Butter in a Box

 Living in a box this Lunar New Year was not something this sweet senior dog ever imagined would happen to her. 

Butter was found living in a box along a HDB corridor

 Amanda contacted HOPE to inform us of an old dog living in a box outside a HDB unit and asked if we could help.

The dog had previously belonged to a couple who had divorced and the husband went on Telegram to give away their dogs. This one, whom we have named Butter, was given to a young 13-year-old boy who felt sorry for the dog and took it home.

Unfortunately, the boy's parents were not agreeable to keep the dog so he had no choice but to leave the dog outside his unit in a box. A neighbour saw the dog and was saddened by its living conditions. The neighbour and some friends kindly offered to take Butter to the vet and tried to help the boy care for Butter by providing items like kibbles. They soon realized that, however good his intentions were, the boy would not be able to care for the dog. So, they contacted HOPE.

She had a huge growth on her right hind leg and the darkened brown fur suggested that she had been wearing soaked diapers for a long time.

Volunteers went down at close to midnight to pick up the dog as the neighbours and friends had been waiting at the void deck for almost the entire day, as no one could take the dog home for the night. The volunteers then brought the dog to a temporary fosterer’s home at the opposite end of Singapore. By that time, it was almost 2am.

Volunteers, Jimmy (pictured) and Wendy, had rushed down to help Butter as the group had been hanging around the void deck for most of the day with nowhere to go

Such a sweet little doggy :-(

The next morning, the volunteers brought Butter to the vet. The vet estimated Butter to be 10  to 12 years old. Butter is very sweet and friendly, and extremely food motivated (aka always hungry). There is a growth on her chest and a larger one dangling from her right hind leg. Like many neglected dogs, she has terrible teeth with pus and discharge oozing from her nose, and would require dental asap. One eye has little or no vision. She is not sterilized but we may not push for sterilization at this time given she is already a senior dog.

Missing teeth

Needs dental soon

Little or no vision in her left eye

Lump on her chest

Growth on right hind leg

We have arranged for a heart and abdomen scan in 2 weeks. Once given the all clear, we will schedule her dental and then sweet Butter will be ready for her forever home.

Her current bill stands at $806 and will likely incur more as we send her for the various scans, tests and procedures. If you can help with sweet Butter's vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg.

BB Girl’s 2025 Summary - The Year Her Life Changed Forever

It’s hard to believe that just three months ago, BB Girl was wandering the streets as a sick stray. Weak, frightened, and carrying a huge tumor on her neck that made every step painful, she had no one to turn to. Living under a lorry and growing weaker by the day, her body was slowly failing her.

Watch her video here.

But everything changed the day she was rescued. A regular feeder in the area noticed her deteriorating state and called for help. BB Girl was immediately warded at the vet, where doctors discovered that the large tumor on her neck was filled with pus. It had to be drained daily to ease her suffering, while she was also started on heart medication and antibiotics. Her prognosis was grim — her face was severely swollen, she had no appetite, was lethargic, and her red blood count was dropping. She was not expected to survive the next few days. Yet, volunteers rallied around her, cooking special meals for her and spending time by her side at the clinic. Surrounded by love, care, and medical support, BB Girl refused to give up — and day by day, she grew stronger.

After she was discharged, BB Girl continued weekly vet visits where the pus in her tumor was drained, and each time the swelling reduced a little more. The vets then began stem cell treatment to help shrink the mass further. Through it all, BB Girl remained sweet, gentle and accepting of the help from humans whom she had never known as a stray.

From those fragile first days, she has come so far. In foster care, she has found safety, comfort, and love. She enjoys her daily walks, yummy home-cooked meals and lots of cuddles. Today, BB Girl is no longer the sick stray she once was. She is brighter, stronger, and happier — wagging her tail, soaking up affection, and discovering what it means to feel safe.
Soon, we will need to decide whether surgery is the best option to remove her tumor mass, or if she can continue as she is.

Her journey is far from over, but the transformation she has made in just three months is nothing short of remarkable. And it’s all thanks to your support and contributions — you gave BB Girl the chance to fight, and she has seized it with all her heart.

BB Girl’s story. 

2025: The Year of Our Brave Warrior, Mr. White

As we close the chapter on 2025, we find ourselves reflecting on the dog who has taught us more about resilience, quiet strength, and grace than any other. Our dear Mr. White.
If you’ve followed Mr. White’s journey since he was first found, lost and neglected in early 2024, you know his path hasn’t been easy. But 2025 was a year of immense challenges that truly tested his spirit.

The Weight of the Year
This year, Mr. White’s health has been a delicate balancing act. He has battled two types of cancer—oil gland cancer and most likely oral cancer, with painful ulcers stretching from his throat to his mouth. His skin has remained a constant struggle, with sores and blisters on his legs that require frequent vet visits and constant tweaking of his steroid dosages.
Perhaps the hardest part to watch is his battle with dementia. We’ve spent many nights with him as he walks into the wee hours of the morning, driven by a restless mind until his legs give way from pure exhaustion.


The Moments of Joy
But even in the shadows of illness, there were beautiful rays of light. Despite everything, Mr. White’s spirit hasn’t broken.  He still greets every meal with pure enthusiasm—a small but mighty sign that he isn't giving up.  He enjoys his twice-weekly massages, which soothe his tired, aching body.  He has found companionship in his twice-weekly outings with his fellow rescue friends.  And the highlight of his year? His very first trip to the beach! To see this sweet, long-suffering soul feel the sand under his paws and the sea breeze on his face for the first time in his life... there wasn't a dry eye among our volunteers.


A Community of Hope
Mr. White is a "long-suffering" dog, but he is also a deeply loved one. He doesn’t walk this path alone. Every vet visit, every specialized treatment, and every comfort provided to him is only possible because of YOU. Keeping a dog with such complex needs "afloat" is a massive undertaking, both emotionally and financially.
Thank you for standing by Mr. White. He may be fragile, and his body may be failing him, but his heart remains full of the love you’ve helped us give him. Here’s to continuing to provide him with the dignity, comfort, and peace he deserves.

Watch his video here.

An Update on Ariel — January 2026

When Ariel first came to us in mid-October 2025, her story broke our hearts. She was surrendered by her owner, painfully thin, neglected, and confused. Nearly three months later, she’s a very different dog — brighter, with a wagging tail that goes like a windscreen wiper when she’s out walking with her rescue friends. But beneath her cheerful spirit, Ariel continues to battle many serious health issues.

Ariel has undergone multiple scans, revealing a mass in her abdomen that is being closely monitored. Her most recent ultrasound also showed nodules in both adrenal glands. On top of that, she has a heart condition and is now on lifelong heart medication. Despite everything, she greets every vet visit with gentle patience and courage.

Her remaining eye, which had worried us due to its slight protrusion, was examined by an eye specialist. Thankfully, it’s not glaucoma — but scarring from old ulcerations caused by dry eyes. Ariel now needs eye drops and ointments three times a day for life. We truly hope she can keep her vision in this eye, as losing it would be devastating for her.

She’s also recovering from having 24 rotten teeth extracted. That first week after surgery, she seemed down — perhaps mourning yet another loss after already losing her eye. For this reason, we postponed the removal of her spleen, knowing that emotionally and physically, she might not cope well with another major operation at this stage.

After second opinions and further tests, two independent vets confirmed that Ariel has two types of cancer, already at an advanced stage. With her age (12 years), frailty, and the risks of anesthesia, we made the difficult but compassionate decision not to proceed with a biopsy or immediate splenectomy. Instead, our focus is on her comfort, happiness, and quality of life. Ariel also has lumps on two of her nipples; she is not sterilized. 

Her foster mum works tirelessly to coax her to eat — even handfeeding her and preparing home-cooked meals — as Ariel struggles with bloating and inappetence. On days when she refuses water, subcutaneous fluids are given to keep her hydrated. Recently, we brought her to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) vet to support her comfort and appetite through acupuncture and herbal remedies. Ariel was such a sweetheart during treatment, patiently lying there as if knowing we were all trying to help her.

The first TCM consultation and medication cost $865. Ariel now returns for acupuncture sessions twice weekly to help her regain strength and energy. We hope it helps. 

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we have enough funds for Ariel should she require emergency care or expensive treatments ahead, she’ll be covered without delay. Every dollar helps us stand by her as she continues to fight bravely each day.

Thank you for loving Ariel — your support reminds us that even in her fragile state, she is surrounded by compassion, dignity, and hope. We’ll continue sharing her progress. 

From all of us at HOPE Dog Rescue, thank you for believing in our mission and for helping us give dogs like Ariel the care and love they so deeply deserve.

Note : video of Ariel during her TCM treatment, in parts of the video, you can hear she snoring and if you notice, she sleeps with her eye open, which contributes to her dry eye problem.