TVT = Death?

We keep reminding ourselves that we have to take good care of our current dogs, 20 of them in our charge, before we can even think of helping more dogs. We can hardly stay afloat and often, we bite off more than we can chew and end up in such dire circumstance. But here we are, appealing for your help once again. An individual feeder has approached us for help. She has been trying to get assistance but to no avail as 4 dogs that she has been feeding are sick, VERY VERY SICK. As of current status, two are missing and may have died but two are still alive and need urgent help.

It has been a good 1 month since we had any new rescues. You may recall our last post requesting for financial aid as we are in the red due to the overwhelming number of rescues at the vet previously. Thank you so much for all the help as we are at least somewhat operational although we still owe a vet more than 10k. However, your help means we are still able to send our existing charges for their reviews, hydrotherapy, acupuncture as well as vet visits when they fall ill. Thank you very much as well to regular donors who ensure our existing charges are taken care of. A rescue is not merely a vet visit. It is a long term commitment which is similar to adopting or buying a dog. For so many of our dogs, the after care and ensuring their constant good health is an ongoing drain on our funds.

When this individual feeder first requested for our help, we turned her down. But when we saw the pictures, our hearts sank. How do we say no? Bobby, whom many of you are familiar with and in such a sorry state had TVT with a severely swollen penis. He couldn’t pee without wincing and whining, so his penis had to be amputated and he went through 4 courses of chemotherapy to kill off any lingering cancer cells. He is so much better now and is a testament to how we must never give up and the strong willpower our doggies have.

 

These 2 doggies are in a much much much worse state. Their genitals are literally rotting and falling off and although we cannot confirm the exact cause without a vet consultation, this is most likely an extremely severe case of TVT. It might even have spread to the other organs and is very very very serious. These doggies need to go to the vet immediately and must be in such extreme pain. They cannot lie properly or even perform a simple basic need like peeing or even sleeping when the slightest touch will cause them uncontrollable pain. Can you imagine the agony they are going through every second for the past weeks or even months? On top of all this pain, there is also a high risk of infection.

This is the last surviving one which we are trying to trap and take to the vet

However, we are hesitating as this will mean putting down deposits and committing to weeks of hospitalization stays which we can ill-afford. As they are in such an advanced stage, surgery is a definite must and will most likely followed by weeks of chemotherapy. After the operation, they will need to recuperate and require long term post-hospitalization care as they will be prone to infections. These are all the factors we need to consider. Can we get fosters? Can we afford to board them? Can we re-home them? All these are question marks and it’s so much easier to say no. Some may say it’s more humane to put them down. This is definitely an easier route but as a rescue group, how do we turn a blind eye? How do we tell them to give up when we didn’t even give up on Elmo or Bobby or Sida?  Our hands are tied although our hearts tells us that we have to try.

The two doggies are still eating when fed and have not given up on life. Please do not give up on them and let die of infection or pain. We cannot assist with limited resources but we know that if you’re roped in, we will be able to do it together. It’s going to be Christmas soon. Please celebrate the joy of giving by returning them their life, one which is free of pain.

To help, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

*Latest updates, there is only one male dog left. The other 3 may have passed on. Volunteers have been trying to trap him since Sunday but are unable to get close to him. More updates will be shared on our Facebook page when we have more information.

**Latest update: We have caught the dog and rushing him to the vet now.

Cody. Rejection

Please help me

It has been a most trying day. Yesterday, Cody visited the vet. He has been living at a commercial boarding place, with volunteers delivering home cooked food to him daily. The volunteers have feedback that he seems to be getting weaker and skinnier. We were very concerned and decided to get him checked. A previous diagnosis had tested Cody positive for heartworm and we are seeking a second opinion. Three volunteers were on standby at the vet and when Cody arrived in a pet transport. Words can’t describe how they truly felt. It was like a replay of Elmo’s case; the skeletal frame, the bare patches on his skin with almost non-existent fur, the pungent smell of rotting skin and what can be worse, you ask? Cody’s eyes; dejection and depression looking out from his sweet brown eyes. He seems to have given up on life. The volunteers’ tears just flowed down their cheeks silently and words seem to be stuck in their throats somewhere.

What happened to Cody

Hardly any fur left on his skeletal frame

The first heartworm test’s results turned up negative.  However, we were not convinced and did a cardio ultrasound. Cody allowed the vet to flip him and scan his heart. It was such a pitiful sight, he looked so resigned and helpless. A volunteer tried to encourage him by telling him constantly that he was not alone, and that this was for his own good. Cody did not respond and he seemed to be unable to trust us. We really cannot blame him. He has been through so many hardships and there is only so much his poor wrecked body can take.

His skin is so dry he cuts and bleeds easily

Cardio ultrasound for heartworms

At the end of a grueling 5 hours at the vet, Cody was finally diagnosed with heartworm, and his skin condition is most likely caused by mange and stress. However, his rapid weight loss is a great cause for concern and we do not know what is causing it. Further tests may be necessary to ascertain the root cause. The vet was reluctant to admit Cody due to a lack of space but as it was late, they finally allowed it after much pleading as we did not want to stress Cody by moving him after such a long and stressful day. Our volunteers were drained after spending 5 hours at the vet but what is worse is we have not helped Cody. As the vet is not confident of treating his heartworm, we will be bringing him to another vet tomorrow to seek treatment. 

How painful and raw his paws must feel

It’s December and the Christmas season is here. The atmosphere in all the malls seems so cheery and happy. But when I think of what Cody is going through, all these festive cheer seems fabricated and overrated. He is a stark reminder to me that there are so many others who may not be as fortunate or blessed. Regardless of which charitable organization you support, if it’s within your means, do help to spread the cheer as its only then, will we be celebrating the true spirit of Christmas.

If you will like to contribute to Cody’s vet bills or provide a warm home for Cody to recuperate even if its just short term, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. Perhaps all Cody needs is love and someone who truly understands him, to warm his heart and gives him the strength to recover and fight on. We will all pray for his angel to appear.

The Many Sad Faces Of Cody

How many people remember Cody? We hardly talk about him . . . .  because we don't know what to say and he is now in a sorry state.

Rescue is supposed to make dogs feel better but for Cody, it keeps getting worse
(from left to right, he gets sadder as the days go by)

His past : 

Cody 1

Cody 2 

We rescued him in early September because he had a huge wound in his anus. After seeing the vet, they could not ward him and so Cody went to a commercial boarding kennel. After 2 weeks, his wound did not heal and we took him to another vet. This time, he was warded for about 3 weeks as his wound was taking forever to heal. We reckoned his slow healing was due to severe stress, anxiety and because he had a bad skin condition, it hindered his healing. When the vet bills started piling up, we took him out of the vet and SOSD kindly offered to let Cody stay for a month till his wound was almost 100% recovered.

Wound not better after 2 months

By this time, he was almost ready to be released to where we had found him. There was no way we could take him in as we already have way too many dogs in our charge, most of whom have a slim chance of being rehomed because many are handicapped, old, deaf, blind etc – lots of special needs dogs, which also costs a lot to maintain.

We have not been able to clear our vet bills as each week, we have almost two dogs going to the vet and so we never considered keeping Cody but when we announced our plans to release him, we had many keyboard warriors on Facebook asking us not to release him. This is very common and we are almost used to that by now, but after some internal discussions, we decided we would keep Cody as he is very timid and may be attacked again. Furthermore, he came from a high culling area where strays were cleared together with rubbish and shrubs when they were clearing the land for redevelopment.

Fortunately for us, and Cody, angels appeared and offered to pay for his boarding. And so we sent him to the vet to be microchipped and vaccinated before sending him to commercial boarding. However, the vet said they could not vaccinate him as he was not up to it. As for his microchipping, his skin was hard like leather that they took 3 times before they poked through, causing some bleeding and distress for Cody.

Microchip attempts

From Day One till now, it has been 3 months. In these 3 short months, we have watched Cody lose weight, despite eating regular meals and is now a shadow of what he used to be. What little sparkle he had in his eyes when we rescued him, is totally gone. He spends his days holed up in a corner, not wanting to even come out of it. Should you attempt to leash him and bring him out of his safe corner, he will draw blood. And he has injured the owner of the boarding place, leaving him with 4 deep puncture holes, of which we offered to pay his medical bills as well.

Last week we had to take poor Cody to the vet as he was scratching non-stop and his skin was cracking and starting to bleed. He had lost most of his fur and was beginning to resemble Elmo. This vet also reckoned that his pathetic condition was due to stress as he was not used to being caged up. A blood sample was also taken and results showed that Cody had severe heartworm. Was this the reason why he was losing weight so rapidly?

This is how he spends his days, sad isn't it? And we thought we saved him

Today we take him to yet another vet, for treatment of his severe skin issues and heartworm. Hopefully will be able to start his heartworm treatment. If left untreated, Cody might not survive. However, we don’t think his dry skin will recover soon as it is caused by his severe stress, stress of being in a confined area, stress of being in a place he doesn’t like. Poor Cody, he has had one pitfall after another.

  

His wound in anus is still not recovering

His skin is dry, itchy and bleeding

What can we do for Cody? Apart from providing him with medical treatment, there really isn’t very much we can do for him? The only way he is going to recover, to learn to trust humans again, to feel happier and less stressed, is to be in a home but who would be experienced and patient enough to take him a dog with fear aggression?

We honestly don’t know what’s next for Cody. Of all the dogs we have rescued, this is the first time we have a dog that we can’t really help, simply because we can’t find a foster for him. Finding a foster home sounds simple enough and if finding a foster home means saving a life, why then has no one come forth to save Cody’s life?

To foster / adopt / help with vet bills, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg 

*We thank kind angels for helping with Cody's boarding. 

Loving Momo & Sparky (Happily Adopted!)

Have you ever thought of adopting a dog? If so, have you ever thought of adopting a street dog? Too aggressive! Unfriendly beasts! Ungrateful too! These are the few words that pop into our minds right? I am also no exception. Before we adopted two extremely wonderful street dogs, I had the same thought. However, ever since we adopted two street dogs, they have become my personal teachers. They are very grateful just because they have a roof over their heads and look forward to every single day! 

Initially, my mum wanted to adopt a pure breed dog but as we chanced upon many, many articles of dogs dying or being abandoned, my mum decided that we will adopt a street dog. Since the two adorable dogs we wanted were siblings and we did not want to separate them, we decided to adopt them both, Momo and Sparky.

This is handsome Sparky

Although, Momo lives with my aunt, she brings her endless joy. When my aunt feels down, she just has to see Momo’s smiling face and that will cheer her up.

This is cute little Momo

Sparky is an energetic boy who loves to have fun and is extremely loyal. Although he took time to cope with this environment, he brings love and joy to the family.

Dogs are loyal. As long as you show them affection and care they will always be by your side. As the saying goes: a dog is a man’s best friend. This saying is extremely true. Every living being has a life and dogs are of course also beings. There are still many street dogs out there hoping to find a loving home. All the volunteers at HOPE do their best to give all the rescued dogs temporary shelter to try save their lives. On the other hand, we can adopt or foster the street dogs and provide them a decent live.

I would really like to emphasize that dogs deserve more care, and that they are not aggressive little creatures in fact they care for us too. When we feel upset, they will always nudge you to cheer you up.

However when adopting or fostering a dog, it is a commitment and they will be with you for life so do not adopt and discard them away like trash. To end, I believe those who will adopt a street dog will raise them like another child and save a life. 

Note from HOPE : Momo & Sparky had lived in the kennels for some time before they found true love and a new life. We are delighted that Momo and Sparky have been happily adopted by Linda, Wendy and the rest of the lovely family and are now the happiest doggies on earth because they have lots of love, food and most of all, a happy home!

Photographs and story by Schuyler Chua (12 years old)

November Daisy

November. We dread feeding the strays in November as it is wet and rainy throughout the month. Do not get us wrong, we love dogs, especially street dogs. It is not the weather conditions that we mind, the reason being; it is simply heartbreaking to deny the street dogs a good meal, especially when it rains, when we can't even put food to feed as it would all be washed down by the rain. Worst if the weather decides to turn violent with thunder storm! We also see some dogs snuggling close to other dogs, all soaked wet from the rain, just to get some warmth from each other's body heat. Some are so thin with no fur and no fats to protect them, they just sit and tremble in the rain. Nothing could be more heartbreaking.

For the past many years, we feed every Saturday at a certain industrial area. We know our dogs well enough, the factories they are located at, where they hang out, the quiet streets where they rest and vacant lands where they seek refuge at. 

All Mommy dog wants is someone to love her

They will no longer need to live in this dump. No one deserves to live on the streets. 

Daisy. I couldn't help but notice her sagging breasts when I first saw her photos taken by fellow volunteers. The first thing that came to my mind was how sad a life for a female pregnant street dog to experience and endure. We can only imagine the hardship that Daisy and many other female street dogs have gone through. Not only are they "strays", they are also "female" and they get "impregnated" and "gang raped" by many male dogs when they come in heat, twice a year. What’s more tragic is for a female dog to give birth in NOVEMBER. Imagine drenched in the rain, the weather cold and wet, Daisy carrying 6 puppies in her tummy, all due in November, she can hardly find food for herself, let alone find food for her babies. She has to fend off unwanted attention from the industrial rats, who often feed on the newly born puppies when they are just born, alive but not moving. Mommy Daisy also has to live with the constant shoo-ing of the unkind humans and look on helplessly when humans came and took away her cute, light coloured puppies in front of her eyes. Perhaps, in her heart, she could only hope for the best for her children.

Black puppy saved

Brown puppy saved

Cream puppy missing. We pray he is alright

 Black puppy was hiding in his home growling at us

The team had a discussion about Daisy and her remaining 3 puppies (black, brown and cream). Keeping in mind we still owe a few vet clinics tens of thousands in vet bills, we bit the bullet and decided to rescue Daisy and her family. As they were residing in a dangerous industrial estate with heavy vehicles constantly moving about, the thought of witnessing one, two and three crushed and dead puppies worried the team. We understand that human nature is such that we are all suckers for cute little things, especially PUPPIES! Mommy dogs are rarely given a second look, or even rescued together with the entire family as there is cost to consider, such as boarding facilities, the prolonged boarding cost, food, medical check-ups and vet bills, shortage of manpower and the lack of knowledge in rehabilitating the dogs, and last but not least, to find a good permanent home for the entire family. But we promised Daisy, we would not leave her behind and we will do our best to help her family. We did not have the heart not to take Daisy, it was ALL or NOTHING. What a brave decision we have made.

Mommy Daisy in the car, looking worried and confused, on the way to the vet

After some discussion and planning, the day came to rescue the family. We were mentally prepared that we may be greeted with less than 4 dogs in total or none at all.

At the vet

Black pup tired out at the vet

When we arrived at the place where they were temporarily putting up at, we knew Daisy was a good mother. When we approached Daisy, it took us a while to gain trust from her especially since she needed to do what a mother had to do, to protect her puppies. After much sniffing and sensing we had no ill intention, she allowed us to pat her, carry her puppies and Mommy and puppies had a delicious home cooked meal specially cooked for them by the volunteers. We spent some time holding on Daisy and the two remaining pups. After more than an hour of searching, we successfully gathered the 3 dogs and headed straight to the vet. It is HOPE’s regular protocol that all dogs we rescue head straight to the vet for a thorough medical check-up. At the vet, while volunteer Val was holding on to Mommy dog Daisy, she said to me: I think the Mommy wants to get close to her puppies. So off I went, carrying the brown puppy close to Daisy for her to lick and sniff. It was a touching sight that could make any grown adult cry. What Mommy Daisy did was to lick and kiss both her puppies and tell them good bye. She knew that they would be separated from her and one could hear Daisy saying: My dear child, Mommy knows and is happy that you will go to a good and safe home. We shall say our good byes here today, I am sorry that mommy can't be with you anymore, take care my child. I love you very much.

Mommy saying good bye to her pups

What a sweet mommy dog

As much as we hope to rehome the 3 dogs to ONE family, the truth is, even rehoming ONE LOCAL STREET DOG takes a year or years. If the dog is born under a lucky star, perhaps he / she will find a home within weeks. Puppies will eventually be adopted first. For the adult dogs, they would need a patient and kind person or family that would look beyond the breed type, colour type, age and sex of the dog and most importantly the temperament. 

We're quite sure this wasn't her first litter of puppies

Gorgeous Mommy Daisy (definitely has Sharpei blood in her, look at her snout)

Mommy dog was named DAISY because daisies open at dawn as the day just begins. It symbolizes a NEW BEGINNING. To some, our plan to rescue the family may not be a practical thing to do, considering that we do not have a shelter, we owe hefty vet bills, we add on to the numbers of dogs on our rehoming list! To us and everyone at HOPE, it is the BEST thing we have ever done, the joy to save Daisy and her 2 remaining puppies is a priceless experience that money can't buy.

Too much excitement for the day, Mommy Daisy also knocked out at the vet

Mommy and babies safe and sound . . . finally . . .. 

We hope everyone could give Daisy a chance to live the best life that she deserves, free from the never ending "gang rape", free from the harsh abuse of humans, free from the unpredictable life span of living on the streets. Best of all, a good way to celebrate the coming new year, a fresh start for a street dog.

If you are interested to foster or to adopt the lovely Daisy, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. She is estimated to be about 2 years old, is very calm, sweet and affectionate. She will be going to the vet today for her first vaccination. 

Written by Lisa Goh

Homeless Mommy And Her Babies

It’s always fun to play with puppies; their carefree charm, their playful nature and especially their infectious joyful squeaks. We found a litter during one of our regular feeding rounds and were completely smitten by them.

Volunteer, Val, with one of the puppies

For years, we have been feeding the strays around this particular industrial estate weekly, and yet not once had we spotted this particular dog until 3 weeks ago. We noticed that she seemed to be nursing and upon checking with some of the workers working in the area, understood that she had given birth to a litter of 6 puppies.

How did she suddenly appear in a dangerous industrial estate? Was she abandoned there because she was pregnant? 

Mommy and her cute puppy, who looks like a little bear

She truly longs for a home

Playing with her Mommy in a busy car park is not how a puppy should be raised

Food that is fed to these tiny puppies

This is their home

We decided to check on them regularly and last week, we headed back to the same location, but could only find the mother dog with 3 of her puppies, leaving us to wonder about the fate of the other 3 puppies. What could have happened to them? Were they knocked down by the trucks that frequently drove around the area, attacked by other animals or died from illness or infection?  It was too dark and we could hardly see, but we were too worried with the missing puppies and went back the very next day to take a better look at the litter.

The puppies live in here with Mommy

In the daylight, we took in their appalling living conditions with a sinking heart. There was a lingering smell of stale food which was lying all around them and huge rats almost as big as the puppies scampering around. Had a rat eaten one of the lost puppies?

This little one looks like a Retriever 

The little black bear

Volunteers feeding the puppies

These little puppies are living in a makeshift shelter plagued by dangers lying around every corner. They could be bitten by the huge rats, cut by the sharp objects that are strewn all over the floor, or hit and run over by huge trucks which was a common sight in the area. They are exposed to the elements with no proper shelter to seek refuge in and from the rain which has been pouring mercilessly almost every night. The poor babies do not even have a towel and must be feeling so cold. I could easily envision them shivering and trying to seek warmth by cuddling together but it probably wouldn’t help much.

The 3rd cute little puppy (all 3 are males)

Look how tiny they are, just slightly bigger than a can of dog food.

Although we try to feed them weekly, it is hardly enough as the puppies are still growing and their regular meals are those contributed by workers who worked or lived nearby and consists of leftovers that has gone sour and bad. No doubt these workers have kind intentions, but it’s scarcely enough to fill them and definitely insufficient for a growing baby.

The puppies are only 6 to 7 weeks old and one look is enough to melt your heart. They are sweet and friendly and one of them even turned over for a belly rub! Although the mother dog is protective of her puppies initially, she soon lost her reservations and warmed up to us quickly and is ever so affectionate! She begged for hugs and even reciprocates by giving you a little kiss on your lips! Mummy dog is very young and estimated to be less than 2 years old. She is such a pretty girl and is possibly a Sharpei cross.

Poor Mommy, heavily laden with milk

It's so unbelievable, Mommy is absolutely gorgeous, calm and affectionate. 

We have been reiterating that we are stretched to the limits recently with the spate of rescues and we have currently 20 dogs waiting to be adopted. We do not have a shelter and no place to house them. We cannot even afford to buy time by putting them at a temporary foster because we are just unable to commit. It pains us to leave them but we have no choice. It has been raining every night and this poor family has been wet and cold while we are warm and snug under our blankets.

The three male puppies that are available for adoption

We have begged so many times for adopters and we knew how slim a chance it is trying to get not 1, but 4! And yet, we cannot help but to appeal once again for your help. This Christmas, instead of buying another bag, instead of going for another holiday, perhaps you may want to open your door to a furry angel who will give you the best Christmas ever. Sometimes, we procrastinate, we worry if we can commit, if we can provide adequate care, if we will have sufficient time. Yes, adopting a dog requires commitment, a long term one akin to having a child, but the rewards more than exceeds any sacrifices.

‘Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.’  By Roger Caras

Time is of the essence here due to the perils that they face in their living environment. Please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg and make this the best Christmas for Mummy dog and her babies.

Note : We are looking for adopters. Not fosters. With fostering, very often people return the dogs / puppies to us after a few weeks / months of fostering and then what happens? We can’t possibly return them to the streets after having fostered them for a few months. As a result, we would then have to put them at commercial boarding, up to $480 per dog / per month and this may go on for years and we definitely can’t afford that. So we hope you will understand that we purely want adopters, not fosters.