Marni Marni Marni

Marni is a chocolate-coloured stray that lives in the industrial estate we go to every week. She used to have a brother, but he had died in a distemper outbreak in the area last year, when they were just puppies. Marni survived. Despite living the life of a stray, Marni was lucky enough to have a caregiver, an Indian worker. He calls us whenever Marni is injured or requires help. We deliver dog food weekly when we go on our feeding rounds, and he would feed her and ensure her safety.


Marni's fur is chocolate brown, but you can hardly tell with all the dust covering her.

But there's really never an easy day in a stray's life. Just as she was getting used to her peaceful life, the rug is being pulled from under her. Her caregiver has informed us that the factory construction project he was working on is about to be completed and that he will be transferred to another location, where Marni wouldn't be allowed to go.

Poor Marni. Imagine how she'll feel! But that's not the worst of it. Her caretaker leaving not only means that poor Marni will have no one to care for her or feed her any more, it also puts her in quite a risky situation. She may start missing her caregiver, wonder where he has gone, and wander out of her factory to look for him. As she is unfamiliar with places outside the factory where she grew up, she may get lost, be attacked by other dogs, or even get run over by heavy vehicles. We dread to think that one of these could be the scary, terrible fate for sweet, young Marni.

As if that's not bad enough, we also suspect that authorities are concentrating their stray-culling activities in that very same area, as we have noticed that other strays from the area have vanished. Workers from neighbouring factories have also told us the authorities come in groups of 6 to 8 people and they set huge traps for these poor innocent dogs. Inside their cages, they hang strong smelling food as bait to lure the dogs in. The very hungry and innocent dogs would fall prey to these traps while the smarter, more wary ones would rather avoid and go hungry.

In fact, just last week, the authorities had taken more dogs away. 

We don’t want anything bad to befall Marni, but we have too many other dogs on hand to help. Marni has to be taken off the streets before she gets caught by the authorities. Imagine this sad reality, each week when we go down to feed these dogs, the only thing on our minds are, I wonder if so and so are still around.  . . ..

Please help Marni! We are appealing for a saviour for Marni. She is currently suffering from heartworm, which we are treating. She has already been sterilized. Marni is relatively small-sized and is HDB-approved. She is estimated to be just slightly more than a year old.

She's very easy-going, affectionate, and hardly ever barks. When we see her every week, she would run straight out to greet us, wagging her tail energetically, waiting to be fed. She has a very hearty and enthusiastic character. She is very intelligent and a fast learner. She's also very trusting and sweet, and seems to be good with children. She truly is a pleasure to be with. See how loving she was with a kid that she had just met for the first time!

Marni’s charming character would fit right into any home, where she’ll be able to create a new beautiful journey with a new family.

Marni is still at the worksite as we do not have an fosters to take her in. As it is, we have way too may dogs to manage, most of which are at commercial boarding kennels and pet shops, so if you can foster Marni, please do let us know.

To foster / adopt Marni, please contact hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Spread the word. Open your heart. Save Marni. Take her off the streets before it's too late!

Written by June Oh

Edited by Elena Lin

Talia, My Incidental Adoption

It was mid-January when my daughter and I came across a Facebook post on Talia, a blind 13-year-old American Cocker Spaniel. She had been caged up and badly neglected for the longest time and was looking for a loving home. We had seen a lot of such posts before but for some reason, this particular post was calling out to us.

My daughter Hilda then asked if we could adopt Talia. As we already have a dog at home, it never crossed my mind to take another dog in. But after some thought, I wrote in to HOPE Dog Rescue. and that first meeting was arranged.

It took place at her fosterer's place. The information of her medical condition on the poster already had me mentally prepared. Talia's fosterer, who had been looking after her for the past six months, gave me a very detailed rundown on how it's like to look after Talia: her daily treatments like applying of eye drops, cleaning of her cyst which bleeds daily, and walking Talia twice a day because she prefers to do her 'business' outside.

Sweet Talia

Throughout the entire visit, Talia remained in her cozy corner and was not bothered about our presence at all. I was told if I am looking for an active dog, Talia is not the right one. However, that was not an issue as I already have a hyperactive Yorkie at home and didn't need another active dog.
 

After much careful consideration and a second visit with all my three kids, we were ready to welcome Talia to our family. I did not want Talia caged up at all. She is free to roam every inch of my place. I also singled out my balcony as the most suitable corner for her to have her own 'space'.

It was a big project. I cleared my balcony of a lot of things. Cables had to be kept out of sight, electric fans and my iRobot had to be tucked away as Talia might trip over them. My kids' guitars and amplifiers were also relocated.

The day of the house visit arrived and Talia finally stepped into our home for the first time. The minute she arrived, I knew that she belonged here. I must thank Talia's fosterer who made a trip down to my place to ensure that I can pass my second house visit. This time, Talia was more at ease and my dog was friendly towards her. There were no signs of jealousy or territorial confrontation by my dog which was marvelous! After the final house check by HOPE, I finally got the green light!

Hilda snuggling up with Spike and Talia

Talia has been with us for some months and she is just amazing. My Yorkie, Spike, has a companion now. He watches over Talia - when we go for walks, he will always make sure that Talia is keeping close.

Hilda giving Talia a bath

I must say it was not all a bed of roses. Initially, I was worried about her bumping into my furniture or running into the walls. But after a week or two, she seemed to have mapped the entire layout of my house in her mind. It is indeed true that a dog without sight is not necessarily handicapped as they have a keen sense of smell to guide them. Talia has proven to me that at even at 13-years-old, she is able to adapt well to a new environment. All my earlier worries were unfounded. Talia loves her treats and food. When she smells food around,  she goes nuts! She's really adorable and I love teasing her once in a while with treats. She has her ways of asking for more and I always end up giving in.

Best of friends

Amidst getting to know Talia’s unique love for food, cleaning up after her, and the medication routine, I realized Hilda had been quietly observing every step of the way. By the end of the second week, she was able to apply Talia's medication and clean up after her. Not just that, she was able to brush Talia's teeth. She knows she needs to be responsible because she was the one who initiated the adoption. My little girl really behaves like a responsible pet owner and has won Talia's trust in caring for her. Talia will even lick her at times and Hilda is only 11 years old but more responsible than may people we know.

Hilda cleaning Talia's teeth

 

It took us awhile to understand Talia's body language. And now, I no longer wake up to nasty surprises. Talia is able to hold her bowels till I wake up and bring her outside for a quick relief. She is such a darling to learn so quickly.

If anyone were to ask me do I regret adopting Talia, my answer would be a resounding NO. She may be a mature dog, but she has a calming effect on the people around her. Taking care of her has helped my kids understand and cultivate compassion towards animals. She has opened up our hearts and minds towards this group of neglected, abandoned, once-loved pets. They deserve a second take in life. If you’d just open up your arms, they will open up their hearts to you without hesitation. Sometimes when I look at Talia, I wish she could still see so that she can see the world outside of that tiny cage she knew. I know it's not possible but she is definitely able to feel it with her heart and sniff it out with her nose.

My belief is that every life is precious; no one has the right to take that away, even if she’s only an old, sick and neglected dog. Had she been euthanized, it would have been the biggest mistake ever as we would not have the happiness we do right now.

So here’s a big THANK YOU to all Talia's rescuers and her fosterer who hung on to her and had the faith that she was not ready to give up on life just yet.

Darren with Talia, while Hilda holds Spike

My promise to Talia is that I will be there for her till her very last breath. However, I believe with all the tender loving care that she’s been receiving, she's still has plenty more quality time with us.

Written by Mommy Annie, Hilda and Darren.
 Note from HOPE Dog Rescue : We are truly grateful to Annie and family for adopting Talia and loving her the way they do. Talia is so happy that it feels as if she has an entire life ahead of her!

Talia will be featured in our HOPE 2014 calendar! To order, please click here to download a form and email the completed form to hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg.

D.O.A (Dead On Arrival)

We received a call from a lady saying that a very weak looking dog had strayed into her office, situated near a golf course and agricultural land. She sent us a picture of the dog and told us the dog smelled really bad and looked even worse. She gave him some water and we told her to rush the dog to the vet.

This was the photo we received today from the lady

It took her an hour to get the pet transport to pick the dog up, and while waiting, the dog lay on the ground, gasping for air. His breathing was so shallow and laboured that we knew he was struggling to survive.

We don’t know where he had come from but where he was found, there are a few breeding farms in the vicinity. We can only speculate where he originated from.

I had made the vet appointments and was on standby to rush and meet the dog at the vet but just as I was on the way, the pet transport called to say the dog had passed away in his van. My heart sank. We then had to change course, from vet to crematorium. 

Dead on arrival

It's been a long time since I have shed tears for a dog but when I saw the dog lying in a box at the clinic, body all stiffened, my heart broke and tears fell. The smell of maggots filled the room, lingering on my hair and clothes, it was overpowering and nauseating. The dog was so badly matted, all I could tell was that it was a brownish poodle / terrier looking dog. The fur on his legs was all wet and smelly, as if it had been caged and neglected for years.

His legs

I couldn’t tell how old he was and the lady who found him named him Harry. So Harry he was.

I put on a pair of gloves and flipped his hardened body over, revealing hundreds of maggots! They were thriving and feasting on what had previously been his anus and testicles. The hole on his anus was huge enough for me to stick my entire fist in! To reach a wound this size, and the amount of maggots on him, it would have been at least two weeks.

His maggot infested wound

Wound huge enough to fit my entire fist in

Words cannot express my pain and sadness in seeing yet another innocent life suffer.

Assuming he was a breeding / stud dog, he would have been caged all his life for the sole purpose of making money for the owner we call human. Perhaps he had gotten into a dog fight and had a small wound, left untreated, it got to this stage. Or did someone cut off his testicles? We will never know the truth. For a person with no conscience, to save money on vet bills, the easiest option was to just let the dog out and roam free. It had outlived its purpose. A dog that had been caged all its life would have no idea where to look for food, how to cross the road etc and with his extremely painful wound, hunger and thirst, we can never imagine the pain, fear and anxiety he went through just to seek help.

What a sorry sight. I can't imagine where they locked him

He had found this kind lady to ask for help and as soon as she found him, he collapsed and passed on shortly after. Perhaps he knew he was finally safe.

I am sorry he had to suffer such a fate from mankind. I wish we could have done more for him...

                 
I won’t ask that breeding farms be shut down, because it is a commercial entity and it will never happen. I do however hope that we see an advancement in animal welfare, where we practice ethical breeding, letting breeding dogs rest in between heats, breeding them after they turn 2 years old and not when they are younger, providing them with nutritious food, sufficient space to run and play like a regular pet, not denying them medical attention when they require and most importantly, allowing them to retire with dignity.

I hope that the authorities come to their senses soon and try to make a positive difference for these poor dogs that make them good money. 

I also hope that people STOP buying pets and consider adoption instead. Why support breeders and animal cruelty?

Got a cute puppy recently? Look again, does it by any chance resemble this dog? You will never know who your puppies’ parents are, don’t be fooled.

This poor dog, Harry, will be cremated tomorrow morning. Alas, there was an end to his suffering.

Rest in peace, dear child

Timothy’s 3rd Update - He Has Been Warded Again!

For a young dog with so much potential and love to give, Timothy has had an exceptionally tough life.

After calling the vet home for nearly two whole months, Timothy was delighted to find a foster home. Unfortunately, his joy was short-lived. After spending only a few days there, he suffered from diarrhea and had blood in his stool. Even though Timothy learnt to poop and pee on the newspapers in the hope that they would let him stay longer, he was out of luck. His fosterer could not manage to house Tim any longer, and sadly he had no choice but to leave his new home. He was really sad to leave the foster home.

Poor Tim had to be warded again.

Back at the vet

He was so happy at the foster home for that few days

We sent Timothy to Dr Ly for his diarrhea, and discovered that his unusual bowel movements and stomach discomfort were due to food intolerance. Based on an ultrasound, we found that having suffered for almost a whole year and eating food that was not suited to him have caused his intestine walls to thicken to thrice the usual thickness. Timothy’s stomach was so bloated and uncomfortable from the pain that he struggled to walk. To add to his distress, Dr Ly found that Tim's bloated stomach caused him to develop arthritis and swollen joints. Every step he took was painful. No wonder he walked so slowly when we walked him. He couldn’t climb steps and he was forever panting.

Getting an ultrasound done

Dr Ly kindly warded Tim for a few days, to rest and recover. He is to be fed intravenously for 5 days to let his stomach settle, as he was passing out gas every few minutes! He was put through a bio-resonance allergy test, which has confirmed that he is allergic to fish, carrots, chicken, pork, lamb, wet wipes, among other things. No wonder he was feeling so sick! To date, the only things that Timothy can eat are rice, beef, potato, pumpkin, broccoli, plain yoghurt, egg yolk and Scott's cod liver oil.

Ever the gentleman

Bio resonance allergy test

After everything that Timothy has been through, he deserves a little happiness. He desperately needs a foster home by this coming Monday when he is discharged from Dr Ly’s clinic. Will you give this poor boy a chance to recuperate in a happy environment please?

He has nowhere to go.

If you can help, please drop us an email at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

World Animal Day 2013

Heads up everyone! Do you know what big day lands on the 4th of October? Yes! It’s World Animal Day! On this very special day, we celebrate for all forms of animals. You can make this day a special day too by helping out as well!

1. Adoption

If you’re thinking of getting a new animal companion, why not consider adopting? Adopting a pet on this day makes it even more memorable for you and your new animal friend! Many local adoption shelters have many different breeds and ages of dogs, so there will surely be a suitable one for you. Arrange a time to visit the shelters to get to know the different animals better! However, please be 100% sure that you are going to provide endless commitments to your new pet before you start on your first step! Also, do check with the shelters that the potential adoptee has been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

Adopt a rescue dog. Ellie adopted Beano, a rescued street dog. Remember Beano?

Murphy, rescued from a breeding farm

2. Sponsor an animal

What better way to help out an animal than to provide for its needs. If you’re unable to commit time for an animal (especially working adults), why not sponsor an animal? HOPE Dog Rescue has 14 dogs in foster care and pet shops and we require funds to ensure the dogs continue to live healthily there. These rescued dogs have been waiting for new homes for a long time, some even more than a year’s wait. Even if it’s just for a month’s worth of sponsorship, it’ll still make a difference to us, as well as the dogs.

Walter, who has to stay in the commercial kennels as we can't find anyone to foster him
(Walter is available for adoption)

If you’re thinking, what if I don’t have full funds to sponsor an animal for a period of time, but still want to help as much as I can? No worries! When you’re out shopping, buy a few extra cans and packets of cat and dog food and donate them. Toys, treats, new collars and leashes are also acceptable! A tiny bit of effort still counts and we do appreciate every support/donation that we get!

3. Volunteer

If you do not have the funds to help an animal, why not help by volunteering? Many local animal shelters require volunteers to help out at the shelters and with creating awareness. You can even help out at certain events to encourage adoptions, fostering, volunteering etc. If you’re looking for a more meaningful activity in your life, you can volunteer long term, not just on World Animal Day. HOPE Dog Rescue is also looking for committed volunteers for rescue missions, taking our rescue dogs to vet appointments and fostering our rescue dogs as well! So consider lending a hand to bring a better future for the animals!

Jinhui, Buven, Kelsey and Kristin (L to R) with Cooper at an event (Cooper is available for adoption)

Volunteer Chris with little Oscar (Oscar is available for adoption)

Helping at events

Helping in rescue work

4. Treat your own pet

Make it a special day for your pet! Shower it with truckloads of treats (but not excessively either), spend extra time with it, bring it for longer walks, cook a sumptuous meal etc. Just do anything that you know will make your special friend happy! Yes, it may not know what day it is, but it’ll definitely enjoy the extra effort you gave to it. Seeing their happiness will sure make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Adopt sweet Timothy so that he may experience what it feels like to be a pet

No matter what you do for the animals, don’t forget to sign the World Animal Day Pledge Board and make a personal promise to the animals! Happy World Animal Day!

To offer help in any form, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg 

Written by June Oh

Velvet. An Orphaned Puppy

A street dog’s life isn’t just about roughing it out on the streets and playing the game of survival. There’s another side to it that we don’t often mention simply because it’s just too depressing to even get the discussion started.

Velvet's siblings born underneath a container.

Barely less than a month old. A whole life of misery ahead.

The litters of stray puppies may make your jaw drop in awe but behind those bright, shiny eyes is a reflection of an exhausted mummy dog that have conceived and delivered too many times.

An unsterilized female dog can start breeding as young as six months old. The day they start breeding marks the beginning of a life of hardship – being the target of all the male dogs in the vicinity and giving birth twice every year. At just six months old, they are still a puppy. Can you imagine a primary school child becoming pregnant repeatedly and giving birth at that tender age?

Little lonesome pup

Where's my mommy?

That’s not all. The cruelest part is to watch the puppies you’ve painstakingly nurtured and delivered fall prey to illnesses, accidents and abuse. And there’s nothing you can do to revive the cold, lifeless body – no amount of tears will change their fate, no amount of grief will bring them back. And the same exhausting life goes on, again and again until the mummy fall prey herself.

Playing with dangerous objects in a vacated factory

Why won’t people just adopt strays? Why is it that there is always this social stigma associated with street dogs?

We already have 13 dogs on hand and we have maxed out our list of existing fosters, and yet some of these dogs still haven’t found a home even after two years of wait. Due to our constraints, we’ve been wanting to turn down cases but rescuing dogs is in our blood and we just can’t seem to turn away.

Setting a trap for the puppies, who outwitted us

Recently, we caught a female stray puppy that had an injured left paw. We treated her and decided to have her sterilized as part of our sterilization program. She was around 3 to 4 months old then. At that age, many vets would have refused to conduct the surgery as early age neutering is considered a high-risk procedure. However, vets who work with strays often enough would know that it is much easier to catch and sterilize them when they are young before it is too late. Once they grow older, they are more likely to suffer abuse, which makes them a lot more cautious, guarded and wary of people. By then, we may have lost all our chances of catching them for sterilization.

Our only catch for the day

We have been feeding the puppy’s mommy for three years now. Until now, we still can’t catch her for sterilization. During this period of time, we have seen her give birth to four litters of puppies. The first two litters were successfully re-homed by us; the third litter was wiped out by a distemper outbreak last December; and there are only three puppies left of the seven puppies in this current litter. We’ve tried catching the last three of the litter but two of them have already grown so wary of us that catching them for sterilization seems next to impossible.

Velvet's Mommy was hit by a car a few days back and died on the spot

Poor puppy Velvet lost her mommy. 

Going to the vet for her sterilization

As for the puppy girl we’ve rescued, our original intention was to release her back to the streets when she’s recovered but we can’t bear to do so. She is so young, vulnerable and sweet – we can’t allow ourselves to see her rough it out on the streets and live life on the edge. Hence, we decided to pay extra money so she could stay at the vet for a few days while we find a temporary foster.

The puppy girl is currently at a foster home but the foster can only keep her for two weeks. Time is running out for her. We urge everyone who has the capability of caring for a dog to please consider adopting her.

Our little puppy girl is a local cross, estimated to be about three to four months old. She has undergone her first vaccination, with two more to go. We’ve got all her hygiene checks done – she’s sterilized, microchipped, and tested negative for both distemper and parvo virus.

Sweet puppy Velvet

This little girl is intelligent and has already learnt some basic commands. We’ve named her Velvet.

Please note that she is not HDB approved. Interested adopters or fosterers, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg  An adoption fee of $350 applies. This fee covers the cost of all three vaccinations, sterilization and microchip.

Meanwhile, here’s a video of the puppy girl and her siblings that we filmed a few months back. Looking at their living conditions, how many days, months, or years do you think they will live?

Watch video  http://youtu.be/N1dRASy_86g 

As we write this, her mommy was killed when a car hit her. She lived as a stray, died as a stray. Left behind are two of Velvet’s siblings, a mere 3 mths + with no mommy to care for them.

Help us change this little puppy Velvet’s fate. ADOPT HER.

Velvet is a local cross breed, female, sterilized and has had her first vaccination. She is will be medium sized when full grown, and not HDB approved.

Written by Claire Chai