A Sad Start, A Happy Ending

Not too long ago, Cassie represented the tragic lives of strays in  Singapore. Today, she is doing exceptionally well and has even become  a guardian to adorable kittens, after being adopted and settling well  into a loving home.

Cassie and her new friends 

Cassie’s story began in Punggol some 5 years ago. She was a stray who  came under our care after she was discovered with a horrific wound on  the side of her neck. In fact, the trapper who trapped her was  originally doing work for another dog rescue group, but Cassie’s wound  was so bad that they offered to trap her for free.

The gaping wound at the side of her neck was one of the worst injuries  we had ever seen, and we could smell the maggots from a distance away.  Poor Cassie, a sweet and timid dog, had been attacked by her own pack,  and she was peeing and pooing everywhere out of fear.

Happy Birthday Cassie !

With proper treatment from a vet, Cassie soon recovered – but it was a  long process. Her lengthy journey to being whole again allowed us to  discover that she was the nicest, most innocent, playful and  easy-going dog we had ever come across. She got along with both people  and dogs. We couldn’t find a single fault with her!

Stories like Cassie’s gives us hope, and reinforces the fact that dogs  are truly amazing creatures. Despite a history of bad experiences,  they are often willing to trust and love again.

  

Read Cassie's backstory here.

Written by: Jeanine Tan

The Old but Gold; Charlie The Retriever

Last week the vet did two Fine Needle Aspirates on Charlie and both drew blood so the previous vet was concerned it might be something cancerous. Charlie's foster took him to see the Senior Vet on Monday.

After looking at Charlie's tail and elbows, the Senior Vet said that there is nothing to worry about the elbows as it is calluses due to applying pressure when he lies down. However, for the tail, it was most likely a Sebaceous Adenoma, a benign tumor affecting the dog's skin and occurs mainly in older dogs. Sebaceous Adenoma results from skin glands that produce skin oils. They are mostly found on the eyelids or limbs although it does appear on other parts of the body, and in Charlie's case, it is on his tail.

The Senior Vet mentioned that cancer usually starts spreading when we start doing invasive tests so he recommended to do a punch biopsy to minimize movements and refrain from aggravating the cancer cells, if that's what it is. There is also a possibility that Adenoma can become cancerous too.

Charlie was a good boy and allowed the vet to do the punch biopsy without fuss. He had to be fasted for the morning and his mind was probably on his meal after the tests!! You can see a tiny hole that was punch on the lump on his tail.

The results will be out in 10 days' time, we hope its nothing serious. Although with Charlie's age at 15 yrs old, there really isn't very much we can or want to do if anything at all, but to make him as happy & comfortable as he can till he rests forever.

The vet visit must have stressed poor Charlie out and he had a 3 minute seizure when he got home.

His vet bill cost $500 and any help would be very much appreciated. Please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. Thank you.

Would You Like To Be A Pet Therapy Volunteer?

A resident patting SiDa. SiDa is a regular therapist at this Home

That was the question posed to me. At that point in time, I wasn’t sure if my dogs were up to the job and neither was I sure if we (hubs and I) could keep to the commitment. But well we decided to give it a shot after being assured that our dogs merely need to be friendly and ok with strangers and touch.

 

HAPPY, squished between happiness 

And that’s how we got started as we joined other volunteers and rescued dogs on their monthly visits to a home as therapy dogs.

Lassy, being a good girl and bringing joy to the residents 

To be honest, it isn’t a walk in the park, particularly for the dogs who had to deal with the warm weather and human contact.  And not all residents were comfortable with dogs and some even openly scolded us as we walked around with our dogs. And yet it is rewarding. When you see how the dog lovers amongst the residents visibly cheered up when they see us approaching.

An ex-breeding dog, Tiny, on her very first pet therapy adventure 

The huge smiles that lit up their faces. And for those who are more senior and who seemed to have lost some mental ability, it’s like seeing a cloud being lifted off their minds momentarily as they patted and stroked the dogs. Many started to tell us stories of a dog they used to have at some point in their lives. What they used to feed their dogs and how smart their dogs were... it’s like you catch a glimpse of the senior in front of you during his or her younger (kampong) days. It’s these moments that made us feel the journey and the time spent was all worth it.

Harper, another regular therapist 

Fast forward and we’ve been doing this monthly volunteering activity for almost a year (come Sep 19).  It is a commitment indeed but one that’s well worth undertaking. It corrects the misconceptions that dogs are scary creatures and that your dog must be a certified therapy dog to get started.

Little Ollie the butterfly boy 

As I finish this, it’s Friday night and tomorrow we are off to another pet therapy session again. Would you like to join us? 😊

River, recently joined the ranks of the regular therapists 

Written by : Syn Hwei
Photographer: Simon & Mendel

Baby and Muffin, Our Adorable Dogs Are Adopted!

We’re always happy to see our pups find their forever home, and even  more so when they are both adopted by the same family. Which means  more company!

Baby’s life wasn’t always smooth sailing. We first met her when she  had a horrific accident in July  2015. Her injuries were so bad her bladder shifted internally. 

Thankfully, she is still with us today, and is thriving!

BABY

BABY

Even better: she has since found a loving forever home with Karen, who  has taken such good care of her. On top of that, Karen has adopted the adorable Muffin too!

Muffin 

Thank you so much Karen, for adopting two of our babies, and loving  them as your own, despite their health needs.

We hope Baby, Muffin, and your family will enjoy each other’s company  for a very long time to come

Lucky & Muffin (Lucky is another lucky rescue by Karen) 

Written by: Felicia Tan

Why Fostering and Adopting Matters: Meet Dawn, Proof That All A Dog Needs, Is Patience and Love.

Despite being a 3 legged dog, Dawn was one of the fiercest strays we had ever come across. She guarded her factory fiercely and every one of us was terrified of her. She was past middle age when we met her and she had lost her leg in a traffic accident. After amputation, she was returned to the factory as the canteen workers would care for her. They also helped us trap her when we needed to send her to the vet. There was no way we could have gone near her.

Each time we visited her factory and needed to walk around the compound looking for the other dogs, she would be hot on our heels. We literally had to draw lots and see who we would sacrifice to enter the factory. She would be just behind us, near our ankles and it was scary knowing she would snap at your ankles anytime. You had to keep pace - too slow and she would chomp. If you dared to turn around and look at her, your ankles might have been gone too.

Anyway, long story short, her factory was soon closing down and the workers pleaded with us to take her, especially since she was 3 legged. We were hesitant because she was really fierce, and no one would dare to handle her.

Through a twist of fate, we found a foster in Pamela. We all know that fostering is permanent but glad that Pam didn’t know it that that time. And so with lots of patience and love, Dawn was tamed!

Not only was she good with humans eventually, she was also good with babies. Who would have thought that!! And today, after 4 years, she has been domesticated and is happy with her new family now.

Dawn guarding her new baby brother  

All strays can be tamed. What they need is time. That's why it's so very important to have fosters.

Amazing how a fierce street dog can be so sweet to a baby 

Written by: Felicia Tan

Are You Ready For A Dog?

We all love dogs. They are fun, loyal and always there to greet us when we are home. But affection does not equate to competence in caring for a pet. Before you sign the forms and checkout your new friend, here`s a checklist of factors to consider.

Mathilda (HDB Approved)

Dog for display: The essence of time

The daily tasks in caring for a dog includes: preparing food and water, potty cleaning, bathing and regular walks. But these are just the essentials for keeping your dog alive. If you want a happy dog, Frisbee-fetching and snuggle sessions are the secret ingredients to the recipe. 

For those who lead busy working or studying lives, you will probably need to recruit someone to watch over your furry pal when you are away from home. If you have little downtime, your dog may not get the attention he deserves. Your sleep and personal rest time could also be compromised to attend to your dog`s needs.

SiDa (Special Needs / HDB Approved) 

Rent-a-dog? : The responsibility routine

You don`t rent a dog, you own a dog. And that means you got to merge the responsibilities of caring for him into your daily routine. The added chores may increase your fatigue, but isn’t the company of your new pal worth it? 

Imagine (realistically) where you will be in 5 to 10 years’ time. Will you be married with kids, or a citizen of another country? Insert your dog into the picture. Will the future environment match his needs? Will your family accept him? If you answer ‘maybe’, perhaps you could consider fostering. It is akin to owing a pet but for a shorter period of time (read: less responsibility).

Bank tolerance level: The money matter

Can your bank account tolerate a withdrawal of $300-$500 every month? If your purse strings will snap from this amount, you should probably leave owning a dog for another time. 

The average adoption fee in Singapore ranges from $150-$400. On top of that, medical bills (check-ups, vaccinations), food and miscellaneous items contribute to the monthly triple-figure sum. There`s also one-time expenses such as dog licensing, microchipping, deworming and dog obedience courses. A worthwhile investment or not, you decide. 

Brain workout: The knowledge factor 

Ask after those of your friends who own pets, in particular, dogs. Hound them down with questions: How did they cope with the workload and financial commitment? Get the approval of all your family members as it is a family decision and everyone should be agreeable.

Seek the enlightenment of experienced souls, be it friends, books, or the depthless Internet. Take to heart the lessons others have learnt and avoid walking down those lanes. You could also jot down useful and insightful pointers. Like how you would do adequate research before embarking on a trip or investing in stocks, getting a dog is a big deal and calls for careful thought and homework.

Want or need: The Why Question 

Why do you want a dog? Because a puppy is an IN fashion accessory? Because your idol owns a dog so you want one too? Or you want a snuggle buddy to dote on and you know he will reciprocate your love?

Dig deep into your answers to this question. Is your response something that an older you will cringe and wish your younger self knew better?

If you have gone through this checklist and think (with strong reasons!) that you are ready, please adopt a dog, don’t buy. You can access HOPE Dog Rescue list of dogs up for adoption at http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.sg/p/adoption.html

Written by: Melissa

Every Day Is Sunday (Sundae)

Meet Sunday, our rescue dog who was adopted 7 years ago. She was given the name “Sunday” as we wanted her days to be bright and sunny (that came true for her!). You may wish to read her background and full story here

When she was rescued, she had ehrlichea and had a blood count of only 23. She also had pale gums, very bad conjunctivitis, and had just suffered from a miscarriage. While recuperating at the vet clinic, she managed to escape. She holds the record for the longest missing dog – we searched for her for 12 days and nights!  After she was found, Chiew Guat and her family kindly offered to adopt her because she thought Sunday's ears were really cute and floppy. She kept her name but calls her "Sundae" or "Dae Dae".

That was 7 years ago – Sundae is now a senior dog, estimated to be about 11 / 12 years old. Sunday has found her forever home and her second lease of life with Chiew Guat’s family. Carrying for a senior dog is a whole new ball game, but Sundae is blessed to have a family who loves her to bits and who is willing to go the extra mile to care for her.

Sunday suffered a mild stroke recently, but she remained strong and as sweet as ever. It took her some time to regain balance and to walk properly. This could not have been made possible without her family’s support. We wish to thank Sunday’s family for loving her, and most importantly, for giving her a second chance at life.

Adopting a street dog rescues the animal from a life on the streets – you’re saving a life, and you’re giving them a forever home. They may not look the prettiest or the cutest, but that does not diminish their capacity to love or to be loved. We cannot thank Sunday’s family enough for opening up their hearts and home to her. By doing so, not only did they change Sunday’s life forever, they also helped to free up space in the shelter. This gives other dogs a chance to be saved.

Consider opening up your heart to a street dog as well – the rewards are endless...

Written by: Jeannie