It was close to dinner time on 30 Jan, and a volunteer pinged us to share news about an abused dog on Mothership https://mothership.sg/2024/01/dog-abuse-hdb-flat-choa-chu-kang/. You could imagine our concern when we read that SPCA visited the unit and failed to get the dog out. So, we decided to save the dog. Call it bravery or simply foolish.
Every minute counts when it comes to rescue work. Images of the matted dog gave us the strength to act. After dinner and within an hour, we gathered a handful of volunteers at the block. We rummaged about the rubbish dump in case we find a carcass of the dog. There we saw discarded pee trays similar to the ones in the Mothership article. We went from floor to floor looking for a gate that resembled the picture in the article. Thankfully, we did not have to climb too many floors.
The door was open with clothes and stuff strewn across the hall, just like we saw in the news article. But, there was no dog, and the floor was clean. We called out and a lady came out from the bedroom.
Us: Where's your dog?
Lady: She's showering.
Us: We came to help the dog.
Lady: She's showering.
We said we would wait. All this while during the conversation, the lady stood afar at the bedroom door while we were outside her gate. We told her to give us the dog because her story is all over the media and she is going to get into a lot of trouble. She said: "I don't even know who you are".
She asked us which group we represented. We gave her our mobile number and showed her Hope's Facebook page. She scrolled through the pages while we waited. When she came across one of our volunteer's photo, she looked up and seemed convinced we were legit.
It was 10pm+. Again, she said the dog was in a shower. There is a certain irony here, of course.
She appeared hesitant about giving the dog to us, so we reminded her that she could get into trouble with the law. Suddenly, the lady told us to get coffee somewhere. We assumed that meant she would hand over the dog to us. We persisted in waiting in case she gets rid of the dog.
We hung around the unit. In the midst of waiting, an RC member showed up, took our photos, but did not identify herself until we spoke to her. She refused to say much except that she had to report to her boss.
After nearly 2 hours of waiting and close to midnight, the lady of the unit appeared at the door with the dog wrapped in a wet towel. Two young men came out with her. Poor dog, why the sudden need to bathe and shave in the middle of the night after years of neglect! Obviously, she was getting rid of all the evidence of neglect. This is why we must reach the dog fast; time is of the essence.
We left quickly after she surrendered the dog to us, before she changed her mind.
Once we reached the void deck, we used spare towels we brought along to wipe the poor trembling dog and covered her from the cold. Despite her bath, you cannot imagine the stench. Brown liquid was also flowing out of her ears.
As the dog was stable, we took the dog back to a volunteer's house for the night. It was past midnight and several 24-hour hospitals we called, were either short of staff or busy with emergencies which required us to wait 3-4 hours.
She barked a few times throughout the night, probably from fear and confusion of being in a strange environment but when we patted her, she would fall back to sleep.
The next morning, we brought the dog to the vet, and also updated AVS. Everyone gasped when they saw the dog. She looked like a scene out of a horror movie. We speculate it would take years of neglect to reach this state. Her eyes were covered with furs stuck with thick layers of faeces. Medical staff took almost 3 hours to clean the horrible huge tangles on her fur, and discarded 3 shavers in the process. The dog was expressionless on the vet's table, resigned to her fate.
How did all this unraveled?
The reader who tipped off Mothership gave us an account of her story.
She was on community work at the block on 27 Jan, and came across the unit. Dog chained to the gate kept barking. Aghast at the cruelty, she contacted AVS, the MP, and the media the next day desperate to get help. The stars were aligned when Mothership released the story on 30 Jan so that we could get to the dog.
Clearly, the neglect of Caitlyn has been ongoing for a long period of time. Apparently, the neighbours are aware and told the Mothership reader this has been happening for some time. It surprises us that the neighbours could put up with it at all, and that the RC did not get wind of it.
Come to think of it, we are surprised that AVS did not seize the dog immediately considering that the dog was in a vulnerable position. Only AVS and the police have power to take legal action in cruelty cases. The dog was neither microchipped or licensed.
We don't mean to brag but we are extremely impressed by our team of volunteers who responded so quickly late into the night, negotiated with the owner for hours, and having to resume work the next day. We are proud of what Hope has achieved despite being a small group, and for saving this sweet dog whom we have named Caitlyn.
This is another sad statistic to add to our stack of animal abuse cases. Coincidentally, it was the very same day that SPCA released its 2023 annual report, highlighting a spike in animal cruelty investigations that hit an 11-year high.
For a long time, animal welfare groups have been calling for tougher sanctions against offenders.
Will it happen now?
Caitlyn weighs a mere 3.3kg, half of what a normal Shih Tzu would weigh. Presently warded at the clinic, her vitals are stable, but she has mange and we are waiting for her ringworm results. Vet estimates her to be about 10 years old or lesser. We will arrange a heart and abdomen ultrasound because she has a heart murmur. More details about her medical condition will be posted in the next few days.
If you can foster Caitlyn, or help with her vet bills, please drop us a private message on Facebook or email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. We need all the help we can get.
Caitlyn will be available for adoption later.
Investigations are ongoing.
