Caleb, A Faithful Dog Deserving Better (Owner Surrender)

 

17, deaf, blind and homeless 

The meaning of “Caleb” is faithful, bold and brave and that is what we hope he carries with him as he lives out the last chapter of his life.

Caleb is our second rescue of the year 2023 and like so many before him, we were horribly dismayed at the state he was in when we got him. He was initially brought to the groomer for some sprucing up by his owners, and boy, what a long-awaited one it was. His fur was long and unkempt, he had visible rotting flesh and his nails were so long they curled sideways. The rotten smell emitted from him permeated the groomer’s shop so badly that she had to switch off the air con and open the doors for ventilation. Seeing the shocking state of neglect he was in, the groomer asked the owners if they would surrender the dog and they agreed. That’s when the groomer called us for help.

Is this a dog? 

Huge infected tumour on his paw

Gross neglect 

Another tumour just below his anus 

Badly decayed teeth 

Crusty, infected ears 

 

First thing we did when we got Caleb was to send him straight to the vet, give him a good clean up and a proper meal with plenty of pats. Poor Caleb is estimated about 17 years old and on top of the awful physical state he is in, he has a host of health issues too. One of his eyes was so infected until it got sunken in. He is blind in his “normal” eye. He has a huge tumour on his paw that is infected and pus-filled and another bleeding tumour just below his anus. Both his ears are infected and his skin has multiple flakes and scabs. The vet’s topmost concern is he has cancer and it might have already spread internally. 

Given the state he is in, one cannot imagine the amount of pain and discomfort he must have been in. Poor Caleb must be so used to living with pain that he barely flinched when the vet checked and prodded him. It was heartbreaking to see him confused, and scared. Given his age, he should be living out the last phase of his life in comfort, being loved and treasured by his family.

We understood that the owners adopted him from SPCA in 2018 or 2019. We emailed SPCA for verification 4 days ago but have yet to hear from them. The other question weighing heavily on our minds is why adopt Caleb if they are going to subject him to such gross neglect. He would have had a better quality of life being left at SPCA, albeit being kept in their compound 24/7. But at least, he didn’t have to go through the agonizing torment of being so uncared, leading to physical health issues. Only the owners know how long Caleb had been suffering in silence before they finally decided to take him to the groomer.

 

We had to shave him to check his body for sores / wounds plus he was so badly matted

 

Caleb is currently being put up at one of our volunteer’s place and we are looking for a foster for him. Ideally his foster should be someone who is able to be home most of the time as he cannot be left alone for more than 2 to 3 hours, able to prepare home cooked meals for him and administer medications for his various ailments. Foster must also be alert and reach us if he were to display signs of discomfort, bleeds from his wounds or stops eating altogether. We will then need to arrange for urgent medical intervention.

Despite all that he has been through, Caleb is a really sweet boy and enjoys been patted and having close contact with humans, which he was seemingly starved from. We are still totally flabbergasted at how anyone could have the heart and conscience to make this poor boy go through all the misery, which could have been very unnecessary if only the owners had made a kinder decision to give Caleb up when they weren’t able to care for him.

We are appealing for help for Caleb’s vet bills as due to the multiple health issues he has, we had chalked up quite a hefty sum as more than 10 different types of medications were dispensed for Caleb. Please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg if you are able to help.

Lastly, please raise an alert to the authorities if you happen to come across such cases of gross neglect. You might be the only voice our furry friends have and all it takes to save them from misery till death is a timely alarm from you.

We aren’t able to save every dog but we will do our utmost for each and every one that we are able to. Thank you for your kind support that enables us to continue working for the cause that we hold dear to our hearts.