state but she is rather high energy and could actually be younger. 

Dry, flaky skin

She is unable to pick up food with her mouth; we have not figured out why yet. All she can do is lick her food, so soft / pureed food works best. The vet reckons it could be a jaw structure issue – we will observe further. She will require a dental eventually, when she gets stronger. 

Such a sorry sight, with eyes pleading for help

Her hind legs have bilateral hip atrophy, when she walks her hips are very unstable, wobbly and xrays show severe arthritis. She also walks with her head tilted slightly to the left, as if she suffers from vestibular issues but we can be certain yet. With her cute head tilted walk, we have named her TIPSY.

Long, curled nails. How painful it must have been for her to walk.

To date, one person has come forth to claim her but his details do not match.

We have reported the case to NParks as that of pet abandonment. There are no houses in that vicinity so there is no possibility that she had slipped out of her home. That area is really out of the way, and dangerous with many strays and wild boars. How in the world did a sweet, old dog end up in the farm area walking in the middle of the road at midnight? 

Tipsy is still warded at the vet as she has not yet found a foster.

To support the work we do, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Underweight and malnourished

Poor Buddy

There is a reason why animal welfare groups (AWG) adoption process is not as easy as simply walking into a shop to get an animal. Our checks have to be stringent to ensure that we are handing the animal over to responsible people who will put utmost importance into the welfare of the animal. A little shih tzu we have named Buddy is our first rescue of 2022. He was surrendered to us, by his owner. Having come from a home, you would expect a dog that is fairly well-kept but the mangy thing that was handed to us hardly looked like a dog!

Took us a while to make out what we were looking at

Ear tumour that was left untreated for more than a year

Someone had written in to request us to rehome their mother's dog. They said the dog, a shih tzu, was about 7 years old. He was purchased from a shop by their late father and was left to their mother after he passed. The mother became Buddy's caregiver over the years. Due to personal circumstances, they requested us to help rehome the dog. Based on the description "he has lumps on his body and ear and is not very active for a 7 year old", we had expected a shih tzu with some skin lumps as some older dogs are prone to.

This was the shocking photo that his owner's emailed us that got us into immediate action

However, the photo that was made available upon our request horrified us. He looked even worse than the dogs we rescue off the streets that we made arrangements to pick him up immediately.

Countless warts growing on his neck and body

What they said was "lumps on his body and ear" turned out to be multiple abscesses and skin tumours. Most of the abscesses were pus-filled and leaking, the biggest of which was the one on his ear and he was whining in pain when they handed him over to us. How can anyone bear to watch a dog suffer for 12 months like that is beyond us! He was also skin and bones and seemed very thirsty and hungry. He was obviously not even given the basic grooming maintenance and had bald spots, overgrown nails and overall, just looked like a sorry mess. We could also tell that he had poor vision and lots of rotten teeth just by looking at him.

Rotten teeth, gums with pus and more warts all over his little face

The vet said he was closer to 15 years of age than 7. Buddy is still warded at the vet and he underwent two surgeries. The first surgery on 7 January removed the huge abscess on his ear. The growth was massive and weighed about 300g+. Normally, this should have been done under GA, given the size of the growth and how close it is to the facial nerves and blood vessels. However, given Buddy's immuno-compromised state and age, this had to be done under LA. Even prepping him for surgery took longer than usual given how filthy he was. Another growth at the side of his face was also removed at the same time, though this looked like a wart, (one of many on Buddy's body) and both samples will be sent for histopathology. A second surgery was performed on 13 January to remove his rotten teeth, castrate his abnormal testicles and remove the many many warts on his body.

Sweet little Buddy after his first surgery to remove his ear tumour, which weighed 350gm

2 trays of warts were removed from all over Buddy's body during his second surgery one week later

Buddy is the worst case of neglect that we have seen in all our years of rescue. We have reported his case to the authorities for neglect and abuse. We cannot fathom how anyone can take in a living being and treat them like this. Owning pets is like having children. They are a long time commitment and will demand time, money and effort to care for. Deciding to bring a pet into the family is like planning to have children - it should not be decided on a whim. Just like when having children, owning a pet should be discussed with everyone in the household as the pet will permanently be sharing the space with everyone and everyone should be on board with that. Pets are like babies, they rely on us to take care of their basic needs. Don't bring a pet into the family, just as you wouldn't bring a baby into the family, if you are not ready to commit to its care for the long haul.

After surgery, his little ear could finally flap down; he must have felt so much lighter and relieved

That's why AWG needs to be stringent in their adoption process, and why the pet industry itself should be more regulated. It is to prevent such horrific cases from happening. People need to be held accountable for their behaviour. While we are upset at the state in which Buddy was handed over to us, we are still somewhat grateful that he was surrendered to us at all.

As little Buddy says, tighten animal welfare laws in Singapore so that this will never happen to other dogs! 

The prognosis is rather bleak at the moment but we have hope and we will work towards his recovery so that he can enjoy the life he deserves. Given his dire state, Buddy's vet bill is only going to rise from now on. If you would like to contribute to his bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

A Tribute to the Queen, SiDa

In my 7 years volunteering as a writer with Hope Dog Rescue, this is the hardest post I ever had to write. Because this post is on my favourite rescue from HDR and its gets archived to “In Loving Memory” folder.

SiDa loves people and belly rubs

If there was one word to describe Sida, it was “free-spirited”. Sida wasn’t born handicapped, she was a pack leader roaming the construction sites when a terrible accident severely injured her, causing her permanent paralysis. Read more about her accident and how she was found here. 

Sida had a best friend at the construction site where she lived before the accident, he is a Thai worker (Yongyurt) who took care of Sida before the accident. Sida’s name was given by him, which meant 4 eyes in Thai, which describes her facial marking. Their bond was unbreakable and special. Even after Sida was taken in by HDR, we still arranged for Yongyurt to visit Sida whenever he can. The evident joy radiating from Sida’s eyes everytime she sees Yongyurt is a true testimony that dogs are unfailingly loyal and they never forget the special bond they have. 

 Sida and Yongyurt 

Because Sida was paralysed and incontinent, she wasn’t suitable for regular boarding and potential fosters weren’t able to commit to the amount of care and attention Sida requires for her daily basic needs. Answering our desperate call for a semi-permanent solution was a kind lady Anna, who offered home boarding facilities for Sida and ensured her well-being, catering to her condition. It wasn’t easy because of Sida’s size (30kg) and she had to be carried, cleaned and walked on her wheelchair everyday. Thank goodness Anna had an efficient helper Ranju, who was Sida’s main caregiver and later on became Sida’s buddy.

SiDa had great focus

Never once deterred by her handicap, Sida was an unforgettable character. Dubbed Queen because of the way she demands respect from fellow dogs and attention from her human slaves, she quickly became a hot favourite amongst the volunteers who were completely enamored by her antics. When she was brought out for doggie outings, she made sure a volunteer was always seated next to her and giving her pats and massages. If that volunteer dared stop the patting and massage, Sida would use her head to nudge the volunteer’s hands to indicate her disapproval. If that doesn’t work, she barks out her instructions until it was heeded. Because Sida was so cute, everyone of us just abided her bratty behaviour!

Sida was also one of the most intelligent rescues we ever had and knows exactly which volunteer can be bullied and which could be manipulated to give her more food. Ok mostly that was me. She was super food motivated and could be 100% counted on to use her eye power to convince you to give her the food on your plate. To be honest, out of the 10 times I tried to tell her no, 9 times I failed and just gave her what she wanted, plus more. The only one time I didn’t gave her was because someone saw and I got scolded because Sida needed to go on a diet, perpetually.

There was one funny incident where I had to bring Sida to the vet to get her eye checked. Poor Sida had to endure some discomfort while the vet did some tests on her eye. When it was all done, the vet praised Sida and gave her one treat for being a good girl. After Sida devoured the treat, she looked expectantly at the vet. I knew exactly what she was thinking. “After all the prodding and discomfort YOU made me go though for the last 10 minutes, you only gave me ONE treat?! Just ONE???” Naturally, being trained as her human slave, I tapped the vet on the shoulder, thickened my skin and asked for more treats. Lesson Numero Uno – what the Queen wants, the Queen gets.

Ranju holding Sida's paws before sleeping

Sida wasn’t just special needs – she was also especially needy, when it suited her. Ranju, Sida’s main caregiver at home boarding sleeps with Sida every night and when its bedtime, Sida would slithered to the bedroom first and wait for Ranju. She would give Ranju approximately 10 minutes to go into the bedroom to accompany Sida to sleep, and if Ranju takes more than 10 minutes, Sida would whine and bark the house down until she comes in and pats her to sleep. That’s Sida for you, unapologetically her.

In March 2018, we were contacted by The DoDo, a digital media company sharing compelling animal-related stories with 47 million followers on Facebook inviting us to share about Sida on their platform in the hope of finding an adopter for Sida. The video was viewed 7.2 million times to date and that was our very own Sida’s international claim to fame. 

In 2019, we’ve gotten miraculous news that Anna wanted to adopt Sida! Finally Sida had a family and and a home to call her own. She had doggie brothers and sisters to play with, Anna and Ranju doted on her and we couldn’t be happier for Sida, who had came a long long way from that fateful day the accident robbed her of her freedom. 

Anna celebrating Sida's birthday

Last week, I had gotten a call from Anna, informing us that Sida wasn’t too well and that if I wanted to see her, to do it quickly because there wasn’t much time left for Sida. She was discovered to have lung cancer and the cancer cells have spread aggressively, causing her to have difficulty breathing. I never got to say goodbye because she passed on before I could get to her. This would remain my greatest regret.  However, we took comfort that she took her last breath peacefully in Ranju’s arms, surrounded by her family.

With every rescue that passed on unexpectedly, inevitably, the thoughts that came to mind would be, have we done enough, have we done all we could for them? Did we do the right thing by them? These questions and guilt would haunt us until we get caught up with the next rescue. Losing a dog is the most heart-breaking part of every volunteer’s experience. Over time, you get unsuspectingly attached to the dog and then when its time for them to leave, you’ll swear never to let another dog into your heart again so you could avoid the pain of losing them. But of course, this never happens. We’re sitting ducks waiting for the next dog to love, cherish and break our hearts all over again.

Times when gatherings were not limited to 5

Sida had been an integral part of Hope Dog Rescue since we took her in 2013. On behalf of everyone from HDR, we would like to sincerely thank all the volunteers and donors who had a hand in making Sida’s life a little better – the volunteer handlers who brought Sida for outings, the volunteer drivers who brought Sida to her vet visits, donors who responded to our appeals and contributed funds to Sida’s wheelchairs and massages. Lastly and most importantly, we’ll like to thank Anna and her family who had not only given Sida a quality of life most handicapped dogs would not have had the opportunity to experience, they gave Sida what she wanted most, a home to call her own. 

Farewell SiDa, may you be fully restored 

Ranju & Anna 

That's me, Jamie

Run free now Sida, you have never let your disability deter you from your zest for life and that was a valuable life lesson we have learnt from you. On Rainbow Bridge, you will finally be able to run on your 4 legs and feel the grass beneath your paws and have your freedom and mobility back. We hope we had given you a happy life and want you to know that you were loved very much and will be dearly missed and never forgotten.

Forever remembered <3 

Love,

Your human slave, Jamie Faith