See You This Saturday At SMU's Animal Day

HOPE Dog Rescue will be at SMU's Animal Day this Saturday.

Date  :  15 September (Saturday)

Time  :  10.00 am  -  2.00 pm

Venue  :  Singapore Management University, Campus Green, 70 Stamford Road, S (178901)

Animal Day is an annual event used to raise awareness for animals and to simply take the time to appreciate their existence in our lives. 

The event will be held at SMU Campus Green and patrons are encouraged to bring their pets to participate in the day's festivities. There will be competitions for dogs and cats, a parrot show, an adoption drive, as well as various booths for you to patronize. There will also be goodie bags up for grabs!

HOPE Dog Rescue will be there with our dogs that are available for rehoming. Come meet our darling dogs Momo, Scooby, Oscar and Happy!



HOPE is also launching our our new range of merchandise; HOPE shirts and HOPE car decals. If you can't make it down to this event but wish to purchase something to support our work, please email us fiona@hopedogrescue.org

HOPE Shirts are sold for $25/-. each and all proceeds go towards the work we do.

HOPE shirts are in dri-fit material and available only in white. Sizes XS, S and M (unisex). Should you wish to place your orders via email, the shirt would cost $28/- inclusive of local postage.



HOPE car decals are available at $5/- each



So come on down to meet our doggies, enjoy a nice Saturday with your dog or just to say Hi! We can't wait!

Missy The Kitten

One afternoon, I was at Bugis Junction waiting for a friend to knock off from work. At 4pm, Fiona sent a Whatsapp group text to all volunteers: “abandoned kitten at Landmark Hotel”, “need someone to pick it up and send to vet immediately, if not kitty will die”.

I quickly Google-mapped ‘Landmark Hotel’ and noticed it was only two main roads away from where I was. I did not want to "abandon" my friend, but I could not leave the kitten to die either. Obviously, a life (even an animal’s) is worth more than any sort of appointment, and it must have been fated that I was the only one in the kitten’s vicinity; I felt compelled to do something.

Fiona texted me a mobile number and told me to call another volunteer, Francesca, to obtain the kitten’s exact whereabouts. Over the phone, Francesca promptly directed me to Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) at Bugis Junction to look for an employee, Michelle. I was a bit excited yet anxious because it felt like a treasure hunt, except I was hunting for a possibly dying kitten and time was ticking.

No larger than the styrofoam packet

Unfortunately, Michelle had just left for lunch and would only return an hour later. Apparently, she was holding on to a piece of paper with another woman’s contact details. That woman was Karen. So my immediate goal was to ask Karen exactly where the kitten was in Landmark Hotel. Francesca urged me not to wait any longer and just head straight to Landmark Hotel; I left Francesca’s mobile number with PLC so Michelle could return the call after her lunch break.

A droplet of blood at its left eye

Feeling more anxious than frustrated, I ran to the hotel. There, Francesca suggested that I speak with the basement carpark attendant because the kitten was actually well-hidden by the attendant, lest the hotel management had it removed by force. To my surprise, the conceirge, porter and security guards all confirmed that Landmark Hotel’s carpark does not have an attendant. Francesca was equally confused, but told me to scout the basement carpark and “look out for any hidden corners or spaces away from human traffic”.

Exasperated, I circled the basement carpark in midday perspiration, yet to no avail. It was 5.30pm and I decided to wait in the lobby for Francesca’s call, since Michelle would have probably been back from lunch by then. I felt increasingly helpless as the kitten was so near yet so far, and time was certainly not on our side. 

Feeling cold and forlorn

As time pushed past 6pm, Francesca updated that Karen was only 10 minutes away from Landmark Hotel. I got hold of Karen over the phone, then she explained that the kitten was actually found by a Malay couple. The wife, a cleaning lady in Landmark Hotel, asked Karen for help as she did not know how to take care of the kitten. Since Karen did not either, she bought kitten milk formula from PLC at Bugis Junction and sought advice from Michelle, thereafter leaving her contact number with Michelle.

At 6.15pm, I met Karen outside the hotel. She led me into the basement carpark as she tried to recall where the Malay woman hid the kitten. Within 5 minutes, we found it!

It lay motionless in an A4-sized carton, among many other small boxes and wooden planks, under the carpark ramp. It purred quietly on a thin stack of newspapers, gazing at us with glassy green-grey eyes. It was no larger the styrofoam takeaway box placed before it, containing nasi lemak rice and traces of brown rice. Upon closer inspection, we noticed a droplet of blood coming out of its eye. That worried me because it could have been suffering from internal pain or injuries. As many of you may or may not know, cats cannot pass gas and if fed a diet that produces gas inside their stomachs, it could cause their stomachs to swell and in extreme cases, explode from the intense buildup of gas.

Raw patch on its right hind leg

As I was about to carry the carton out, Karen discouraged me from removing the kitten without the cleaning lady’s consent. Previously, through a translator working in a carpet store, the cleaning lady told Karen that she wanted to adopt the kitten since her husband also agreed to it. As Karen spoke to Francesca over the phone, the cleaning lady coincidentally appeared! She did not speak English, so we had to communicate via hand signals. Frustrated, Karen approached the translator at the carpet store to teach the cleaning lady how to care for the kitten.

However, knowing that the kitten had been on a toxic diet, Francesca insisted on sending it for a checkup immediately. Karen fetched the kitten in a taxi to The Animal Doctors, where she was met by Francesca, Fiona and Lisa. They decided to name her Missy. The vet concluded that Missy’s heart and lung conditions were good, except for her distended stomach as she did not have a mother cat to nurse her and teach her how to pass motion properly. The X-ray image showed that her stomach was full of food and poo, so our volunteers had no choice but to leave her overnight as she was feeling unwell. The vet would flush out her stomach so she may hopefully feel better. In addition, Missy was suffering from dehydration; it is a common myth that people think cats do not need to drink much water. They do drink an average of a cup a day when provided.

Missy arriving at the vet with Karen

Missy's stomach was full of food and poo as she did not know how to pass motion properly

Weighing a mere 650g

Vet checking Missy

Her stomach was extremely bloated

Missy, clean and calm at the vet

Missy has a curved spine and fragile bones, a result of high diet deficiency. She must not jump or fall, lest she fractures her spine. She is under 3 months old, has a very sweet nature and will love to have fun once she is given the chance to learn. Sadly, she has been kept in a carton since the Malay couple rescued her as they did not know how to provide proper care. Later, we found out that they returned to Johor Bahru on alternate days and on those days, Missy had nothing to eat and drink!

 As much as they want to love Missy, she is still very young and defenseless, and is in dire need of a healthy regular diet for her proper physical development. 

Playful and bright-eyed kitty

Fortunately, Missy is recently beginning to pass motion regularly on her own. She also eats by herself without having to be forced-fed or given laxatives. 

Finally content in her new and loving home

Missy has been happily rehomed. We would like to thank Francesca for coordinating Missy's rescue, the volunteers for paying her regular visits at The Animal Doctors, and Mr Fu for kindly fostering her. 

Missy says Thank You!

Without help from our volunteers, all this would not have been possible. Without contributions from our donors, many of our rescued animals would not have had a second chance at life. 

Please continue to support our cause because every animal we can help is really one more life saved, regardless of how small or fragile.

Story by Kyna Tan. Photo credits by Kyna and Francesca. 

Condemned To Death By Mass Breeding

It is difficult to resist that adorable puppy in the window, but you may be paying a lot of money for a dog you know nothing about. Very often these pet shop puppies develop health issues, either almost immediately after purchase, or later in life because usually genetic issues are passed down from parents to puppies and your cute little puppy will soon cost you a lot of money to remedy. Imagine generation after generation of flawed and defective genes.

Do you know who your puppy's parents are?

What’s the big deal if the puppies come with pedigree certs? Pedigree just means a piece of paper with names on it. It might just mean you’re paying more for the same set of health issues! Can the pet shop tell you how old your puppy’s grandparents lived till and what they died from? They probably don’t know any more than you do!

Do your puppy's parent look like this? Is he living a life of breeding hell because you are supporting the puppy trade?

Some pet shops offer a one for one exchange but their guarantees may be bad as their reputation. A replacement puppy might not necessarily be healthier too and it is highly possible that they would have euthanized the sick puppy you returned because it is much cheaper to put it down than to take it to the vet. We heard that another common sales tactic is to blame you for not having taken good care of the puppy, or to tell you it will outgrow its health issue.

Why do you want to support puppy mills?

Puppy mill dogs

We believe almost all puppies that are sold in pet shops come from puppy mills. What this means is mass produced puppies with money as the prime motive. These breeding dogs are often kept in extremely poor conditions and are sometimes malnourished. Females are generally bred every heat cycle from the time they are mere puppies themselves, until they are worn out and then they are often sentenced to death.

The horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from a pet shop.

A pet shop usually never hears about their puppies once they leave the shop, and they really don't care. Once you take the puppy home, the pet shop doesn’t care if you lose your puppy, breed it continually or if it dies of liver failure at two years old. They won’t spare a thought for the “product’s” welfare.

So please, ADOPT and NOT SHOP.

Photographs courtesy of Davis KK.

Translation Of Article On Molly In Lianhe Zaobao

This article was first published in the Lianhe Zaobao on 5 August 2012 and translated by Joceline Loo (18 yrs old). Posted here with permission from the Lianhe Zaobao journalist, Ms. Kristie Ong.

Just as I was pondering on how to discuss the latest social issues with my children, a friend of mine sent over a blog post on saving stray dogs.

This article helped me to kick off the discussion.

Compared to telling the children the incomprehensible issues such as female students bribing with sex, the misuse of funds by churches, male teachers putting pin-hole cameras in female toilets, female teachers charged with outrage of modesty of male students…. Saving stray dogs in the middle of the night is considered uncommon. At least I can tell them this is a true, local heart-warming story about people saving a dog.

Feelings that humans have are not restricted to lust. We are also able to feel love and warmth. Between human and dogs, friendly relationships can be built. For example, dogs are loyal towards humans and this loyalty may even be stronger than friendships that humans have with each other. A story of a human saving a dog will definitely have a positive impact compared to stories of humans hurting each other.

This was a rescue mission in Bukit Panjang on a late Sunday night.

A stray dog, awfully bony was found under a void deck by a resident who realized that the dog had a paw ripped out and was in agony.

A kind- hearted person called HOPE Dog Rescue at 2am and asked for urgent assistance. Female volunteers rushed to the place immediately and tried to use food to lure the dog into the carrier. After many attempts, they finally succeeded after 2 hours and brought the dog to a safe place.

The volunteers named the dog Molly. They observed that her right paw was missing and her bone was protruding from the wound. Her right leg was also seriously wounded with rotting flesh and maggots crawling. The foul smell was overwhelming. Molly may be caught in an animal trap and hence got hurt in the process of breaking free.

The next day, volunteers brought Molly to the vet to seek treatment.  She was treated and went through an amputation. Molly now is safe.

HOPE noted down the whole rescue process and wrote a touching blog post on her ordeal.

The volunteers behind Molly’s rescue are a group of dog lovers. They believe that we should not willfully hurt and abuse animals, through their work, they wish to have greater strength to save more dogs that need help and help the dogs rebuild their trust in humans. This vision is definitely worthy of respect. Look at it this way, in today’s society, how many Singaporeans are willing to go out very late at night and spend two hours rescuing an injured stray?

If Molly was not saved in time, her condition will definitely get worse. Unless the person is completely heartless, when faced in such a situation, one will not hesitate to save and show compassion for the animal. Besides, how can we deny that selfish thoughts have never crossed one’s mind? Such as, if a terribly injured stray is not taken care of, will it cause trouble to the community? Fortunately, passionate volunteers came in time to rescue and prevented the spread to the problem.


Molly learning to cope. (Photo by Leslie Kok)

Someone once said, by looking at how the country treats animals, we can tell how civilized the country is.  I was so touched by Molly’s story that I goggled and found out that there are hundreds of countries in the world, based on the country’s situation, that currently have a law that protects against the abuse and cruelty of animals.

Information that I found showed that, using England as an example, one of the laws that protect the welfare of animals is the prohibition of animal abusers to own any animals or pets. In America, animal abuse is a serious offence. In Canada, animal abuse can send you to five years in prison. Germany’s laws for protecting animals are significant within the European countries.

The German federation legislative body had, through a ten year debate, voted that they will include the protection of animal rights into their constitution. Germany had since become the first European country to include this right into the constitution; it was also a big deal for humans and animals in history.

In Asia, there are many countries that also introduced laws that protect animals. In Japan, to kill or willfully hurt an animal is punishable by law. In Singapore, there is the ‘Animals and Birds act’. Those who abuse or abandon animals, if found guilty, may be sentenced to one year in prison, or a maximum fine of ten thousand dollars, or both.

This story for my children has come to an end. But in the end, I still feel that no matter it is an individual, a group or even a country, the mission of saving Molly should continue on. Besides, in today’s Singapore having overflowing Wants, saving Molly, in fact is also pulling up the continuously sinking humanity.

Molly Needs A Home

I first heard of Molly when I received a text message from Fiona, HOPE Dog Rescue's founder on our group chat at 7ish in the morning of July 20th. The message simply said 'Caught her at 330am. Took almost 2 hours to get her but we got her. Poor girl. Looks like wild boar trap". That message was accompanied by a photo of poor Molly, standing on threes, head down with her right forelimb bone jutting out in place of a missing paw. Immediately my heart went out to her and later in the day, I made my way to visit her at The Animal Doctors where she will undergo a surgery to address her severe injury.

The first photograph of Molly

Words failed to express the emotions I felt seeing her for the first time... she was muzzled, lying on the floor, surrounded by 2 vet assistants, one to clean her open wound, the other to help restrain and calm her down. And her open wound... my gosh... seeing the bone jutting out, along with tendons and muscles... ugh... I could not imagine the amount of pain she must have gone through and was still experiencing. Despite all this, Molly maintained a very dignified and stoic presence, befitting of the trooper she is.

A couple of days after her successful surgery where her right forelimb was amputated, I visited Molly again. She was placed in the isolation room and was recovering well. Her appetite was very good and the nurse said she was no longer in pain. When I first approached her, Molly tracked my every movement with suspicion, I opened her cage and she inched further away, with her eyes fixed on me the whole time. I just sat in front of her and started talking to her. And she seemed to listen. And on and on I went, talking and talking and her eyes softened and I tried to touch her. Immediately she was on guard again but as I continued talking, she relaxed once again and put her head down, I tried to touch her then and she was on guard yet again. This went on for a while before I eventually managed to stroke her very lightly on her left paw, nose and upper back. 

Molly's stump after amputation

Later in the week, I received a message from Fiona saying that the vet said Molly was rather aggressive, that she growled when attempts were made to touch her. I was asked to go visit her daily since I managed to touch her the last time round. On my 2nd visit, I talked to Molly for a good 30 mins before being able to really pat her and after the initial wariness, Molly seemed to enjoy the human touch and fell asleep while I was patting her. For the next 5 days before Molly was discharged, I visited her daily, spending about 1-2 hours each time with her and I could tell she was getting used to me, always listening to me when I talked to her, allowing me to touch her within minutes of my arrival. She did growl sometimes when I attempted to touch her too soon but I just stopped and explained to her that I meant no harm and tried again. Eventually she will just relax and enjoy the attention. Molly also loved treats and just about any food given to her. She will take food from one's hand but ever so gently, so as not to bite us accidentally. She has a very healthy appetite and will finish all the home cooked meals we brought for her. Her wound was also healing beautifully and removal of the stitches was done without a hitch. 

Although wary but still allowing the volunteers to pat her

Enjoying the touch and falling asleep :)

Molly dispels all myths about street dogs being aggressive. She eats ever so gently from the hands in spite of having been food deprived previously.

Grateful for the home-cooked food that we bring her

A kind lady, Ann, mother to 3 older rescued dogs kindly offered to foster Molly. On August 4th, Molly was discharged and the transfer from her cage to the pet carrier went really smooth. We were initially worried that Molly would not leave her cage which she regarded as her safe house but surprisingly she walked from the cage to the carrier without a fuss. Maybe she knew that her life will be different from then on…



Discharging Molly from the vet



Arriving in fosterer Ann's house

The fosterer stays in a house with a garden. So we figured the best place for Molly to be in is the outside kitchen where she has access to the garden for her toilet, shelter from the elements while having her own privacy until she gets used to the family and the dogs. For now, we put her on a long leash as we cannot chance the possibility of her escaping. The first thing Molly did was to explore the whole place and went to the furthest corner that her leash allowed her to and did her business. She then went back to the area underneath the sink and laid down. The other dogs were rather curious about her and in the first week, one by one, they went to check Molly out, though not going too close as though they understood she needed time to get used to them. 

Stepping apprehensively out of the carrier into her temporary sanctuary

Extremely fearful and unsure of her fate

It is common for rescue dogs to constantly plot their escapes for the first initial weeks, so for now, Molly is still on a long leash.

The first thing that she did when being let out of the carrier was to make a dash to the furthest corner of the back yard to pee and poop. She makes an effort to stay clean in spite of her disability and difficulty to move around.

Still emaciated even after our efforts to fatten her up

She feels safest in the corner right under the sink

Molly's mobility is not limited although she only has 3 legs

I now visit Molly twice a week at the foster's home. And each time I go, I see improvements: in her health, in her general being, in her behavior towards me. During the first week, Molly was always hiding underneath the counter and was very defensive whenever her leash was moved. Since then, I have seen her walk about, interacting with the other dogs and she seemed so much more at ease. Her wound has healed beautifully and her scar is practically invisible. Her healthy appetite continues and she has put on some weight.  I have been grooming her the last couple of weeks, she really enjoys having her ears cleaned and she would close her eyes as I brush her face and her head. With the recent removal of the ecollar, Molly became more comfortable to being touched and patted. I can now easily pat her anywhere and she has fallen asleep many times while I was stroking her head. What I really love about her is that she really seems to listen when being spoken to, giving me her undivided attention and she looks like she understands everything I tell her.

Displaying obvious contentment at being loved and groomed

Wound has healed very nicely

Molly is still wary of humans, of any sudden movements made towards her. She might give a low growl when you touch her if she didn't want to be touched but she has never bitten anyone before. She will need time, a lot of time, to warm up to a person. But given what has happened to her, I think Molly is doing amazingly well... to cope with the trauma of being caught in a trap, escaping from it, bearing with the severe pain of an open wound for at least a week, undergoing surgery, losing a limb, staying at the clinic, adapting to a new environment... and who knows what other hardships she has endured before being rescued…

Molly is so much happier now after the removal of her E-collar. I think I can see a shadow of a smile here. Can you see it too?

Please give Molly a home 

Molly needs someone who is patient, someone who can understand that time is needed to gain her trust, to realize her capacity for love, someone who can guide her in the ways to becoming part of a family... I wish the very best for her and that happiness will follow her  in every step of her life. 

To adopt Molly, please email fiona@hopedogrescue.org

Story courtesy of Leslie Kok. Photograph credits: Leslie Kok & Esther Low.

Our first post on Molly was recently picked up the press and published in Lianhe Zaobao on 5 August 2012

Note from Fiona : I would like to thank everyone who has shown concern for Molly. In any rescue, its not just about one person. It's many people, for that one dog. Dogs are my life; without them, I would be "jobless"! Many people are involved and everyone plays a role; be it the caller who informed us, the generous donors or our volunteers. Everyone fits into this rescue jigsaw and each role is equally important and meaningful. Special thanks to Leslie who has patiently, slowly but surely, won Molly's trust. And Ann, who graciously offered to foster Molly till she finds her forever home. Thank you.

Sparticus Has A Stroke

It has been two weeks since we met Sparticus. Weak, sickly, emancipated Sparticus. Upon bringing him to Mount Pleasant (Bedok), we discovered that he had several huge ulcers that covered an area of 50% of his tongue and he had FIV (Feline Aids), which was devastating. What was going to happen to him?

After a 4 day stay at the vet, he was showing signs of improvement and was gobbling his food up like he hadn’t eaten for days, which was probably the case especially with those huge ulcers on his tongue. We were surprised and ecstatic as a healthy appetite was a good indication that Sparticus was on his way to a hopeful recovery. Over the next few days his appetite was steady, and he seemed to be looking better. Finally things looked brighter for Sparticus and we hoped to release him back home to Changi after he completed his course of antibiotics and gained some much needed weight.

Sparticus needs your help. He has nowhere to go and he can no longer stand unaided.

Having led a carefree life on the streets with all the freedom to roam, he seemed rather restless and unhappy at the temporary boarding home. He must have missed his home, the fresh salty air, the company of the other cats, the freedom and especially the sound of music played at the restaurant he stayed near at Changi Beach Park. It seemed to have a calming and soothing effect on Sparticus. The memory of the music, playing softly in the background, while Sparticus sat at his favourite place enjoying himself flashed in my mind. I hoped fervently that he would have the chance be home again in a healthier state.

Just as we thought that Sparticus was settling down, he was struck with another round of bad luck, He was unsteady on his feet and didn’t look well. He was rushed from the boarding house to the vet immediately. Dr. Chan (the vet that had attended to him previously) was looking him over when his eyes started twitching . She suspected that he had a stroke, possibly a brain tumour or cancer; but from the symptoms he exhibited, it was most likely a stroke. Was there no peace in sight for our poor Sparticus?

Please HELP Sparticus

Sparticus has stabilized to the best of his circumstance but is unable to walk by himself and needs the aid of the cage walls to support himself on his feet. He has to lean on the side just to be able to eat. He is an extremely resourceful, smart and strong cat who will not give up. We are not giving up on Sparticus, and we ask you not to give up on him either.

At this point he is still warded and has nowhere to go. We are desperately appealing for fosters to give Sparticus a chance. He doesn’t have much time left on this earth and he cannot be returned home as he needs care and love; the care and love of the human compassion that he has been missing all his life. Is there anybody who can foster this beloved cat or give him a forever home until his time is up? Please?

Contributed by Mike B. Photography by Esther Low.