Life As A Stray

Strays . . . .some people are repelled by the word.

Why feed them? Isn't it tiring? They are dirty, a nuisance and they carry germs, diseases...  Why care for them? They are just strays.  Yes, they are just strays and we love and care for them tremendously because we have the capacity to give them food, love and happiness.


Perhaps not to the full extent of those words, but enough to check on our regular brood, to feed them at least once a week and to ensure they are well and unhurt.

A sweet old furry stray, waiting for someone to come along and feed her. Better yet, take her home.

Do they really belong on the streets?

Barely past a month old and not knowing where his next meal will be coming from

Despite the sometimes unspeakable pain we feel when we see them in accidents, abused and suffering, they make our lives whole. Complete. They teach us about life, courage, endurance, loyalty, strength, perseverance and even joy and laughter. They inspire us. They bring smiles to our faces when we see them race to us, as fast as their little legs can carry them; pouncing on us as if we were their masters.

A life of aimless wandering

Pregnant, nowhere to go and no hope in sight

A stray pup scavenging for food

Survival of the fiercest

Thin, fearful and scar-ridden

A painful and pitiful sight. She would not allow us to approach her.

These “just strays” have taught us very important lessons in life; faith and forgiveness.  They live in the present and they get on with life, unlike us who dwell on our past with “what ifs” and what could have been.

Trust

Leader of the pack

It is an amazing journey we have chosen to fulfill in this life. If you are ever feeling down and needing someone to lift your broken spirits, go feed a stray. You will immediately feel your spirits uplifted and appreciate what you have in life because these “just strays”, despite having nothing to live for in their lives, are able to find peace and contentment.

How long are we going to go on doing this? For as long as we can. For as long as YOU care.

There is nothing more rewarding than saving a life.  Our wallets are always empty but our hearts are always full. Our work is never done. We make a difference everyday.

We would like to thank the students of St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School, their principal, Ms Melanie Martens, teacher Ms Chia Sui Yoon and the following students for making the video specially for Zeus Communications and helping us highlight the plight of the strays and the love we have for them.

Juliana Chia

Janine Loi

Lim Yu Ning

Cherie Zheng

Written by Fiona

Boy Adopts Pedigree Dogs, Then Sells Them (Straits Times, 26 May 2011)

Pet owners, please beware when you give your dog up for rehoming, or when you are looking for a foster. If it's not a friend of yours nor a recommendation, please be careful; do your own due diligence. One careless move and your dog might fall into the wrong hands.

If you have bought a dog from this young Indian boy, S, please email us: dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg

Bring Sunshine To Our Dogs at Zeus PlayHouse!

If you have been some of the shelters of the past or have seen it in movies, you will know that oftentimes, it is a bleak-looking barrack like enclosure with compartmentalized cages within but all these are slowly changing with the help of animal welfare groups and volunteers.


Have you ever wondered how it feels to be a kennel dog? Imagine your view consists of just a concrete kennel wall or fenced wall, day in and day out? No exercise, no walks. That would be pretty depressing wouldn’t it?


Zeus Playhouse dogs get to run freely in the entire kennel compound – except for when they misbehave and need to sit in a kennel and reflect!

Puppy is for adoption. The little girl isn't!

Not only do they have the free run of their very own Playhouse, we hope that they will soon have a nice colourful, bright and cheery Playhouse too!

Area that needs to be painted.

Nobody likes to stay in a home where the walls are made of dull, dreary concrete slabs. Now, imagine if you have bright, colourful and cheery walls, won’t that help lift up your spirits?

Help us bring sunshine to our dogs!


We would like to brighten up their lives by painting wall murals at the kennels to brighten up the place.


There are 9 walls to be painted, each wall is about 1m x 1.8m. We are looking at painting happy dogs, flowers etc on the walls. Anything cheery will be great!


I'm ready to work!


To do so, we will need your contribution in order for us to purchase the following:


1. Paint brushes of various sizes


2. Roller brushes


3. Paint trays


4. Thinner / Turpentine


5. Acrylic paint of different colors (bright colours)


6. Matex (to whitewash the walls)


We will need to raise $400 to help fund our 'Bring Sunshine to the Dogs' project.


How can you help? You could help with the following;


1. Make a contribution to 'Bring Sunshine to the Dogs' Project


2. Design wall murals – we welcome budding or professional artists to make a difference in the doggies’ lives. This is a small scale project and we need just 2 or 3 artists to help design and paint the walls. If you have always wanted to show off your talents or give back to society, this is the perfect opportunity! Or if you have always wanted to express yourself and not have to face the consequences of your creativity, this is your opportunity. The dogs promise only a howling success!


Please emails us at dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg and submit your designs to us by May 29. Thank you.

Details:


Date: 4 & 5 June 2011 (Sat & Sun), to paint the wall murals but we hope to finish everything on the first day (4 June)


Time: 2.00 pm to 6.00pm (depending on weather)


If you would like to offer help in any form, please email us dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg


Thank you for brightening up their lives!

Written by Tia

Zeus Playhouse

Gorgeous pups for adoption at Zeus Playhouse

Animal shelters are places where unwanted, stray, abused or abandoned animals find temporary respite from the harsh conditions they were subjected to. It is a place they call home and are cared for until a better home can be found from them.

Caring for animals is an expensive business. It also requires a great deal of time, space, involvement, effort and commitment, and these are not always available for every animal.

Every year, thousands of stray dogs have to be put to sleep. As much as we wish to rescue every single one of them, we are limited by funds, resources and manpower.

Some dogs are caged in small cells all their lives. These dogs, we call them prisoners of love.

Zeus dogs are fortunate because we rent the entire block of kennels for them, which means they get to socialize, play and run within their compound. It’s not the most ideal situation, as compared to a real home of their own, but it’s the best we can offer them for now. Only dogs that fight and misbehave will have to do time inside the cells on their own. Our dogs know our house rules well, they live harmoniously together.

Kaelyn abused by puppies

Zeus Playhouse is a beacon of hope for these dogs. Without our shelter, they will either be put to sleep, or have to continue to put up with the harsh conditions on the streets where they get injured by careless humans , abused by irresponsible and uncaring people where they have to go hungry for most of the days and fight with each other for a small morsel of scrap.

Tiger, head of Zeus Playhouse

Puppies galore. Come adopt them.

Besides having come across many injured/sick stray dogs on our feeding rounds, we have people approaching us to find help for dogs they want to rescue. We will try within our means to catch these dogs and bring them to the vet for treatment but this is not always possible. Sometimes the dogs don't want to be caught; other times we have a real job to hold.

Jo-Ann at Zeus Playhouse

As soon as these dogs recover, we release them back to the streets where they came from. However, there are instances where we know, from our experience, that the dogs are unlikely to survive when released back into their dangerous "homes". Often, there are street dogs that aren't particularly street smart , are accident prone or simply too old, injured or sick. There is no way we can release the dog back to the streets only for it to die or suffer another injury.

We try our very best to rehome these dogs, but it is an uphill task. The fortunate ones get adopted to a home that they can call their own. But, for those who are still waiting for their forever homes, we house them at Zeus Playhouse. We will never abandon any of these dogs under our charge and we will continue to care for them at the kennels while we persist in looking for suitable adopters.

Zeus Playhouse is Zeus Communications' very own space where rescued dogs have adequate shelter from the elements, full protection from speeding cars or unkind humans and absolutely no lack of food. We have employed Ida and given her a part time job, cleaning and washing the kennels, as well as medicating and feeding our dogs on a daily basis, whilst our volunteers visit a few times throughout the week to check and ensure the dogs are well, healthy and happy. We have also allowed Ida to board two of her dogs at our kennels, in exchange for her help to feed and care for our dogs.


Apart from checking on the dogs during the weekdays, our volunteers bring home-cooked food and treats for these doggies as they simply deserve the best from us. Weekends are bath times for these doggies, as well as getting lots of pats, personal attention and going out for walks.


To give the dogs a second chance at life is not an easy task. Besides our love for these animals and the fact that we know these sweet animals truly deserve better, we are fuelled solely by the support of kind donors and volunteers. Your contributions and kindness will go a long way to help our furry friends in need.


Adopt a Goyang?

Our little puppies were rescued from industrial estates  If you adopt them, you will not only be saving a life, but also making room at our kennels for us to rescue another dog.


Jill is still waiting for her permanent home, so is Tiger and Goyang. They are currently staying at Zeus Playhouse with the other dogs, hoping to be adopted into REAL homes soon! Do contact us if you are interested in adopting them!


We and the dogs would be eternally grateful if you can help fund, sponsor their food, sponsor a dog, kennels boarding fees, and vet fees. A small contribution goes a long way in bringing hope into their lives again.

How can you help?


1. Food Contributions


Dry Food (Kibbles)
We need dog kibbles (dry dog food) - Pet HQ is giving Zeus Communications a very special price for their dry dog food – Precept Plus. Each 12kg bag costs S$55. To support the 15 dogs at Zeus Playhouse, you may order the food from:


Peggy at Pet HQ
Tel: 6265 8510
Email: pethqboonlay@yahoo.com.sg

Canine puppy formula

   

Precept Plus, canine adult formula

 

For payment, please make your cheque payable to “Pet HQ Pte Ltd” and send it to 8 Raffles Avenue, #02-04, The Esplanade, S (039802).

Canned Food (for the sick dogs and puppies)
Our rescued dogs love Azmira Ocean Fish Formula or Lamb Barley Formula.


To order this, please click http://reinbiotech.com/pets/cats/32  For every carton that you order, Reinbiotech will contribute another carton free.


2. Funds to Help Defray the Cost of Vet Bills


For the older rescued stray dogs, their vet visits are usually for heartworm and tick fever, industrial / traffic accidents, vaccinations and sterilization.


Faith was hit by a car in Tuas.

For the breeding dogs, it would be to treat a variety of illnesses such as arthritis, skin issues, ring worms, vaccinations, sterilization, checking for heartworm and tick fever, dental scaling, dry eyes, injuries sustained in the breeding farms etc


Molly receving love from Zuzana, who visited to meet our puppies



Elmo waiting for the right family to enter his life

For the puppies that we are desperately trying to find homes for, their vet visits are for microchipping, vaccinations and sterilizations when they are of the right of age.

Puppies needing real homes. The kennels are not for them

Any contribution, of any amount, will be most appreciated by us and our furry darlings at Zeus Playhouse. To contribute to their vet bills, please write your cheque to “Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre (Redhill) Pte Ltd” and mail to 8 Raffles Avenue, #02-04, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802.


3. Sponsor a Dog / Puppy and Help Us With The Kennel Boarding Fees


Each month, we require almost $3000 to maintain these 15 dogs. This amount includes the boarding fee, food, medication, vet bills, etc. Help sponsor a dog at $150 per dog, monthly and with your kindness and compassion, hopefully we will be able to make ends meet. Please do ask your friends to adopt a dog, instead of buying one. With more of our dogs getting adopted, we will then have room to rescue more dogs.


To help sponsor / pay for the kennel boarding fees, please send your cheques to Zeus Communications and send it to 8 Raffles Avenue, #02-04, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802.


4. Volunteering

• Photographers - during office hours, sometimes nights and weekends – for events, dogs’ visits to the vets

• Pet transporters to transport our rescued / foster dogs to the vet, transport strays from the vet after sterilization, back to the industrial estates.


• Experienced dog handlers to walk our dogs weekly and teach them basic obedience to increase their chances of being rehomed


• Volunteers to conduct house checks and follow up visits (for adoption process)


• Volunteers to call factories during working hours to educate and convince them on the importance of sterilization.


• Fosters - to foster our rescued dogs, teach them basic manners, paper train them, understand their temperament and basically help ease their transition into a new home. Foster period could range from 1 to 3 months or more.

• Volunteers to wash the kennels and bathe the dogs on Saturdays or Sundays

Tara drying a pup after a nice bath

Kaelyn washing the doggy bowls. Starting them young with love, education and compassion

From left: Fiona, Nancy and Jeannie getting their weekly work-out!

  

If you would like to like help / contribute / foster / adopt – please email us at dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg


If you have been to some of the shelters of the past or have seen it in movies, you will know that often times, it is a bleak-looking barrack like enclosure with compartmentalized cages within, but all these are slowly changing with the help of animal welfare groups and volunteers.

Have you ever wondered how it feels to be a kennel dog? Imagine if your view consists of just a concrete kennel wall or fenced wall day in and day out? No exercise, no walks? That would be pretty depressing wouldn't it?

Zeus Playhouse dogs get to run freely in the entire kennel compound - except for when they misbehave and need to sit in a kennel and reflect!

Not only do they have the free run of their very own Playhouse, they will soon have a nice colourful, bright and cheery Playhouse too! Help us bring sunshine to the dogs!


Stay tuned to our next blog story, a project initiated by Zeus Communications to bring sunshine to the dogs! A wall-painting session will be organized at Zeus Playhouse. Stay tuned and see how you can help us out. 


Tia and Steven bathing a puppy

 

Written by Tia Tan. Photo Credits: Fiona, Jo-Ann , Jean and Jamie

An Unfair Death

This article is temporarily removed while the writer seeks legal opinion.

Zeus Communications Charity Dinner December 2010

Note: This article was meant to be shared with readers in January this year but with so many rescue stories that took priority on our blog, we had to hold this off till now.


On Saturday, 18 December 2010, Zeus Communications held our inaugural charity dinner at Keppel Club. The dinner was a smashing success and all proceeds go towards providing medical aid and food for street animals.

The star of the night, Mr Riem de Wolfe

Ms Teresa Hsu, at 113 yrs old, is Singapore's oldest living person

Mr Vernon Cornelius greeting guests

Friends and ardent supporters of Zeus had a ball of a time that evening. Besides the scrumptious 8-course Chinese dinner, everyone was treated to an array of performances by Mr Riem De Wolfe of The Blue Diamonds and Mr Vernon Cornelius of The Quests. Their time on stage left everyone tingling with nostalgia as they played music of the 70’s and all-time favourites by the heartthrob vocalist Cliff Richard. The very best music was played towards the end of the evening, with everyone reminiscing about the “good old days”. Coincidentally, last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Hit Song "Ramona" and everyone present at the dinner sung along with Mr Riem De Wolfe to the fantastic tune. Judging by everybody's enthusiasm during the performances, it is truly evident that music is the universal language of mankind.

Keppel Club's Elvis Presley

We would like to thank and applaud everyone who helped make the success of this dinner possible.

Friends from the Singapore Swimming Club

 

Staff from Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre



Ms Melanie Martens and friends

A BIG THANK YOU TO

·       Mr Vernon Cornelius; for his efforts in putting together and planning the concert

·       Mr Riem de Wolfe for performing at our inaugural event

·       Students of Singapore Polytechnic; for rendering their support and assistance during the evening

·       Management Committee of Keppel Club; for supporting and hosting our event

·       All performers; for gracing the event and making it such a memorable experience for one and all

For those who have helped us in many other ways, we express our utmost gratefulness to you. We wouldn't have been able to do it without your help!

To all present at the dinner, we hope that you enjoyed yourself, especially knowing that the proceeds collected will go to the animals we help. So far, we have helped about 100 street animals and we will go on providing love and care for them because they mean the world to us.



An autographed copy of The Blue Diamonds Music CD

*We have one last autographed copy of The Blue Diamonds' "Ramona" CD. For just S$30 (inclusive of postage), just be the first to send us an email dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg

Thank you everyone!

Written by Jo-Ann