Party With HOPE

Party With HOPE, in conjunction with Klapsons’ Doggy Saturdays.

For the very first time in Singapore, wine and dine with your dogs at a hotel!! No kidding. What's more, it's all for a good cause! Limited to 100 humans and 60 dogs only, so hurry!

Party With HOPE is the first ever doggie event in Singapore at which pet owners can bring their dogs and wine and dine together in comfort at a hotel. Aside from having fun, you will also be supporting our work as the funds raised will go towards paying vet bills and saving the lives of many more neglected, unwanted pets and injured street dogs.

 

 

The event will be held at Fabrika (17th floor of Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel, 15 Hoe Chiang Road, Singapore 089316) on Saturday, 7th September from 5pm to 8pm (registration starts from 4.30pm)




This is 17 storeys high. Please ensure your dogs are leashed at all times!

·       Tickets will be $55 for one person and one dog, (includes one drink, one pasta (choice of three different sauces) and one doggie chow. Should you wish to attend the event without a dog, it’s also $55 per ticket and its all for a good cause!

·       Each person is to only bring one dog. Should you wish to bring more than one dog, you would have to ensure that there is one other person to come along to handle the other dogs.

·       Tickets for children are also at $55. Free entry for children below two years of age.



 

1.     Dogs have to be kept on leash at all times as dogs may be able to jump over the low wall and that’s 17 storeys high!

2.     Owners are to clean up after their dogs and prevent them from marking and peeing on the couches. Should your dog need to pee / poo, please proceed to the ground floor where there is a grass patch outdoor.

3.     Certain breeds are required to be muzzled according to AVA rules. (http://www.ava.gov.sg/AnimalsPetSector/ResponsiblePetOwnership/BeingResponsiblePetOwner/ExistingPetOwners/index.htm)

During the event, HOPE 2014 calendars will be launched at $10 each.

Be sure to register your interest quick! There are only 100 tickets and the free seating space will only be able to hold 100 people and 60 dogs.

There will be no reservation of tickets; only confirmation upon receipt of full payment.

You can pay by DBS fund transfer or cheque and collect tickets from a volunteer’s office at 28 Maxwell Road, #03-11, Red Dot Traffic Building, S069120. Collection will be from 26 August to 6 September, 2pm to 6.30pm.

To register, please email us with the details below :                                          

Name:

Email:

Mobile Number:

Payment Mode: DBS Fund transfer OR Cheque ________________

Ticket Collection: On day of the event / Maxwell Road

Bringing a dog: Yes / No

Breed of dog (in order for us to determine size and prevent overcrowding): 

 

*Should you have more than one name to register, please include all the individual names and breeds of dogs attending.  

To register for this inaugural event, please send the above details to partywithhope@gmail.com

 

*Disclaimer : HOPE Dog Rescue will not be held liable for any dog fights, injuries to dogs and / or humans, dogs attacking humans/children that may occur during the event.

Chloe's updates (She Is At A Foster Home)

Chloe has been discharged from the vet and she was visibly relaxed when we picked her up, as if she had been waiting for this day. We sent Chloe to her foster home and she is settling in well.

Leaving the clinic

On the way to her foster's home

Chloe taking a stroll before going to her foster home

Chloe is a quiet dog - she doesn't bark or whine and spends most of her time sleeping, perhaps she had been wandering the streets for a long time before being picked up by SPCA, and is now finally catching up on lost sleep. Sometimes when we rescue dogs, they spend up to many months just sleeping, simply because they have been so tired roaming the streets for years.



Exploring her new foster home

Settling in slowly

Chloe prefers to be alone, which could be attributed to the series of negative experiences she had had with humans and dogs.  Nonetheless, Chloe loves food, especially cheese, and enjoys her daily walks. In fact, she walks very well on leash. She loves sniffing and being out in the fresh air.

Chloe's wounds have healed but she is still traumatized by the recent dog attack. When you are around her, you have to be careful not to have sudden movements or raise your hands in front of her, she panics and gets defensive. She dislikes being confronted.

She feels more secure hiding under tables in the corner

Eyes that have not seen happiness in awhile

Chloe has a very deep sadness in her, one that has been there for a long time, way before the attacks. It will take a while before she opens up and learns to trust humans and dogs again but we are sure she will get there eventually.

HOPE makes happy dogs and Chloe will be no exception; she just needs her space and time to open up when she is ready. And when that happens, it will remind us of why we do what we do every day, endlessly. To see that precious smile on a dog’s face!

If you are keen to adopt Chloe and are committed to helping Chloe regain trust and confidence, please contact Fiona at fiona@hopedogrescue.org.

Written by Lynne Chue

A Case Of Abandonment

Shaggy was first spotted roaming around Sunplaza Park. After noticing her over a few days, her rescuer decided to rescue Shaggy even though they did not have any experience. Shaggy’s rescuers thought that they could send her to a dog shelter and put her up for adoption if they could catch her.

However catching Shaggy was no easy feat. Shaggy was terribly afraid and ran at the sight of humans. Her rescuers spent a good 3 hours trying to lure and corner Shaggy and finally, with the help of some kind hearted passers-by, Shaggy was cornered and leashed. While chasing Shaggy, one of her rescuers noticed that Shaggy didn’t hesitate to drink from a puddle of water which contained ants and leaves. This shows us the terrible living conditions that poor Shaggy had been living in. One of Shaggy’s rescuers decided to foster her, but could not do so for long as she already had two dogs of her own. It took them another 4 hours to bathe and shave her down as Shaggy had badly matted and tangled fur, with dead ants and twigs in it. Hence they named her Shaggy.

Shaggy - before and after her shave

Soon, the fosterer texted us to say that she can’t house Shaggy anymore as she was afraid that her neighbours would start complaining due to Shaggy’s whining and she was afraid that her own dogs might get into trouble. It seems that poor Shaggy also has anxiety problem.
 

Upon vet consultation, we came to know that Shaggy is a terrier cross schnauzer and is around 1-2 years old. Thankfully, Shaggy does not have any skin or health problems. Shaggy was given a clean bill of health. However Shaggy is very skinny and her bones are visible. Since she has been sent for grooming already, she is clean and free from ticks. She is also outdoor trained and did not poo or pee at her fosterer’s home.

Shaggy at her fosterer's home. Took her a while to get braver.

Shaggy is a pure gem. She is a very sweet girl and basically becomes attached to people very quickly. Shaggy cannot be left alone and needs to have people around her. She is also sensitive to sound and will bark. This could have been a result of some ordeal that she went through.

We are desperately trying to find Shaggy her forever loving home and family who would accept her for who she is. Given her condition now, she needs someone who is genuine and kind, and we are keeping our fingers crossed and praying for her. We can’t bear to see her out on the streets. Are you the angel who can give our beloved Shaggy a forever loving home ?

Shaggy resting at her fosterer's home.

Written by Shashrini Balu

NOTE from HOPE Dog Rescue : Shaggy has since been adopted by the rescuer's friend.

The Importance Of Sterilization – Aunt R

Sterilizing stray dogs is an arduous task but we do it because it helps keep the stray population in check.

Each sterilization project is handled by a group of dedicated volunteers who do this on a part-time basis on top of their day jobs. There is also a lot of coordination work involved as we only have 2 large carriers on loan which we move from site to site for stray catching, while keeping to a tight schedule allotted to us by the vets. Currently, we are juggling 4 ongoing sterilization projects.

One of our sterilization projects brought us to Aunt R.

Aunt R is a kind lady who has been feeding strays in her area for the past 8 months. She works in a nearby factory canteen and every day after work, she brings leftover chicken parts to feed these dogs. Her niece, Ragi, contacted us to tell us that these dogs are producing litters and they need help to sterilize the strays to control the population.

Happy and contented after their meal

New born pups

Stop the breeding. Curb the stray population

Puppies under the plank. They could be eaten by snakes or foreign workers

We went down to assess the area and found the dogs to be in good health. Although she has been feeding them well these past 8 months, we realized that Aunt R has never touched or patted them, as she was somewhat scared of them. But from the dogs’ demeanour and the wagging of their tails, we could tell how much they trusted and loved her, and we convinced her to pat them. We showed her how to approach them, which she did with great courage. She was overjoyed by the fact that they allowed her to go near and pat them. It was a rewarding sight seeing the joy in her eyes, knowing that she was finally able to get close to her furry friends of 8 months.


Best friends

Like the Pipe Piper, the dogs follow her

Aunt R then mentioned that one of the dogs had a string tied around his neck. As we showed her how to hold a dog while we checked the dog, we realized that it wasn’t a string. It was a wire tightly wound around the dog’s neck that had probably been tied there since young. As the dog grew bigger, the wire cut into his neck, leaving behind visible dried blood on his fur and neck. Our hearts clenched at the sight. Aunt R said she noticed the dripping blood a few weeks ago but she did not know what to do. We could see her distress at her helplessness. With that, we showed her how to hold the dog as we gently removed the wire from his neck. Aunt R was a natural. She spoke to the poor dog in a soft voice as she comforted her friend.

Showing us the wire tied around his neck

Trying to remove the wire

Finally got the wire off

Aunt R was delighted as she grew more confident with her strays. Since she had already forged such close relationships with the dogs, we decided to teach her how to catch the dogs so she could help us with our sterilization projects. Soon, she had managed to coax a female and two male dogs into the carriers.

Watch this video on stray puppies.

The other dogs on the other hand, got smarter and wised up to her tricks and started avoiding her. So we had to go down and help her. Each time, we try to bring 2 dogs to the vet per week so that it makes the transport cost worthwhile.


The last one that we can't catch. She has a lump on her chest.

Aunt R is just one story amongst many. Typically, when an area of strays has been identified, a volunteer will have to send a pet carrier down to the site to catch the dog the night before. This is to ensure that the dog has fasted before surgery. If we are lucky we can get help from one of the workers in the nearby factories; otherwise one of the volunteers will have to go down and catch the dog him or herself.

Once caught, we leave the dog inside the carrier at that particular factory for the night and only pick it up the next morning to send it to the vet, as most surgeries are set early in the day. After surgery, the dog is picked up and brought back to the site and left in the carrier so that it can recover from the surgery before being let out the following day.

If we could, we would let the dog recover at the vet overnight, even if it means additional costs for us. However most vets are reluctant to let us do so as they are concerned the strays will bark overnight or they may spread ticks to the other pets in the clinic.

Cost is a big issue for our sterilization projects, as not only do we sterilize our dogs, we also ensure that they are vaccinated against viruses. The cost of sterilizing a female dog is $150 while vaccination is $40. On top of that, we incur pet transport costs - we don’t have enough volunteers on hand who can send dogs to the vet in the morning, and we also need a van or lorry that can fit 2 large pet carriers at a time.

Large pet carriers so that it is comfortable for the strays

We are blessed to have helpful people like Aunt R as she genuinely loves and cares for these dogs. Help us help Aunt R and all those who have also approached us for help to sterilize street dogs or dogs in their factory compounds. Help us make a difference.

Ear tipped after sterilization



These dogs just mated. We want to minimize such incidences

Look at how the males jump at the females when they are in heat. It is a very sorry sight.



Constantly giving birth

We are looking for kind souls who can help with any one of the following : 

·      Collecting the carriers and dropping it off at the factory the night before and returning it 2 days later when the dog has been returned. 

· Transportation of large dogs to and from the vet on weekdays (only van, SUV or MPV)

If you could assist us in any way, or know anyone who could, please email Fiona at fiona@hopedogrescue.org

Our Paths Crossed

I was returning home from the market on Sunday afternoon, 14 July 2013, pushing my trolley of groceries making sure it did not overturn as I tried to make my way through the cracks and bumps on the sidewalk. 

When I looked up, I saw this dog trotting towards me. It was a HDB area and I hardly saw any stray dogs around, especially a dog that size. I would say he was medium built, light brown local dog.

 



Ashton had lovely expressive eyes that pleaded with me to help him



 

So when I saw him coming towards me I stopped, and he also stopped in front of me, and stepped sideways to the grass area and just stood there. I saw that he had a huge wound on his back just before his tail. It looked raw and painful. Maggots had not yet started to feast on it.

 

A deep, huge wound on the lower part of his back, near his tail

 

He looked healthy but slightly skinny, a little anxious and showed no aggression at all. I was able to pat him and he did not move away from me. Perhaps he could have had an owner, which explained why he was friendly towards humans.  

My mind was racing all over. What shall I do now, I cannot take him home, he is too big for the flat and my mother, already in her eighties will not be able to handle a dog, and how can I walk away and leave him with a huge wound like that!

 

Fortunately maggots had not found their way to this

Evening was about to set, and I only know a few people that I can call who have a heart for animals to help me with this dog besides SPCA! They tried but really no one could take him. 

I was starting to panic, trying to reach someone to help and at the same time to contain the dog to a corner. And I have to say, for a stray he was really well behaved and obedient. He tried to walk away but we managed to stay in a corner at the side of the housing block. So finally, I called the SPCA, but the officer asked so many times if I could contain the dog until they arrived and would not even tell me an estimated time when that would be….instead he asked if I had a leash, if I could take him back to my flat until they came....hello!! I already had him with me now and where was I to get a leash from? And I had a whole trolley load of groceries! Did I make an appointment to meet the dog so that I will have a leash at hand??? Told him I did not even own a dog! It was frustrating, sorry to say that. I understand their concerns and I believe SPCA is doing the best they can but really he was not helping…

Ashton is happy and easy going, despite his injury and pain

 

Anyway, my friend gave me this vet number to call and I was able to get Ashton the dog to the clinic to have him treated. He was also sterilized during the surgical procedure while he was sedated to have his wound cleaned. Blood tests also revealed that Ashton has Heartworm disease and will need to be treated for this when he is feeling better.

Sadly, I am not able to keep him there for long.
 

Ashton, after his surgery

 

He had his wound cleaned and was also sterilized in the process

I have UNTIL Wednesday, 17 July 2013 TO FIND HIM A HOME, after which, I may have to surrender him to the SPCA and hope for the best.  

I also met a kind Samaritan while I was with Ashton the dog, before getting him to the vet. He, too, is trying her best to find a home for Ashton.

I managed to get HOPE Dog Rescue to help share this story and create an awareness on Ashton’s plight. They have been really helpful but I think they too have difficulty finding him a home and they have their hands full with many rescue dogs.

Up to now, we have not been successful in finding him a foster / permanent home for Ashton.

 

 

He is really easy to be with. The vet also says that he is very friendly and easy to manage. Please give this dog a chance to have a home. He looks like he has been through quite a lot in his life and I do feel that he is a good dog.  If my situation was different I would keep him myself.  PLEASE HELP ME SAVE THIS DOG. I have done all I can . . . will someone PLEASE HELP!

 

To foster or adopt Ashton, please email jeanette_khoe@hotmail.com

Note : This is not a HOPE Dog Rescue case. However, we have helped with the vet bills.