Prince's Second Chance at Forever

A friend alerted us to the plight of an acquaintance, who was intending to give up her dog, and asked if we would be able to help. 

We learnt that the acquaintance had a poodle, who is about 4 years old. He had been caged up for the past 6 months as his owner had fallen ill. With 2 young kids to care for, the owner could not manage and thus had no choice but to confine her dog in order to ease her situation. In life, things don't always go according to plan. While one may have good intentions, there may be unforeseen circumstances that force someone to make difficult decisions. We empathized with the owner's situation and agreed to take over the dog.

When we saw him, he looked unkempt and was slightly underweight. Yet, his lovely personality shone through immediately. Despite being caged up for so long, he remained good natured and was so happy to be let out of the cage for a walk. His joy was infectious.

We named him Prince.

Here at HOPE, a dog’s well-being is always our utmost concern. Whenever we take in a new dog, the first thing we do is to send the furkid for a full medical screening. Blood tests for heartworm and tick fever, tests for kidney & liver functions, complete blood count, dental checks and vaccination - the full works. That is why rescuing a dog does not come cheap nor is it easy. Often times, there are upfront costs like these that rescuers have to fork out even before the dog settles down. And these costs can add up quickly if the dog is unwell or requires medical treatment and follow up visits to the vet.

At the vet for a full medical 

Prince's case was no different. He went for a full checkup just like all our other rescue cases. Fortunately, he's in pretty good health, apart from his liver values which are on the high side. Further tests also revealed he had bladder and kidney stones. His teeth will also require scaling soon.

Well, there is a happy ending to Prince's story, for he has found a new family. We hope he can now go on to have the best life that all good dogs deserve.

Sometimes, love means having to let go, however unwilling one may be. In this case, the owner did the right thing and unselfishly agreed to rehome her dog, rather than continue to keep it by her side even when she didn’t have the means to care for it. And for that, and on Prince's behalf, we thank her.

Written by: Alina

This is Ah Mei

This is Ah Mei. She is 13 years old and has been in a boarding kennel most of her life. It was a private kennel where people pay to board their dogs for short periods and Ah Mei was put in there by an uncle who went MIA immediately after and never paid the boarding fees. 

Ah Mei’s life became worse than a stray, not only was she now caged up, she was also not cared for; often relying on the volunteer to bathe and feed her. This sad life went on for almost 8 years. 

Ah Mei was only brought home by a kind lady last December when she noticed that Ah Mei was unwell. We came across Ah Mei's sad story and decided to help out. She has kidney failure, is anemic and severely dehydrated. Her white blood count is high and she has UTI, most likely caused by her kidney failure. She also has mange and not one, but two types of tick fever, anaplasma and ehrlichia.  

Ah Mei is currently being warded at our regular vet under close observation as her readings were off the scale. If she pulls through in the next couple of days, she may start to feel better. Nothing can be done about her kidney failure though except to keep her comfortable. We are doing our best to make sure Ah Mei gets to live out the rest of her life as comfortably as possible and you can help us by contributing to her medical bills. To help, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg.

The Story of Lucky

2 weeks ago, a 15-year-old Schnauzer, Lucky was brought to a vet to be euthanized. He had not been eating for 2 days, was looking very weak and listless and could no longer walk (from old age and stiff joints). The owner thought that his time was up and brought him to the vet, expecting dire news.  The owner worked long hours and did not have the capacity to care for him. Lucky was basically left lying in a cage for long hours, leaving him with numerous pressure sores.

However, the vet’s diagnosis wasn’t that ominous. Lucky is relatively well for his age, he is just old and unable to walk because of a long-term spinal issue that is causing him a lot of pain and discomfort. In terms of his mental capability, he is very bright and alert still and able to respond to people talking to him, with perfect hearing and perfect vision.

At vet for fluids as he was terribly dehydrated 

Although the vet’s diagnosis was somewhat positive, the owner was in tears and looked troubled and miserable. She had fallen on hard times, and as the sole bread winner of her family, she has to work long hours to support her handicapped siblings and aged mother. Her family could barely scrape by with her meagre earnings. It is apparent that she cannot bear to part with Lucky, yet keeping him with her is not possible as she is unable to afford his medical bills and provide the constant care he needs. The vet asked if we could step in to help and the owner reluctantly agreed. Although she is heartbroken at having to hand Lucky over, a part of her is relieved knowing that he will be in good hands. 

Skin is red and infected because he had been shaved 

Lucky was very smelly when we first took him in as his owner had shaved him bald and because of that, he had a very bad skin infection. Lucky’s owner mentioned that he hadn’t pooed for some time too. His body was very warm and he was shivering badly. The vet explained that his body was warm because he could be fighting an infection or also warm from the skin infection and his shivering was due to extreme pain. After feeding him some pain medications, his trembling stopped. We cringed when we imagined how long Lucky was suffering with the pain and discomfort without medication, despite Lucky’s owner doing everything she can to make him comfortable.

The vet did a full body check for Lucky. He has very bad dental health and requires dental treatment. His prostate is swollen as he has not been sterilized and this might be blocking his ability to poo. The vet technicians will need to do a heart ultrasound before the dental procedure and sterilization to ensure that his heart is strong enough for surgery. He also has an existing ear infection which requires medication to treat it. There is a small growth on is toe, which the vet will snip off during the sterilization and dental procedure. The vet also mentioned that Lucky is unable to pee on his own and requires someone to express his bladder 4 to 5 times a day. Lucky’s hind legs are crossed and he is unable to walk on his own. Poor Lucky, his list of ailments are never-ending. It must be his love and loyalty to his owner, and vice versa, that made him hold on for so long.

Taking his measurements at the vet, so he can have his wheelchair asap 

His very first set of wheels

When we got Lucky, 1st thing we did was to get him a doggy wheelchair (thanks to Melissa‘s kind sponsorship) so that he gets to move around on his own and get to be upright few times throughout the day. His tired eyes lit up when we put him on it when he found out he can move around on his own, albeit very slowly.

Nice to be able to be upright again 

The vet also mentioned that Lucky had been on the same kibbles for 14 years! Poor chap, his body must be lacking nutrients and this likely could be the cause of his many health problems. On his first day with us, we fed him home cooked food of some meat and vegetables and he lapped every single morsel up. He must have thought he was already in doggy heaven, gosh, 14 years of kibbles! Not long after his feast, he pooed and all of us were so happy at seeing the poo!

Truth be told, Lucky’s predication is not at all unusual. We have came across some pet owners who cannot afford basic pet care or even medical care for their pets when they fall sick. These pet owners either have lost their jobs or have some family members stricken with illness. With their mounting medical bills taking a toll on the family’s finances, they have problems putting enough food on the table, what more vet bills. As such, they have no choice but to watch their pets suffer and die eventually. This is the harsh reality for some pet-owners and it depresses us to hear of more and more of such circumstances. Given our limitations in funds, we can only reach out to help a handful of such cases. We are worried that with the current state of uncertainty in the economy, there will be more pet-owners and pets suffering.

Happy Lucky <3 

We are very much moved by the love and bond between Lucky and his owner and hope to provide Lucky’s last days to be as comfortable as possible. If you would like to be a part of Team Lucky Guardian Angels, please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg to help with Lucky’s medical bills and upkeep. Thank you for your kind support.

Lucky is presently with an experienced foster, who will care and love him throughout his final journey.

Written by: Jamie Faith

The forgotten dog

From time to time, we would come across cases whereby the owner is looking to rehome their dogs for various reasons. This was one of those days.

Skin and nose so dry and crusty. Body had lost all her fur from neglect. 

HOPE was alerted to this particular case by someone who heard about it and subsequently linked us up with the owner. Despite being fully volunteer-run with limited resources, we did not have the heart to turn the furkid away. We immediately contacted the owner and made arrangements to take over his dog.

Eyes that tell of her sad life

Our volunteers took her straight to the vet for a check-up. She was in a pretty bad shape – her skin red, scaly and flaking; and her teeth rotten, gums sore and foul-smelling. It’s a wonder she could still eat. She also smelt terrible. One could literally smell her a mile away, because her skin infection was so severe.

Long term neglect to get a dog looking like that 

It was evident that her skin issues were causing her lots of discomfort. She scratched non-stop, till her skin broke and bled. Seeing her reddened skin and furless body brought tears to our eyes. How long had the neglect been going on for before she got to this stage?

Even the fur around her eyes have fallen off 

Rotten teeth and sore gums 

The vet gave her a full medical examination. Fortunately, despite her skin and dental conditions, she seems to be OK otherwise. She tested negative for heartworm and tick fever. Her kidneys and liver are functioning well too. The vet also did a skin scrape test for mites which came back negative. Results of her ringworm test would be out in a few days and we are keeping our fingers crossed. We have also scheduled a dental appointment for her next week.

 

Smelly & infected ears 

We have renamed her Hayley and she’s 8 years old and is supposedly a miniature Schnauzer although her long ears remind us of a Cocker Spaniel. Despite her circumstances and condition, Hayley has a very sweet disposition. We found her to be very trusting, patient and understanding.

Such a sorry sight

Hayley will be safe and well-cared for with us. We will let her settle down for a few weeks before we attempt to rehome her.

Even her nose is dry and crusted

If you would like to help with Hayley's vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Written by: Alina Tee 

Jolly finds her forever home

Now who is this happy cutie? Surely it cannot be Jolly, the depressed shih tzu who seemed to pass her days in a daze when we first rescued her? But it is! And the reason for the happy aura surrounding Jolly these days is that she has been adopted!

Doesn't she look so cute?

When we first rescued Jolly, she would constantly walk into things and fall over. She also did not seem to react to any verbal cues. We had thought that she was blind and deaf but it turned out that she had some vision and hearing. But Jolly just seemed like she did not even know she was alive. She spent most of the time just lying in the corner of her foster's room and stared blankly into space. She was very quiet. Too quiet. We did not know if she was just a very docile dog by nature, or if something happened to make her feel or want to be invisible.

Feeling so much more confident 

It has been 2 months since Jolly was rescued. On that fateful day, we did not even know if the dirty and matted dog we found would survive the night.

Jolly loves the sunshine on her back

She was listless and her breathing was shallow. On top of that, she had a host of issues from a mildly collapsed trachea and conjunctivitis, to masses in her mammary glands and bladder. Yet now, 2 months on, the dog that we thought would not make it loves running, playing hide and seek in the house, basking in the sun and running on grassy patches. 

It is almost like she just discovered the joy in living and is fully appreciating all the small blessings. And she is also enjoying the finer things in life, like meat in her diet. Jolly sure loves her beef, chicken and salmon! That's what having a loving forever family can do for a dog! Jolly's new mom had previously adopted another dog from us who was rescued from very similar circumstances, so Jolly's new family includes 2 other senior dog siblings who she can play with. And Jolly's mom can stay home to give Jolly all the TLC she needs, and is also financially able to support her medical needs. We could not ask for a better home for Jolly to be adopted into!

o this day, we still do not know what actually happened to Jolly before she was abandoned outside a HDB apartment, but it seems that it was fate that led Fiona to Jolly and we know that Jolly's life is only going to be more amazing and fruitful from now on. We would like to thank Fabian, the one who found Jolly at his doorstep, for helping Jolly and not ignoring her plight, and her new mama, Melissa, for giving her a chance at happiness.

Also a big thank you to everyone who had helped out with Jolly's vet bills.

Read Jolly's story here: http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/2020/07/animal-cruelty-jolly-shihtzu.html

Written by: Samantha

Understanding Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Is your dog just super affectionate and loves being around you, or  does he have separation anxiety and cannot be away from you? How do you tell the difference? Separation anxiety happens when a dog is  overly attached to their human and exhibits distress and other destructive behaviour due to stress when separated from their human. Such behaviour includes excessive barking and howling, and scratching at doors and walls trying to escape and reunite with their human, and usually manifests within a few minutes of their human leaving the house.

Just like people, each dog is an individual with their own personality and quirks that is a result of both nature and nurture. It is not known why some dogs have separation anxiety and others do not.  

Separation anxiety is neither breed-specific nor age-specific and has been seen across dogs of all breeds and ages.

With patience and the right methods - it can be cured.
Donut no longer has separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety not only increases stress levels in dogs, but also in their humans. We all know how difficult it is to leave even our well-adapted pets at home when we have to leave the house for work or  other essential needs. Throw in the heartbreak of watching your dog freak out as you leave and you can imagine the herculean effort to not turn back and comfort your dog in his distress. Not to mention the  stress at coming home after a long day of work to find your home in a mess as your dog tried to claw or shred her way out of the home while you were away. It is even worse if you have set up a petcam to monitor your dogs while you are away and can see the meltdown as it happens but there is nothing that you can do about it. It is no wonder that many dogs have been given up just because their humans could not cope with their separation anxiety.

Scratched the door till paws bleed

Blood stair near the main door

So what do you do if your dog has separation anxiety? Never leave your home again without your pet? While that may be feasible in these COVID times, it is not practical in the long run, nor is it healthy for our own mental health. One way to help your dogs overcome their anxiety at being left alone is to wean them off their over-dependency on you. It may surprise some to hear that it is our own behaviour that sometimes causes or amplifies a dog's separation anxiety. Do you make a big affair out of leaving the house? Do you find yourself seeking out your dog to kiss and hug them goodbye and whisper reassurances that you will see them when you get home? 

It is understandable that we do not like leaving our dogs at home alone any more than they like to be away from us. However, making a big deal out of the separation may cause them anxiety as they do not understand that you are only leaving for work, or popping down to the convenience store to get groceries. They may think that because you are making such a big deal of leaving that you may not be coming back and that is what gets them all riled up. Or you kiss and hug them, get them all hyped up and then you leave. The anticlimax would stress them out. 

So one way to help a dog with separation anxiety is to make leaving the house seem like a common thing to them (which it is unless you are a shut-in). For a start, try ignoring your dog for half an hour before you have to depart. And when it comes time to leave, just take your things and go without saying anything to or making eye contact with your dog. As if you were just taking a trip to the bathroom and  nothing more. Over time, your dog will learn that you leaving the house is not a big deal. That you are not going to disappear from their lives forever. That you will always come home to them.

It will take time, but in most cases, just changing your departure routine and helping your dog be confident in your return is enough to help a dog overcome his separation anxiety. In the rare situation, the anxiety may be attributed to other neurological or psychological  problems that may require professional help. However, know that a dog has separation anxiety because they love you so much and do not want to be apart from you. So just as they love you, we hope that you love them that much in return and never give up on them as you work to overcome their separation anxiety together.

Written by: Samantha Yap

Healing through the strays

I lost my dad in September 2019. Its almost a year since he had been gone, and for me to come to terms with it. I recalled the morning he passed on, I saw him for the last time and naively thought he will make it out of the hospital in the coming days and I could have dinner with him again.

I was so distraught I couldn’t bear to attend his cremation. I huddled outside the temple I had been praying fervently for his recovery for weeks and couldn’t stop my tears for ages. The grief was acute, raw and it swallowed me whole.

I believed what the soul needed, the heart beckons, and so almost a month after his passing, I found myself volunteering for stray feeding. I recalled the last time I went, which was months ago, the feeling of peace and tranquility I had experienced from the session. 

It was something I needed desperately to refuel my empty spirit. I think some dog angels saw a soul hey needed to save and led me to it again.

I stepped into the crisp night air and for the first time, allowed myself to take in the surroundings slowly. I had been on auto-pilot for weeks and the numbness helped got me through the days and the long nights.

The air was fresh and there was a light breeze accompanying us that night. Every breath I took thawed me a little inside. My fellow volunteers and me set to work quickly, scooping the food and kibbles into different containers for the different routes we will be taking to feed the stray dogs. The aching deep loss in my heart which I had carried for weeks lifted momentarily while the sound of food sloshing and light-hearted chatter filled the otherwise silent night.

Once the food containers were filled, we spilt into 3 teams, with each car taking a different route. Our team drove up to a deserted factory and started calling out familiar names the volunteers gave to the stray dogs. Some of the friendlier ones came bounding excitedly out, some shy ones stood nearby, hungry for the food we were holding yet too afraid to venture closer.

I spotted a brown and white one near the edge of the road. What drawn me to her was her demeanor, she looked unsure of herself and seemed to be as lost as I felt. I slowly went to her and held out some food. She took a step back and I looked into her eyes. Eyes that spoke volumes of constant thirst, hunger, rough living and danger. Eyes that still bore hope when she noticed the food in my hands. She came gingerly towards me and I squatted down to appear less intimidating. She came nearer and nearer to me and quickly took a bite of the food I laid on the ground. 

My heart leapt for joy at her trust in me. That momentary spark of joy I felt rekindled a light inside me which I thought will never shine again. While she ate hungrily, I came closer to pat her, she froze a second at my touch and continued gobbling up the rest of the food. Her fur felt wet and rough, fur that hadn’t ever experienced a bath and weathered the scorching sun and relentless rain. There we were in the middle of the night, 2 sentient beings seeking comfort in each other through different ways.

I bade farewell to her when we were about to leave and wished for her to stay safe. With a full belly, she ran off happily and went on to seek out her pack.

That night, I started to heal inside. Those few hours of being together with such carefree and contented creatures lifted me out of the darkness I was trapped in. It seemed to the world like we were the ones saving them, but in actual fact, they are the ones that saved us.

Written by: Jamie Faith