Jurong Town Council Kills

Updated on 5 April 2013. The New Paper

The New Paper 5 April 2013

3 April 2013. Between 7pm to 9pm, I had received this message on my mobile phone, sent by more than 15 different people, many of whom I didn’t even know. Jurong Town Council was “curbing the stray population” right next to Bukit Batok MRT. Fellow volunteers, Lily and Lisa, had just rehomed a dog together with me and we decided to head down to see if we could help the dogs in any way.

When we arrived and parked, we noticed 2 trucks from Star Pests Control at the car park across from the MRT station. We weren’t sure if they were the company engaged to curb the stray population, or was it pure coincidence that they were there. In any case, as we ran across the road towards the MRT station, we could hear many dogs barking, their barks were pitiful, stressful and fearful. Some had barked themselves hoarse while others sounded as if they were on the verge of losing their voices. I wondered how many days had they endured this distress of having humans encroach into their homes and trying to kill them.

 

 

I felt very sorry for them. They ran desperately from one end of the hill to the other end, trying to escape evil humans who had no patience with them, no compassion or heart. Instead of working with animal welfare groups to trap and rehome, they took the easy way out, engaged a pest control company to get rid of what they deemed as pests.



Onlookers watching the poor dogs run for their lives


More than 50 onlookers watched from the MRT station, mainly dog lovers who were there out of concern, and some passers-by, on the way home from work. Volunteers from various animal welfare groups were there. Some braved the steep slope with torches, entering the densely forested area to search for traps and to check if the dogs were safe from harm.
More friends and volunteers from HOPE rushed down. As it got later, the crowd thinned to just our volunteers and a handful of animal lovers. The slope was extremely slippery from the long grass and early downpour but Leslie, Shawn and my friend, Derrick (Voices For Animals), armed with powerful torches, scaled the slope and went into the forested area for the umpteenth time, refusing to give up.

Shawn making his way into the forest (Photo courtesy of Lawrence Chong)

We watched with bated breath as we caught the occasional flashes of light from the forest, and listened to the poor dogs bark in defense and fear. This lasted for almost 20 minutes when suddenly, it all went quiet and all of us on the ground peered up the slope. There was total silence then we heard Derrick call out – there are 7 puppies! Everyone got excited at the thought of being able to save these lives. Volunteers, Rina and Lisa, ran to the van to get boxes and towels to standby. Then we heard the voice again – I got the puppies, I am coming down! And then Derrick appeared with 7 puppies bundled in his shirt. Leslie and Shawn checked around that no pups were left behind, before they made their way down the slippery slope.

Derrick coming down the slope with the rescued puppies wrapped in this shirt (Photo courtesy of Lawrence Chong)

 

3 males and 4 females

They were dirty and muddy but the thought that they had saved 7 tiny lives made it all worthwhile. They were exhausted from the rescue. In all, it was almost 3 hours as we spent time climbing up and down different parts of the hill, trying to get close to the dogs.

 

 

The puppies were squealing in fright, never had they seen humans! But after being cuddled, they calmed down and eventually fell asleep.

The volunteers and onlookers each took a puppy home as it was almost 2am by then and the puppies had nowhere to go.

 

During the hours we were there, I overheard a lot of talk; people complained the dogs were noisy, they chased joggers, they came out to the HDB area, etc that’s why Jurong Town Council engaged a pest control company to get rid of the pests.

WHY?

There are so many animal welfare groups in Singapore, why can’t the Town Council approach the various welfare groups? Instead of “curbing the stray population”, they could have offered to trap them and hand them over to the various groups, whom I am sure, would be happy to help rehome these dogs. It takes a little more effort on their part, but isn’t it better than having blood on their hands?

I am very happy that we saved these seven little puppies, who don’t look more than 6 weeks old, and am grateful to all the people who helped save them, as well as foster them for the night.

I hope that people would come forth to adopt these cute little puppies, to free us from fostering them, and allowing us to go and try to save the others who are still fighting for their lives on top of that hill. The hill they call Home.

Sweet Success!!

And after all the excitement and joy, I realized that today is World Animal Stray Day. These puppies have had a change of fate. Adopt them. They have a bright journey ahead!

 

 

To adopt / foster these puppies, please email fiona@hopedogrescue.org or leskok@ymail.com

Note : Pardon this blog if there are typo or grammatical errors. It is 6am and I have not slept a wink yet.

World Stray Animal Day (4 April)

All along I know about the strays of Singapore; about them having to search for food, put up with dog fights and catching all those awful diseases I've come to learn about recently. However I never really pondered much on what we could do about them. Much like the majority of citizens here, I remained oblivious to the life of a stray dog.

That very day, my friends and I came across a lady who gave all the excuses in the world just so she could give up her dog. I took it home abruptly without permission from my parents and worse, without the least bit of knowledge about having a dog as a pet  - anything than to give it up to a shelter. So I turned to the Internet for help and that is when I chanced upon HOPE Dog Rescue - This very blog.

The moment I saw this blog, I couldn't tear my eyes off the screen. As I read on and on about the cases HOPE has covered - The rescued breeding dogs, the strays that got into fights and many more cases I never imagined. Of course, the images (not for the faint-hearted) were the ones that caught my attention first - I felt so ashamed and so disgusted at myself for ever considering BUYING a dog when I was younger. I finally saw the spoiled, ignorant side of me that chose to turn my head away when I knew all along cries of help were ringing in every direction.

I made the decision to do what I can to help. I volunteered.
 

Me and Matthieu chilling after his bath

I started out with cooking for the strays that were warded at the pet hospitals. I wanted them to have a decent meal at least while I can provide for them. I was told that Matthieu was warded and I told them I could cook for him. I found myself staring into the deep, brown eyes of Matthieu the first time I brought food over. He lay there, in his cage while the vet techs carried on with their work. How sad it must be for you, poor boy, I thought. So I stayed and talked to Matthieu, telling him about what I whipped up for him and how brave he was. He understood me, I just knew he did. The whole time he kept looking at me, occasionally cocking his head to the side as though thinking, "I wonder when dinner will be served". Not many visits later, I was lucky enough to see him wag his tail at me once.

Matthieu and his new wheelchair (Matthieu needs a forever home)

Strays don't receive such positive human interaction on the streets where they come from. Often they are beaten, kicked and bullied by humans to satisfy their sick, sadistic twisted minds, or to vent their own frustration. They also have a high chance of being attacked by other dogs when they feel threatened. Can you imagine a life like this? Not having a decent meal and having to stay half-conscious every night just to bolt away from danger such as vehicles. These are just small bits of what strays have to endure every single day.

Fat Sister needs a forever home (5 years old, extremely sweet and affectionate)

They genuinely forgive and forget if you are willing to spend time to show them that there is more to life than just violence, pain and suffering. They will definitely open their heart to anyone eventually because they have nothing but undying love to offer.



Cooper (male), just turned a year old. Excellent with children and other dogs.

I continued with cooking and eventually, I got the chance to meet more dogs as I volunteered to bring food over for them. As I got exposed to more strays like Fat Sister, Cooper and Lulu, they all had this one common thing - Purity. Beneath all of the wariness they show was the heart of a pure, innocent soul. The selfless heart so big that gave them the title of being 'Man's Best Friend'. Only such a heart can love someone else more than itself, and with such sincerity.

 

Lulu is 5 years old, sweet, calm and low energy. Ideal for watching TV with. (Lulu needs a forever home)

It didn't take me long before I got to meet even more dogs like Happy and Gorgeous. They were running around and playing with each other at a park on a Saturday afternoon, all the while looking so carefree as if they never had a painful stage in their lives. They never had the chance to play like that before they were rescued. I was so glad for them. Glad is an understatement. I was elated, partially because the joy that the both of them emanated rubbed off on me as well. I'm not exaggerating, if you think I am. The same thing would be said by anyone who was there with me that day and saw how the two of them enjoyed themselves.

 

Happy is female, about a year old, loves playing and gets on well with dogs

I joined the Night Feeding once, and I was so upset that I had to leave early as I had a home curfew. Lisa taught me the importance of feeding and made me realize it wasn't all about giving them something to fill their emaciated bodies with. The strays there needed attention. Why? Because if not us humans, then who? Who would be capable of bringing them to vets when medical attention is needed urgently? The strays have no one. No one other than their own pack, should they happen to be in one, who one by one may just die from anything on any random day. Distemper, Parvo, or heartworms. Anything. The things they eat, the environment they live in, the things they do to survive; we will never be able to endure or even imagine such possibilities.

Sasha, gorgeous and sociable. She is slightly more than a year old and needs a permanent family.

 

Strays are not pretty purebred dogs that are up for sale in pet shops. They are beautiful local breeds that deserve so much more than what they have to scavenge for in the streets, where they call home.

 

In fact, I have seen, heard and met dogs that were once strays but behave just like any of those purebred dogs when they got what they deserve - A loving family, shelter, food and clean water.

 

There is no need to breed your dog or buy a puppy from a pet shop because there are more than enough HOMELESS dogs around. Too many, in fact, suffer in silence because help is insufficient. Adopting a local dog could be the best thing that can ever happen in your life. They are the ones with a story to tell and who can endure hardships. They will appreciate and love you more than anyone.

April 4 is World Stray Animal Day. HOPE Dog Rescue salutes all stray doggies and hope that each and every one of them will find a home, love and happiness.

Written by Tan Jin Hui, 17

Lulu. The Exotic Beauty

Some of you might have followed the stories of the Fat Sisters on our blog, the fun-loving strays whom we had been feeding since they were puppies. Heartbreakingly, Fat Sister Black has since passed away from distemper. Thankfully though, we managed to rescue Fat Girl Brown in time, and she has since recovered from distemper. 

Pretty Fat Sister, happy to be alive! (Available for adoption)

The Fat Sisters’ stories are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Life on the streets is tough, and there are many other dogs out there who need our help.  One such dog is Lulu, another stray who lives a few factories away from the Fat Sisters.

Lulu has lived on the streets for the past 5 years

Lulu is a medium sized white dog, approximately 5-6 years old. Our volunteers have been feeding her since she was a puppy at 5 months old. Though shy, Lulu has a sweet and gentle disposition that endears her to anyone who meets her. 

Leslie feeding Lulu while brother, Orh Lulu looked on. This was taken in October 2011, one and a half years ago. Lulu's brother has since passed on from distemper

Lulu had a brother, affectionately named Orh Lulu. Unfortunately, Orh Lulu died of distemper a month ago. A few days after Orh Lulu passed on, the factory worker at Lulu's factory called us and told us that Lulu was not eating.

Our first thought was that Lulu could have also contacted distemper so we rushed down to find her.  When we saw her, we found her skinny and weak. She had lost a lot of weight in just the 4 days that we had not seen her.

We brought Lulu to the vet where she was warded for three weeks and underwent a battery of tests and observation. Much to our relief, the vet said that Lulu tested negative for distemper. Many dog lovers will know that distemper is a very serious and painful illness. If the disease is not detected early, the chance of survival is very slim.

Video of distemper stray: http://youtu.be/Ja-azxl0S7A

The video was recorded from the car as we did not want to risk contamination by going near Orh Lulu. You can see how he has difficulty breathing, how the virus goes into his immune system, then he stumbles from weakness. Distemper is a deadly virus. The strays who are not spared died a slow, painful death. Watching Orh Lulu climb through the gate back into the factory made us terribly sad but there was nothing we could have done. He died in the next few days . . . workers found his body under a lorry . . . slowly decomposing. . .  .such is the life of a stray. If not for us and the workers, nobody would even have missed them.

For Lulu, the vet diagnosed her as having a strain of tick fever known as Babesia instead. Babesia is a form of infection caused by parasites that attack blood cells and the severity of illness varies. Lulu was put on treatment for Babesia 2 weeks ago and she is slowly recovering, and has even put on some weight. Although reserved and very well behaved, she cannot help but display her excitement when she sees the familiar faces of the volunteers who visit her at the vet. Of course, the home cooked chicken meals and cod liver oil that the volunteers bring with them to feed her may have played a part too.

At the Vet

Lulu has such lovely brown eyes but often looked as if she was deep in thought or worried

Dirty, thin and tired from years of hardship on the streets

The factory, which Lulu had called home for the last 5 years, is no longer safe for Lulu. The recent outbreak of distemper in that area means that if we put Lulu back there, there is a very high chance of her contacting and succumbing to the disease. How can we bear to send Lulu to what could possibly be pain and suffering, and worse, death? Moreover, her brother Orh Lulu, who had been her companion her whole life at the factory, is already gone.

Finally discharged after staying more than 3 weeks at the vet

The exotic beauty

Lulu has really nice, big, round brown eyes. However, unlike the cheekiness you see in some pet dogs’ eyes, we see sadness and weariness in Lulu’s. She is shy around humans, almost wary of us at times, yet, one can tell that she wants to trust us, and hope that perhaps one day, she too can have a “human” whom she can call her owner. Someone who will greet her every morning with hugs, whom she can smile and wag her tail at, and gently tuck her into bed every night.

Isabelle (foster), Sharon and Jin Hui spending time with Lulu

Lulu for adoption

Help us help Lulu by sharing this story. We need to find a home for Lulu so that she stay in a safe and secure environment.

If you do not have a dog and are considering to get one, instead of buying one from a pet shop, why not consider giving Lulu a chance. She may not be pedigree, but she is no less beautiful or inferior. It has been said that rescued dogs tend to be very loyal and affectionate. Having been neglected or abandoned before, they are all the more grateful for your love and extremely grateful for what you give them.

Thank you Isabelle for fostering Lulu and taking such good care of her.

If you are interested in adopting Lulu, or simply would like to enquire more about Lulu, please contact Fiona at fiona@hopedogrescue.org. 

Written by Michelle Yap

What A Little Love Can Do!

Sandy was waiting for her friend at the lobby of an apartment when she noticed a dog sitting alone in a corner. Curious, she approached the dog. As she drew closer, the acrid stench of urine wafted towards her and she knew that something wasn't right. The smell grew stronger and more overwhelming, until Sandy was close enough to see that the little dog's fur was matted, covered with her own stools, and that her nails were way too long. She looked confused and hungry. 


When we found her

Sandy immediately phoned her friend, who then brought some dog snacks for the starving animal. The dog quickly wolfed down the meagre meal without hesitation. Judging from how hungry and eager she was, it was definitely not enough. She had obviously been neglected for quite a while. 

Indignant and concerned, Sandy approached the security guards for more details. She was told that the woman who used to take care of the dog had kicked her out of the house that morning. The management had knocked on her door a few times during the day, but she flatly refused to take the dog back. Bewildered by this unusual situation, Sandy pressed further. According to the security guards, that woman used to love this dog a lot but then rumours started going around that she had become mentally unsound. So when the poor, confused dog wandered around the apartment complex and did her business along the corridor, her owner actually threw some of that poo at a neighbour’s door. The guards only learnt about this after her neighbour called the cops. 

 

The police arrived to investigate and take statements; the authorities were subsequently informed of this abandonment case, so Sandy decided to wait for them to arrive. Meanwhile, she lodged a case with the SPCA to file a report of neglect. SPCA replied that their inspector will drop by to check if the owner is able to provide adequate care for the dog. 1.5 hours of silence passed before Sandy made up her mind to attend to the poor dog on her own because she felt the dog required immediate care. 

She contacted HOPE Dog Rescue, and left a copy of her IC with the management in case the owner or the authorities arrived with enquiries. With our advice, Sandy then rushed the dog to a vet. We named her Lucky. Lucky had a thorough medical check at the vet, and it was revealed that her eyes were cloudy and dry; hence they did not produce tears. Although this is a common problem in the breed, Lucky’s condition was likely exacerbated by prolonged periods of neglect. She now needs to be medicated with eye drops thrice daily, for the rest of her life. Poor Lucky is merely 2–3 years old, but has already been through so much. 


Just rescued and taken straight to the vet

 

This was what came out of the carrier



Imagine the stench and the poor dog's discomfort

Back view

She looked insane



Not being able to tell the front from the back

When we brought her to the groomer, we were told that she had probably not been groomed for a year to have become so unkempt. Her urine and poo had matted and hardened in her fur, and she had to be shaved down. After the groomer was done, it was like a new dog had emerged! We could see that she felt lighter and happier without all the grime that had been stuck to her for so long. 

 



How could anyone possibly do this to a living creature

 

Her eyes were blurred from years of neglect



Years of poo had hardened and stuck to her fur making her look like she had an extra leg

 

How would you start grooming?

Look at how long her nails were - how did she manage to even walk



Years of poo stuck on her
 

Looking almost like a normal dog



It wasn't American Ginseng. It was a lot of fur from one little dog



Getting rid of her past and starting a fresh life

 

As we could not find a foster, we boarded her at a pet shop. At first, Lucky was afraid and didn’t eat for 2 days despite her hunger. Gradually, she bloomed into a friendly and playful dog, and has learnt to trust humans again. 

Although we feel very sorry for the neglect that Lucky has had to go through in her early years, we also feel sorry for the owner who had put Lucky through it all. Like Lucky, her owner may be in need of help. It’s possible that she is unable to even care for herself, let alone a dog.  

 

Nobody deserves what’s happened to them. We would like to sincerely thank Sandy for being a kind and proactive citizen and caring for the wellbeing of another. 



As she is today, pretty and loved

Note : Lucky has been adopted by Melissa and we thank her for loving Lucky the way she does and giving her the warmth, comfort and real life she deserves!

 

Story by Elena Lin. Photographs courtesy of Lisa Goh