Yoga Cat

We had just started counting cats for spaying on our usual feeding rounds when we saw a lone cat sitting at a distance next to a worker. We felt something was amiss, so we called out to the worker and asked why the cat was on its own.

“Oh, leg no more, no walk,” he called back to us.

A worker showing us the injured cat

Immediately, I panicked and asked him to carry the cat over so that I could have a look. The moment I laid eyes on her, I was shocked beyond words. Her hind legs were so badly broken that she could not stand. They were sticking out in completely wrong directions. It was obvious that it was an old injury, as her bones had fused solid at those awkward angles. Just look at the photos and imagine the pain the cat would have gone through, dragging her wasted legs behind her for months as her broken bones mended themselves slowly, in all the wrong ways.

She can no longer bend her right hind leg
 

Look at this poor cat! Her left hind was in an entirely wrong angle!
 

She had not had a proper meal in a long while as there was no way she could get about without being mauled by dogs

By this time, Burmese workers from around the area had gathered around the scene. They informed me that, some time ago, people had clubbed the cat with a “kayu” – which means wooden stick in Malay. Saddened but furious, I demanded to know who could possibly have done such a thing to her. Immediately, the workers clammed up and shook their heads. They probably didn’t want trouble at the work place. It was infuriating, but there was nothing more we could do about the incident.
 



At the vet



Look at the sorry state she was in. Her limbs were all wrong!

How could any human possibly be so evil to beat a living creature to this extent?

We scooped the cat from the worker’s arms and propped her up on a high wooden box, safe from the stray dogs, so that she could eat. She was mere skin and bones; we could feel every detail in her fragile skeletal frame as we carried her. The poor starved kitty probably never had a good chance to forage for food in her condition. She hungrily wolfed down three whole cans of canned food as we watched. Although she was a little shy, she was truly a friendly and sweet creature.

 

After she was finally done eating, we placed the cat into a carrier and brought her straight to the vet. Unfortunately, we were told that there was no way her legs could be saved. Amputation was the only option. Right now, she gets around by pulling herself along on the ground with her 2 front paws, dragging her back legs behind her as she moves. The vet believes that amputating her hind legs would make it easier for her to “walk”.

Look how her legs fused in the wrong direction after the bones joined. Imagine the pain and suffering she has gone through

Talk about animal cruelty! We simply cannot imagine why or how someone could do this to a tiny, defenseless creature, why anyone would abuse and torture innocent animals. Imagine the pain this cat has gone through, and how her life has been changed irrevocably because of a single act of meaningless violence. She’s a trooper, she survived; but there are millions of animals out there who are still being abused and who aren’t so lucky.
 

If you see cases of animal abuse, please notify the authorities or call an animal welfare organization. Every life is worth saving.

Written by Elena Lin

Ah Girl. A Tired, Lonely Soul

We first got to know about Ah Girl from a Malay lady who reported a white dog loitering at a service station. The lady’s husband was a taxi driver who frequented that area and often saw Ah Girl in the same spot. Ordinarily, he would not have paid much attention to the dog except that he observed that Ah Girl appeared to be injured as she was limping badly, and had lost an eye. Worried, he shared his observations with his wife, who decided that something had to be done to save the dog. She then contacted HOPE Dog Rescue and informed us about the dog. 



Eyes that have never seen happiness



Concerned about the welfare of Ah Girl, I contacted the Malay lady the next day and she met me so we could go to the service station together to assess Ah Girl’s condition. We found Ah Girl sprawled on the cold, hard concrete floor of a cramped storeroom, unable to move. It was a heart-wrenching sight. She had lost her left eye, probably in a previous accident, and her eye had been stitched up. Her stomach was unnaturally swollen and there were multiple wounds on her legs.  She was famished and looked sadly at us as we pondered what to do. We tried to get her to move but her legs failed her. When we tried to lift her up, she shrieked in unbearable pain, and our hearts broke at what she might be going through.

Ah Girl's home, a cramped store room

A broken right front leg, from a previous accident

An extremely distended stomach

When we spoke to the service attendants, they said that Ah Girl was about 13 years old and lived in the area around the service centre. In the day, she would typically move around on her own but would always return to the storeroom in the evenings. The attendants let her sleep there and would feed her whatever biscuits or leftover scraps they could find. Several years ago, she was involved in a car accident which led to the loss of her left eye. She had also been in another accident which broke her right front leg. The attendant remarked that Ah Girl was a good dog and didn’t bother anyone at the centre. Instead, the sweet girl was often bullied by a pack of stray dogs in the area and also abused by humans who would walk past and kick or hit her. As she was too weak to move, she would just bear the brunt of it. The storeroom was her only refuge from the harsh world outside.

Unable to move from traffic

I often wondered if dogs could commit suicide

Seeing how bad Ah Girl’s condition was, we decided that despite our limited resources, we could not refuse a dog crying for help. The next day, even on short notice, we managed to get a few of the volunteers together to rescue Ah Girl. The poor girl was too weak to put up a fight so she laid limply in our arms as we lifted her into the pet carrier. However, as we were making arrangements to take her to a vet, we were shocked to discover that Ah Girl was not a “stray” and her “owner” was a Chinese lady who ran a business nearby. Clearly, Ah Girl had been severely neglected by her owner. In fact, the owner was not even aware that Ah Girl was seriously ill. Imagine our horror when one of the employees insisted that we brought Ah Girl back to the service centre once she had been discharged. He even claimed that Ah Girl was licensed and microchipped.

Not a lot of teeth left

At the vet, blood tests and x-rays were carried out. Ah Girl’s breathing was terribly laboured and she was diagnosed with tick fever, anaemia, heart murmur and heart failure. X-rays revealed that her stomach was so distended with fluids caused by her heart failure that the vet needed to do a needle aspiration to drain out the fluids. That explained her difficulty in breathing. Despite the bloated stomach, we could feel her ribs protruding and the vet commented that she was extremely malnourished.

  

The nerves in her hind legs were poor, possibly from old age, past accidents or both. She was also severely arthritic. Each time she stood up, she would lose her balance and fall flat on her face, it was a sorry sight. She would then bravely pick herself up and try again. After a few rounds of struggling, she would manage to stand and she had to walk quickly, to build the momentum so she would not fall again, much like riding a bicycle.

The vet put her on a drip as she was severely dehydrated and scanned for a microchip; she had none.  

Fluids in her extremely distended stomach, caused by heart failure

The vet’s words gutted us. To hear that a dog that lived such a miserable life might have such a miserable end was heart wrenching. When we tried to cheer Ah Girl up, she just looked at us with eyes that had never experienced happiness. Even if we were to heal her ailments, there was no way we could put her back onto the streets, not when we now know that she might one day die out there alone, unwanted, unloved. While we were waiting to take her to the vet, we had witnessed many cars driving dangerously around Ah Girl as she could not stand up to move away from the dangers of the traffic.

Caring for Ah Girl is not a lot of work. She spends her days sleeping, goes for short walks 3x a day just to do her toileting. At times, she may pee in the middle of the night as she is old and unable to hold her pee for long hours. She loves cooked food and has been eating well. She needs to go to the vet for a review every two weeks, just to check her blood count and ensure no fluids in her stomach and lungs. Once that has stabilized, her visits to the vet will be lessened.

Ah Girl is such an amazing dog. Despite having been through years of neglect and abuse, she still remains friendly, gentle and trusting. We are urgently looking for someone to give Ah Girl a permanent home in her remaining years. She asks for nothing more than decent meals and a roof over her head for her to live out her golden years.

If you would like to adopt Ah Girl or make contributions to help defray the high cost of Ah Girl’s treatment, please email fiona@hopedogrescue.org 

Written by Lynn Chue. Video by Esther Low. Photographs by Esther and Lisa Goh.

Note from Fiona :  One can never imagine the hard life of a stray. When I first laid eyes on Ah Girl lying in the middle of the car park, I instantly felt that she needed to be taken to safety. Thirteen years on the streets! I can’t even begin to imagine how strong she is to have survived 13 years of hardship. The tiredness of the same old daily struggles. Strays generally don’t live past 7 to 9 years old before they fall prey to illnesses and accidents but 13 years for an old arthritic dog who had heart failure, one broken leg and just one eye, she sure deserved a good loving home for all that she has gone through.

Ah Girl is one of the gentlest, sweetest strays I have ever met, undemanding and grateful. (But then again, I say that of all our rescued strays!) When I held her in my arms, I could feel her loneliness and sadness. It’s not often we come across dogs with such deep sadness. Her sadness was indescribable, a lifetime of abuse, neglect and loneliness. She didn't know what love was. Her sadness also stemmed from the fact that she was unwell, she felt her body failing her and yet there was nothing she could do, but to continue to struggle and survive day by day. As I kissed her forehead gently and promised her everything would be alright from today onwards, I felt her heave a sigh of relief. And I thought I heard her say Thank You.

Ah Girl is presently fostered by Sooh Yee and we thank her for her kindness. We thank Emilia for informing us of Ah Girl's plight, Lisa, Lynn and Esther for helping with the rescue, Lynette and Amy for giving Ah Girl her very first hair trim and bath as she was very badly matted, and volunteers who had cooked for Ah Girl daily during her stay at the vet.

We appeal to your kindness to help Ah Girl with her vet bills, as she needs to go back to the vet for reviews and to please open your heart to Ah Girl. Show her there is love and happiness after suffering for 13 years, that her struggles were worthwhile.

Volunteering With HOPE

We are recruiting animal rescuers.

Loving and caring for animals goes without saying; but what will make you stand out from the pack?

If you don’t mind getting dirty with dog vomit, blood or mud.

Cleaning dog poo, blood and vomit is a regular affair

If you have a dog pee/poo on you and can laugh about it.

If you are willing to commit time to helping out and you don’t mind cancelling dinners with friends or skipping other social outings as rescue work is last minute and ad-hoc.

 

Having dinner with the dogs because often we rush to the kennels right after work to spend quality time with the dogs

If you can kiss and hug a stray, without worrying about getting dirty or contracting ringworms.

Spending precious weekends playing with street dogs in industrial estates

 

If you can rescue an injured animal, feel sad about it but bounce back stronger and more willing to help.

Rescued from a puppy mill

Rescue Rangers at work

If you can get down on your knees and do manual labour – bathing dogs, walking / training them, cooking and feeding them, cleaning up after them and more.

If you can put your ego aside and work with different volunteers for the betterment of the dogs.

A lot of our time is spent in industrial estates, educating workers on the importance of sterilization and being kind to the animals.

You would need to start practising to be an alpha dog at a young age!

Young volunteer, Sara, helping out a a flea mart

Treating all dogs as equals, regardless of breed or background

If you don't complain about the kind of work you are given because you know that no matter what you do, everything makes a difference to the dogs, no matter how menial it may seem.

Finding joy in the things we do (feeding street dogs)

Looking at the lighter side of things

If you can work endless days and nights like us, yet still come back for more.

 

Allowing street dogs into your car!

Eating dog food and clowning around

Then write in to us. We WANT you! Email to fiona@hopedogrescue.org

 Studio photo credits to http://www.white-roomstudio.com

 

We would like to thank White Room Studio for graciously hosting HOPE Dog Rescue's studio shoot. Our photographer, Dan, displayed true professionalism in dealing with our doggies despite their short attention span! Our volunteers and doggies certainly had a memorable evening mingling in the cozy studio. 

Stairway Of Neglect

One day, my group of close friends and I were studying together at one of our friend’s house. We have all been very passionate about animals and especially more so for dogs because a few of us have pet dogs. We were casually talking about the dogs in our neighbourhood, when my friend mentioned that her neighbour on the 18th floor had a very cute Golden Retriever. Being such enthusiasts about dogs, we decided to visit the dog. 

The corridor has been his home for the past 5 years. He faces that direction just so he can get a peek at the family that once loved him.

Rudolph's staircase (Low quality pics taken with a mobile phone camera)

When we reached the corridor nearing the house, we were taken aback! There at the common staircase, lay a Golden Retriever who was being leashed by a rope to the staircase! It wasn’t even a proper leash, it was two tattered ropes joined together and tied to the staircase railing. His food and water bowls were empty. And the corridor floor was wet as a result of the rain before. His home was the staircase and the rain had splashed onto the staircase and flowed down the steps, making him cold and wet. It was obvious that the living condition was terrible. 

Still tied to the staircase, Rudolf waited patiently for Sherry to give him a treat

Despite the torture and abuse, Rudolf was excited as he was wagging his tail upon our arrival and he didn’t even know us! He was seemingly too weak to stand up as he merely lay still on the ground. Our hearts were broken knowing his plight, however we could not do anything as my friend said that the owner wasn’t very friendly. We had no choice but to pat Rudolf and hoped that he would do fine. I couldn’t stop worrying about him after laying eyes on him. No dog or animal should be mistreated and be left to live in such an environment! Can you imagine having to succumb to such living condition and having no rights to protest or reject? 

That night, I told my family about Rudolf and they were shocked all the same. How could some people just treat animals with no respect and love? The next day, my mother decided to visit him and her heart also sank when she saw him. She stayed there to play and talk to him, and you could tell from his eyes that he very badly wanted some form of love from human. The neglect he had to deal with for so long was really showing through his expression. After some time, the owner came out of the house and realized that my mother had been playing with her dog. The owner was a Chinese auntie, most probably in her 60s, and the first thing she said to my mother was “You think my dog is cute? You can have him!” The owner did not want Rudolf anymore and if no one was to rescue him, he would have just lived at the staircase till he faces old age and death; cold, wet and alone. 

Handsome Rudolf, relieved to be saved after years of neglect

Through the conversation with the auntie, my mother found out that Rudolf was leashed to the staircase 24/7, come rain or shine, for the past five years! He is now 6 years old. His family had loved him for the first year of his life, after which they became too busy with work and decided to tie him at the staircase to live out his remaining years. When asked why they didn’t try to rehome him, they callously replied that they did not even have time for that! 

Rudolf was strictly not allowed to enter the house and he even had his meals and baths at the corridor, on the staircase. It amazed us that none of their neighbours complained about his presence or predicament. Even his grooming was done by the helper by using a shaver, also at the common corridor. As a result, his fur was patchy from her shaving and blotchy from the wet steps that was home to him for the most part of his life. The only form of attention he had was when the helper brought him downstairs to do his daily business. It was obvious the only right thing to do was to call HOPE to rescue him. 

Volunteer Sherry and my mother visited Rudolf’s owner the following day. They were told that Rudolf belonged to her son who was busy working and had no time for him anymore. She also told us Rudolf turned six this year and has been chained to the corridor in rain and shine for five years now, and she would love to give Rudolf away! It is depressing and appalling how people lose affection in their once dearly loved pets, and the extent of neglect they bring upon them subsequently. We have seen so many cases of pets being a victim of families who have welcomed a new baby at home, a broken marriage or simply irresponsible owners who decided overnight they had enough of their pets. 

HOPE and my family claimed Rudolf the next night. The owners were so thrilled to be rid of him and even passed all his belonging to us. We were extremely relieved to see Rudolf finally freed from the cold, hard concrete forever, but at the same time, it was upsetting to witness the heartlessness of our humankind. If I could read an animal’s mind, I would tell you that Rudolf knew freedom and a new life was ahead of him because he ran, propelled and dragged us along with him in excitement, in relief, and in sheer joy. That moment freed my heart! 

We examined Rudolf’s neck later on and saw it was all red and sore from tugging against the leash for five years, just so he could be close enough to the owner’s door to steal a glance at them. 

Like all dogs rescued by HOPE, Rudolf has been to the vet for a thorough medical check and is in superb health except for ringworms, which will heal over time. It was no surprise since he lived on the corridor 24/7, and slept on the cold, dusty and wet concrete for over five years. 

We named him Rudolf as it was around the holiday season that we rescued him. Rudolf is slightly overweight because he was tied to the staircase for years and the only exercise he had was pacing up and down the staircase. In fact, the steps and corridor where he lived had a darker shade from Rudolf’s constant pacing.  

Spending the night at Sherry's home. His skin was really bad, but he still managed a smile.

As it was late, Rudolf went to Sherry’s home for the night. As he approached her front door, he instinctively turned to the staircase to rest. That scene stayed in my mind for days and brought tears to my eyes because the staircase was the only home he knew! We had to explain to him that he no longer needed to sleep on the steps and lovingly took him into Sherry’s home. It was a heart breaking moment. 

At Sherry’s home, she was amazed at how well behaved and gentle Rudolf was. He peed on the newspaper, was quiet and appreciative. Sherry gave him a big bone and the delight he showed was priceless. He gnawed on it for hours. It was Christmas for Rudolf in more ways than one! 

Rudolf is now temporarily boarding at a pet shop while we look for a home for him. Will any kind souls out there foster or adopt him? Boarding Rudolf at a pet shop is expensive and we would be most grateful if someone would come forth to foster him.  

Despite the extent of his neglect, Rudolf remains a sweet, trusting, gentle and loving dog who is easily contented. Like any other Golden Retriever, Rudolf socializes well with human and other dogs and will be a wonderful addition to your family. To foster or adopt Rudolf, please email sherry@hopedogrescue.org

Written by Jovee Gan, Age 19.

Note from HOPE : 

Rescuing dogs do not come cheap, from vet bills to boarding to the provision of food for the rescued dogs; it really adds up. And HOPE spares no expense in the dogs’ welfare. All rescue dogs are taken straight to the vet for a thorough medical check, which includes checking for tick fever, heartworm, kidney and liver functions, skin culture for ringworms, a check that their heart is functioning well, their ears for infection, eyes for their vision and if they suffer from dry eyes, as well as their teeth. Dental scaling is done in most cases as rescue dogs, especially those pulled out from breeding farms, are often in pretty bad shape. Before a dog goes to their new home, they are sterilized, vaccinated and microchipped. 

On the average, we spend between $250 to $500, after discount, on each dog’s initial vet bill. The cost is also dependent on the dog’s age and health condition. All our dogs, once cleared of heartworm and tick fever, are immediately put on Heartgard and Frontline. This is our responsibility to the dog we have rescued, as well to the foster home that the dogs go to, as they may have dogs of their own, thus our dogs should not have any infectious diseases. Most importantly, these dogs rescued by HOPE have often had a hard, sad life and they deserve our very best, no less. 

Please support HOPE so that we may continue to save more dogs.