Living in Singapore with my 2 fur kids

"The world would be a nicer place if everyone had

the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog."

『倘若每個人都能像狗狗一樣地無條件去愛，世界會變得更美好。』

- M. K. Clinton (author, The Returns)

- 摘自《 The Returns 》作者 M. K. Clinton

Living in Singapore with my 2 furkids 

 和我的兩個毛孩住在新加坡

A small country? Heat and humidity? Not so clean beaches and sea?....... but let me tell you, Singapore is getting more and more a dog friendly place. The dog community is growing and even dog-friendly places are popping up......... yes there is now hotel staycation. Dogs need to have their leash off, run and play and there are quite a few 'dog runs', in fact we have 7 'dog run places, 3 dog friendly parks (without dog runs) 3 dog friendly open spaces.

地狹人稠？炎熱潮濕？海水沙灘不太乾淨？雖說如此，新加坡對狗狗卻是越來越友善：狗狗社群的擴展、寵物友善場所興起，甚至是帶著寵物一起入住酒店。狗需要放繩玩耍奔跑，新加坡有七個犬隻不需繫繩的區域、三個寵物友善公園（不含放繩區）及三個寵物友善開放空間。

I have two dogs (a 13 years old miniature bull terrier and a 2 years old mixed breed bull terrier). I lived in an apartment, so I do walk my dogs several times a day as they need exercise and so do I. I am mindful of the heat and humidity. In the day, it is usually a shorter walk (pee breaks) and the longer walks are for the mornings and nights. Like most of you reading this, I have many dog lovers' / owner friends and we arrange casual meet-up sessions ending with a long dog walk.
我有兩隻狗，一隻十三歲的迷你牛頭㹴，另一隻是兩歲的混種牛頭㹴。因為公寓的活動空間小，我們也都需要運動，所以我每天都會帶他們散步幾次。由於新加坡天氣炎熱潮溼，早晚天氣較涼爽，散步的距離也比較遠，兩次散步之間則會讓他們在附近小解。和大部份的讀者一樣，我有許多愛狗、養狗的朋友，我們常辦聚會，帶毛孩們一起散步。

Most things related to dogs are expensive particularly in the areas of therapy. I am fortunate to learn pet massage and energy healing which in turn my dogs are benefiting from them. For me, just touching them and taking them out are bonding sessions which both me and my dogs enjoy.

與狗狗相關的事物大多都不便宜，在治療方面更是要價不菲。我有幸學習了寵物按摩及能量治療，而我的兩個毛孩也都從中獲益。我喜歡撫摸他們、帶他們一起去散步，這都是讓我們關係更親密的方式。

Living in Singapore, I do say, Singapore has a fairly good and powerful law that protects all animals. One section of the law says cruelty and abandonment of animals is a crime.

Also, through the good work of the authorities, dog welfare groups, animal shelters, people nowadays don't scatter away quickly when they see owners and their dogs. Indeed, we have come a long way. Dogs are indeed part of our lives and I wish Singapore would one day allow our dogs to travel on trains, dine with their owners, shop in a mall etc etc.

新加坡的動物保護法令相當嚴格，明文規定虐待、棄養寵物都屬違法。由於政府、動保團體及收容所的共同努力，大眾對狗狗的接受度已經提高許多，我們能走到這一步，的確不容易。毛孩是我們生活的一部份，我也希望在未來，毛孩可以和主人一起搭捷運、到餐廳用餐、一起逛街。

A little about my two dogs; 我的毛孩兩三事：

Scuba

..... enjoy the journey but stay in the present 享受旅程、把握當下

Two things Scuba love most; Eat and Sleep. He keeps telling me "I will sleep well if I dined well". Seriously he thinks I am his treat-dispenser and my bed 'companion' and he is not wrong.

史酷巴最愛吃飯和睡覺，他的名言：『吃得好就睡得香』。他真的把我當零食機，而且把自己當成我的床伴，但他一點也沒錯。

He sleeps all the time but I choose to say, he is constantly in Zen meditation. Being a companion for many years, and at age 13, he gets 3-4 massages a week to help him resolve and support his mobility (musculoskeletal circulatory) and have a positive influence on his immune system by flushing out waste and toxins (lymphatic system).
史酷巴老是在睡覺，不過我會說他只是持續在禪的境界冥想。當了我的夥伴這麼多年來，每週我都幫他按摩三至四次，不但可以增加肌肉骨骼的行動力，對免疫系統的淋巴排毒也有幫助。

Brutus

A shelter dog can only do so much to give himself a second chance at finding a forever home. He can wait for weeks, months....... 

收容所的狗狗可以等上數週、幾個月的時間，只為了有個永遠的新家，而他們能做的，也只有等待...

A dog welfare group saved 2 little puppies at the 11th hour from being put down by the authority and kindly put them in a shelter.

兩隻幼犬在被安樂死的11小時之前，被一間動保機構拯救出來，送到收容所。

Brutus waited for several weeks at the shelter before he came to his forever home when he was 8 months old. Unfortunately, we found out he is deaf. During a lion dance this year at home, Brutus slept through the whole event.

魯特在那裡待了幾個星期，我們去領養他的時候，他只有八個月大。但之後我們發現，布魯特完全聽不到聲音。今年家裡剛好有舞獅的表演，但他從頭到尾都睡得很熟。

He is also high energy and very exuberant and wants to play all the time. He goes crazy with tennis balls so finding a 'stray' tennis ball outside the tennis court is like finding a treasure.

布魯特非常精力旺盛，無時無刻想玩耍，他對網球極度瘋狂，每次在網球場外總是在尋寶『流浪』的網球。

Below is the official dog runs, dogs friendly parks and dog friendly spaces for reference;

這裡有幾個帶毛孩的好去處，推薦給大家：

Official Dog Runs: 放繩奔跑區：

Bishan Park Dog Run, Katong Park Dog Run, West Coast Dog Run, Jurong Lake Park, Sunny Heights, Pet Mover's Dog Run, The Animal Resort off-leash Park

Dog friendly parks (without dog runs) 寵物友善公園（不含放繩區）：

East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Botanic Gardens

Dog friendly open spaces 寵物友善開放空間

Tanjong Beach, Coastes, The Green Corridor

Author 作者 : Vivian Choo
Translator 譯者 : Tommy Lin

Source:  Animal Talk Ltd August Newsletter 2016

The Value Of Life

我們走進寵物店，會被店內的幼貓小狗所吸引，真的很可愛呢！其實牠們這個時候還是很脆弱，極需要在媽媽的懷裏成長。可是，由於商人知道這是寵物最吸引客人購買的階段，也沒有理會牠們的需要，急急地把牠們當成商品推出巿場。要知道如果你在這時購買，便正中下懷了。

The moment we stepped into the pet shops, our attention will always be captured by the kittens and puppies there as they are all adorable! In fact, these little ones are still very fragile at this stage, needing care and cuddle by parents. However, the merchants know that this is the most lovable stage for these pets, they will always launch these "merchandise" onto the market in a rush ignoring their needs. If you were to purchase these little ones at this time, then you are being swindled. 

你有否想過這些幼貓小狗的母親是在怎樣情況下誕下這些寶貝呢？有否想像過為了滿足商人賺取金錢，牠們過著怎樣的生活？有否考慮過你買回來的小傢伙，是否有隱性遺傳病？你願意知道真相嗎？還是認為只是花了數千元，玩厭了便棄掉吧? 如果你真是有這樣的想法，那對生命的認知，真是本末倒置。

Have you ever thought about how the mothers gave birth to these kittens and puppies? Have you ever imagined the kind of living they have gone through in order to satisfy the money-making intention of the merchants? Have you ever considered these little ones you bought may have recessive genetic disease? Are you willing to know the truth? Or do you think you are spending a few thousand dollars for something you can play with and abandon when you get tired of? If you truly have such thoughts, may I urge you to revisit the meaning of life and find out the very fundamental of existence.

  

不過，我仍相信有很多愛護動物的人士，因為不知道寵物店背後的殘酷運作，才會糊里糊塗地成為商人的魚餌，卻又間接地殘害著母狗／貓的生命。

However, I still believe that there are many animal-caring people who may not know the brutal operation of these pet shops and purchase pets from them, and yet indirectly harming the life of the mother dogs and cats.

當然，這是一個商業社會，有買有賣的公平交易實屬平常，但對於被商人利用來賺錢的母狗／貓，牠們堪坷的一生，又有誰來憐憫？

There is no doubt that buy and sell activities in fair trade are common in today's commercial society, but who would give mercy to these poor mother dogs and cats which lives were exploited to make money for the merchants?

    

天父，可以告訴我嗎？....

God, can you please tell me?  ...

 "神賜予每一個小生命來到這世上都是帶著祝福的，他們可以盡情去展現生命，而這個生命並非只有人類，那是包括一切眾生，所以生命的誕生是在最自然的狀態下去孕育出來。"

"God brings every little life into this world with a blessing, they are free to enjoy the best of life, and the right to live well does not only limit to human beings, it shall include all sentient beings, and therefore, the birth of life shall come as natural as the nature calls."

可悲的是，人類為了金錢，竟利用生命去達到其目的。繁殖場是動物在凡間的地獄，牠們終身被困在狹小的籠中，一次又一次地誕下小生命，而最後卻賠上了自己的生命。

Sadly, human beings often exploit life for the purpose of making profits. Breeding farms are like living hells on earth for animals, animals are being locked up in small cages, giving birth to little lives over and over again until eventually losing their own.

母親的角色，不論在人或動物世界中也應被尊重，被愛護。我們不能因一己私慾而踐踏了生命，這是對生命最無情的摧殘。生命的誕生本應是懷著最美麗的祝福，可是對動物來說這是人間煉獄，生產的機器，沒有了尊嚴，埋活了感受，而生命卻一直地延續，更多的痛苦也一直地延續，沒完沒了。

The role of the mother, regardless in the world of human or animal beings, shall deserve all the respects and care. Life shall never be trampled to fulfil selfish desires as this is the most ruthless form of devastation to life. The birth of life shall come with all the warmest blessings, but when animals are brought to these living hells on earth and turned into delivery machines, they lose not only their dignity but also feelings; with their life being extended for continual delivery, their pain gets extended as well, unfortunately and endlessly.

  

動物是因為愛，願意當上人類的天使，來到世上保護人類。人類因為金錢，埋沒了愛，對牠們的一切視若無睹，把牠們推向絕望的邊緣，令更多眾生在這世上受苦，你們知道這是遠離了人性真善美的一面？

It is all because of love, animals come to this world to protect human beings like angels. Yet people, often blinded by monetary gains, ignore the beauty of love from these animals and even send them to the verge of despair, making more and more sentient beings on earth suffer, and the situation has now gone way too far off from the beauty and goodness of human nature.

我們要懂得感受到別人的痛，那才會開始感受到愛，沒有愛的生命是荒涼的。願意對生命有承擔，珍惜每一個生命的到來，你才會懂什麼是生命，和真正活著的意義。

We have to learn to feel the pain of others before we can feel love, and life without love is desolate. We must be willing to commit to life and treasure the arrival of every new life;then we will be able to understand what life is all about and the real meaning of living.

我想，如何活出真善美，正是人類下來要上的一課，而小動物正是幫助我們去完成這生命的課題。所以，當我們懂得把美麗的包裝紙撕下，了解真正內裏發生什麼事，而用心去感受弱小的無助，繼而救助牠們，你便真正地用愛去活出生命。

I always think "living the beauty and goodness of life" is one of the lessons human beings need to learn, and these little animals are god's gift to help us achieve our learning. Therefore, take a moment to unwrap and unveil the truth of what's happening, feel with your heart the helplessness undergone by these little ones, start your rescue effort and you can then fully and truly live your life in love. 

在養寵物之前，不防再想清楚，是否能給牠們一個永久的家？是的話，請勿再光顧寵物店！應向動物組織處領養，牠們正等候與你一同活出真愛的人生！

Before you make the decision to have a pet, think twice about whether you can give them a permanent home. If the answer is yes, please do not buy from pet shops! Consider adopting one from the animal adoption organizations as there are lovely pets out there awaiting your companion to explore the beauty and goodness in life! 

Author:　Lolita Yiu 

English Translation: Willa Wong

Learning to Love Like the Animals

愛，從來都是一個永恆的課題，人來到這世上，一生所追求與學習的，不正是愛嗎？LOVE, it is  always a topic for lifelong learning. We come to this world, pursuing for lifelong learning, isn't that is LOVE?

普遍人對愛的定義很表面，可是，我們從動物身上，你不曾看到牠們因為你變老、醜、病、殘疾而嫌棄你，牠們的愛是無條件地奉獻，短暫的一生，就只有愛。

A lot of people understand LOVE on a superficial level. However, you will never see animals withholding their love to you, regardless of your age or looks, whether you are healthy or sick, or with disability, their love is unconditional with dedication. With their short life span, they give you all their love.

作為主人 ，每天上班下班，應酬，回到家只想倒頭大睡，而作為寵物，牠們每天就是送你出門，等你回來，守護你一整晚...牠的一生，便只有你！而你給牠的食物、讚賞、擁抱，便是牠的一切。

Every day you go to work, go out at night and have fun, and then you go home and just fall asleep.   For pets, they walk you out every day, waiting for you to come home, wanting to play with you and safe guarding you while you are asleep.   This is pretty much what they do with their life, everything is about YOU! In return, the food you give them, your appreciation, kisses and hugs are all they have.

人的愛有時很複雜，有很多計算，投放感情時會看是否值得？動物沒有這個機制，牠如何愛你，會毫不掩飾，盡情表達。

LOVE in human sometimes can be very complicated. Before investing in LOVE, there is a lot of calculation to see if it is worthwhile? Animals do not have this mind set. They are direct without any condition, you see their LOVE through their eyes, their joyous expression on their face when looking at you.

不幸地有些寵物會被主人遺棄，使牠們一生都帶著陰影。雖然主人把牠們棄之而後快，但牠們卻依然對主人念念不忘。

Unfortunately, some pets are being abandoned by their owner. It leaves psychological effect to their rest of their life with abandonment.   People discarded them as if they are just a piece of furniture; the owner never knows how much their pet misses them regardless what they did to them.

作為一個動物傳心師，曾接觸不少曾被拋棄的小動物，你可感受到牠們內心那份苦澀，沉重，那份傷害，就算有年月的洗禮，也會是牠一生中的遺憾。

As an animal communicator, I have had a lot of contacts with many abandoned animals. You can feel the bitterness in their heart, broken and lonely. Even after so many years, you can still feel the sorrow in their life.

我不禁地想，為何上天會有這份安排，讓牠們的生命來陪伴人類，而我們在動物身上要學習什麼呢？

I cannot help thinking, why would God make such arrangement of having animals accompany human? What do we need to learn from these animals?

一把慈愛的聲音娓娓道來：

A loving voice gently says:

"小動物的愛是很單純的，這是和人類有很大的不同，其實愛從來都是很簡單，只是人類把它複雜了，人如能從小動物身上學習愛的態度和精神，他們便不會像現在一樣受那麼多苦: 生苦、老苦、病苦、死苦、怨憎會苦、愛別離苦、求不得苦及五取蘊苦。這些都是人類煩惱的根源，在小動物身上，牠們只有忠誠，純真的心去對待主人或伴侶。

"Love in animals is very pure, it is very different from human. In fact, love has always been simple, just the human made it complicated.   If human can learn from animals by looking at their attitude and behaviour, human will not have so much suffering in life.   The eight tribulations for human are: Suffering of birth, old age, sickness, death, being apart from loved ones, being together with the despised one, not getting what one wants, and the flourishing of the Five Skandhas. These are the root cause of human sufferings.   In animals, they only have loyalty and a pure heart for the owner or partner.

在動物世界，牠們都有不同處理自己的感情方式，如雀鳥，牠們大多是終一伴侶的，但在人身上是比較困難，人奉承用法律來綑綁一段感情，其實愛早已拋掉，雀鳥沒有任何律法，可是卻願彼此伴隨一生。狗的世界雖然並非對伴侶專一，可是牠們卻願意把心獻給主人，對其忠誠一生，這是我們應向動物世界學習的地方，一顆單純的心，正是人類與生俱來卻又被世俗所感染而變得複雜，把真愛隱藏，沒有人願意真正打開心扉去愛，怕受傷，怕痛。

In the animal world, they have different ways to handle their feelings, for example, with birds; most of them only have one partner. It is something very different in human world, we tied our marriage by law, in fact, our trust in love has long been gone. There is no law in bird's world, but they can stay with each other for the whole lifetime. In dog's world, although it may not have one single partner, they are willing to give their heart and loyalty to their master. We should learn from the animal world and their purest heart. Human is born with LOVE, however, it has been complicated by the secular infection so we hide our true love; no one is willing to open up their heart to love, with the fear of being hurt and afraid of the pain.

小動物無私的愛正是我們心靈上的一道清泉，能看見感受到的話，自己也能從牠們當中獲益，你們都是大自然的一份子，應是無分彼此，這是一個大同世界，這宇宙是你們的，不是人類獨佔的，能在小動物身上看見愛，也能看見自己身上帶著愛，這都是神所祝福人類的。

Animals' selfless love shows us the clear definition and example of true love. If we could see and feel their LOVE, we will be able to benefit and learn from them. We are all part of the nature and this Universe; there is no differentiation of you and me. The Universe is yours, but it is not human-exclusive. If you see the LOVE in animals, you will be able to see it in you; this is also the blessing of God to humans.

當你懂得欣賞和愛上世上的一草一木，你便懂得什麼是愛，人類終其一生要學習怎樣去愛，從小動物身上去看，去了解，你便會知道你們是何等乏善可陳，放下你們的面具，一起體驗這個充滿愛的世界，這是你們一直擁有，卻一直放棄，記得愛牠們等於愛自己，等於神愛你。＂

When you know how to appreciate and love the plants and trees of the world, you will know what love is. We have been searching for LOVE in our lifetime, just take a moment to look at LOVE in animals, try to understand, you will slowly take off your mask, revealing your true-self and experience this world full of love.   Remember, you have LOVE with you at all time, you might just have it hidden somewhere. Remember, loving the animals means loving yourself, it also means the love of God. '

二月，一個表達愛的月份，就向世上的小動物和你所愛的人，說一聲我愛你吧！

February, a month of expressing love.   Let's love all the animals and the people in this world and tell them "I love you!"

Lolita Yiu

Life Lesson From a Dog - Ju Ju

by Lolita Yiu

Adapted from Animal Talk Newsletter, September 2012

你們有否聽過每隻小動物都是上天給人類的天使嗎？牠們來到人間有著不同的使命，有些成為人類的食物，有些負責運輸，有些要淪為實驗品，有些則成為寵物。總之，牠們的一生也為我們付上無條件的愛。

Have you ever heard that animals are angels sent by God?  Each of them carries different missions, e.g. some becomes human's food, some are responsible for human transportation, some becomes guinea pigs for animal testings, and some becomes pets. In short, their lives are for us unconditionally.

我姐姐家的狗剛過生了，牠叫豬豬，是一頭男的約瑟爹利，還有一個月便九歲的牠死於心臟病，醫生說，我們要做的也做過了，而唯一最後可做的，便是陪伴。

My sister's dog (9 years old) passed away last week, died from a heart failure.  His name is "Ju Ju", a gorgeous little Yorkshire Terrier.  During his last days, the vet said we have done all we can, all we can do is to accompany him.

牠在bb 的時候是姐夫在寵物店買回來的（當然現在知道應該要領養的），因為當時姐姐一家在美國，而姐夫則是＂太空人＂，獨自一人留在港工作，所以便買了豬豬回來陪伴他，豬豬的童年，是陪伴著姐夫長大的。When he was a baby, my brother-in-law bought him from a pet shop (of course we now know that we should adopt and NEVER buy from pet shop).  At that time, my sister and her family lived in the United States, while her husband was the "astronauts" staying alone in Hong Kong for work, so he bought Ju Ju as a companion.  Therefore, Ju Ju's childhood was raised by my brother-in-law.

後來姐姐回港後，豬豬便成了她的兒子，每天都會帶牠外出散步，買東西(全是牠的玩具和衣服），最重要是，每晚也會為豬豬炮製最美味又有營養的大餐，豬豬給我姐姐寵壞了。

Later, my sister returned to Hong Kong, Ju Ju became her son.  She took him out for walk every day, buying him all kinds of toys and clothes and most importantly, she have spent all her time and love cooking the most delicious and nutritious meal for him.  Ju Ju has been spoiled by my sister.

由於當時姐姐的婚姻出現了些問題，所以她把所有愛和感情都寄託在豬豬身上，而豬豬亦稱職地陪伴了姐姐行了一段灰暗的路。

While my sister encountered marriage problem, she devoted all her love and affection to Ju Ju.  Ju Ju became her soul companion, comforted her through the difficult times.

姐姐最終也鬱了癌病，在治療期間，被迫和豬豬分離，我相信這是除了疾病所帶來的痛苦外，最痛的莫過於此。她忍痛地把豬豬交託給我照顧。因而，牠到來了我的生命中。

My sister was later diagnosed with cancer.  During the treatment, she was forced to separate from Ju Ju.  I believed this was the most painful decision for her. She entrusted me to take care of Ju Ju. This is how Ju Ju entered my life.

其實在牠來之前，我剛報了動物傳心術初班，還打算問姐姐借豬豬一件玩具作為上堂之用。怎料，上天的安排就是如此奇妙，祂給我的並不只玩具，而是一隻真實的狗給我做練習，使我在學習的過程中更得心應手。Funny enough, before I knew Ju Ju was going to stay with me, I had just registered for Rosina's Animal Communication class.  I was intended to ask my sister to borrow Ju Ju's toy for my AC practice.  This was such an unexpected arrangement designed by God.  He gave me not only a toy, but a real dog to do the exercises, made me more confident during the learning process.

豬豬初來我家，當然要給我顏色，因牠要的是我姐姐，不是我！牠會在晚上不停地吠，在家中每一角落留下紀念品（尿尿），還把我的衣服當毛巾...牠，令我抓狂！

When Ju Ju first came to my house, of course, he would not be easily settled, because he wanted my sister, not me! He began to bark all night, and left his souvenirs (pee) in every corner of the house, and treated my clothes as his own towel etc... He was driving me crazy!

那個晩上，牠又不停地吠，我已足足一個星期睡不到了，由於白天要工作，身心的疲倦已到了極點，我實在忍無可忍！於是我抱起牠，哭著說：「豬豬，我明白你不想來我家，但你媽媽病了，她不是要拋棄你，而是要和死神搏鬥，如果你真的愛她，你就得和我合作，乖乖地等她痊癒便送你回去，你再這樣每晚吠我忍受不了，我也不能要你了，你明白嗎？我求你不要再吠！」

As his usual night, he began to bark.  It has been a full week that I could not sleep.  I was extremely exhausted physically and mentally after daily work, so I picked him up and cried: "Ju Ju, I understand that you do not want to come to my house, but your mother is sick.  She did not abandon you, but to fight with death.  If you really love her, you and I have to patiently wait for her to recover and I will send you back as soon as possible.  I cannot stand you barking every night.  If you keep doing this, I could not keep you, you understand? I beg you not to bark! "

自那晚後，一切靜止了！牠終於肯和我通力合作。當然，我的傳心術也大派用場！

Since that night, he stopped barking! He has finally agreed to co-operate with me. Of course, I had fully utilised my animal communication skill and it did help me a great deal!

第一次和牠傳心，是牠正在露台狂吠雀鳥，我在房間用傳心叫牠收聲，返入來！牠真的第一時間收聲跑回房間用疑問的眼神望住我！嘩！我得左啦！真的感應到！豬豬，你不要少看我，我是可以和你交心的！

I still recall the first time I did animal communication with him, he was at the terrace barking at the birds.  I connected to him and told him to shut up and came inside to the house.  It was really the first time he shut up and ran inside and looked at me with doubt! Wow! I have done it! True connection with Ju Ju without words!  "Ju Ju, Don't you dare look down on me anymore, I could actually talk to you". 

自此之後，我們的感情越來越好，當然牠會不時頂咀，例如我會自稱是媽媽，牠會說你不是媽媽...我便告訴牠誰照顧你誰就是媽媽！

Since then, we have been getting very close together.  From time to time, we have argument, for example, I would call myself "mother" in front of him and he always denied and said that you are not my mother ... and I said whoever taking care for you would become your mother!

 牠在我家的四個月，我們早晚也會拍㸱散步去，牠，已是我生活的一部分！

During  the four months of his stay, we walked together every morning and evening.  He was already part of my life! 

可惜，姐姐最終也敵不過癌魔，兩年前她走了！最後，豬豬便回去姐姐家由她的女兒照顧，記得牠知道自己要返家時十分雀躍，但郤不忘回頭跑過來親我一下，牠的確是一隻很有「風度」的小狗！

Unfortunately, my sister could not win the battle and died from cancer two years ago!  Eventually, Ju Ju went back and stayed with my niece and took care by her.  When he knew that he could finally go home and stay with my niece, he was so excited.  He even gave me a goodbye kiss before he left.  He is such a gentle boy.

 小女兒剛失去媽媽，心情既沉重又難過，這段日子，全靠豬豬的陪伴，令她過了最艱難的一關。豬豬繼續使出牠可愛本色，把原本沉寂的家，加潻了一分生氣。這正是姐姐留下給小女兒的禮物，從豬豬身上，把她的愛和陪伴延續...

It was a difficult time for my niece losing her mother.  Ju Ju continuously exerted a great influence on her.  His lovely characteristic has lightened up the house and helped her get through the difficult time.  This was a gift that my sister left her, as a continuation of her love and companionship ...

豬豬離去的當天，亦是姐姐逝去兩週年了，牠的另一旅程，便是返回天家繼續陪伴姐姐，牠在人世間的使命完了。

Ju Ju left on the same day as my sister died two years ago.  His new journey was to return to my sister as his mission on earth was over.

豬豬，感謝你這生給我們一家的陪伴，因為你，我們看到愛！謝謝你的到來！謝謝你的愛！

Ju Ju, Your appearance shows us light and because of you, we see love! Thank you for coming to our life and accompanying us! Thank you for your love!

那天晚上，我向上帝祈禱，上帝告訴我：

That night I prayed to God and God told me:

豬豬現在很好，牠被你姐姐接走，這是上天的安排，也是你姐姐的禮物，她們現在在天堂很開心，因為愛，所以她們從未分離。
Ju Ju is very good now, you sister has picked him up.  This is the arrangement of God, also the gift from your sister.  They are living happily in heaven now.  Because of love, they have never been separated.

大家也不用再為分離而傷心，因為這是一個祝福，帶著愛的別離，是人世間最大的祝福，可是世人總是認為死亡是一種結束，但你們要明白，所有事情都是因為死亡才能重新，所以不必糾纏在傷痛中，牠正在活得比前快樂，因為透過這次旅程，牠完成了自己的任務。

Please do not feel sad about Ju Ju's leaving, in fact it is a blessing.  He is departing with your love, which is the greatest blessing he could ever receive.  People always think that death is the end of the journey, but in fact it is a beginning.  You have to understand that all things come to an end in order to reborn, so do not dwell in pain, you should outlive from the former joy.  Because of this journey, Ju Ju has completed his mission.

其實每個人也是這樣，透過人間的旅程來完成自己的任務，你們可在豬豬身上看見牠的使命，也要在自己身上看見自己的使命，那麼離開時便不會有遺憾了。

This applies to everyone too.  We lived our lives through a journey to carry out our missions.  You can see the mission of Ju Ju and from it you should understand your own.  You should live your life with no regrets.

豬豬是神賜給你們的小天使，牠已做了牠所要做的，完成了便返來天家。每個靈魂也有不同的旅程，一個完了便到下一個，直至圓滿為止。

Ju Ju is a little angel from God, he has completed his mission and returned to God.  Each soul has a different journey, then to the next one, until it comes to completion.

你要好好珍惜現在的一切，不要浪費時間，去把這旅程行得更豐盛圓滿。這是你來的目的，我會帶著你行，記得去做你喜歡的事情，這便是對的路。只要能感動自己的事，便能感動別人，這個你記著，那你便不會迷失。

You should cherish the present and do not waste any time and put in all your effort to complete your journey. This is the purpose of you being here.  Remember to do things you most enjoy, follow your instinct and this will be the right path.  Things which could get your sympathy will touch other's heart too, remember this, and you will not get lost.

去告訴人類神是愛他們的，去使他們明白他們亦即是我，去開啟大家的靈性，就像你一樣，這樣小動物便不會再受苦難了，這個不是你所祈求的嗎？

Go and tell people that God loves you all.  Teach them to open up their hearts, so that animals will no longer suffer. 

What is Pain?

By Lynda Goh

WARNING: Certain photographs / videos present in this post may cause some readers to feel uneasy.

What exactly is pain?

How do you describe your pain and get relief from pain?

The feeling of physical pain is generally described as an unpleasant sensation or distressing experience of being aware of harm to the body. Humans experience pain in a variety of ways and from a variety of causes, but most commonly we experience pain that is related to injury or illness.

Pain is normally a symptom of an illness or an injury and is the body’s alarm system signaling that something is wrong.  Pain can be an unpleasant sensation ranging from mild localised discomfort to agony. It gets your attention, signals that you are in danger and has an essential survival value. Pain can serve as a protective warning of potential damage, can promote learning (hot surface, harmful) or can set limits on activities, which encourages resting.



Xiao Hei went through so much pain and he behaved as though nothing had happened.

We have all gone through different kinds of pain - when we fell as kids while running or playing catch and chasing our friends around the playground, and as adults we go through pain either from physical injury or emotional pain.

If we can feel the pain that hurts us so much – how would a dog feel? 

Can they tell you the pain that they went through when they encounter a dog fight and start to bleed?  Can they tell that they are unwell and feeling discomfort?  They can – if you can feel their emotions.




Xiao Hei was attacked by some dogs.

Sunday, 4 September

If you put yourself in Xiao Hei’s position – can you imagine the amount of pain he went through?  Xiao Hei was in so much pain and not once he has ever complained.  When a pack of dogs attacked him on 4 September 2011 morning, he was bleeding so badly till part of his flesh wound came off. Jacqueline, a volunteer with a shelter next door to Zeus Residence ran to me and asked for help.  Immediately, I rushed to their kennels to see what had happened to the poor dog. 

To my horror, I felt so much pain from Xiao Hei and he just sat quietly at the corner, as though nothing had happened.  I was so cross that I asked the caregiver why the wound had not  been cleaned and attended to – and she said to me in Mandarin “the wound will heal by itself”.  I could not believe the silly reply that she gave me and we immediately cleaned Xiao Hei’s wound and applied basic first aid on him. 

While cleaning Xiao Hei’s wound, I discovered several scars on him which were caused by dog fights. Xiao Hei was like an abused child being beaten by his parents continuously.  I told myself that the hurt and suffering has to end for this poor dog – and that he will no longer have to live in fear. 

Close up of Xiao Hei's wound.

Feeling sorry for Xiao Hei, we took him over to Zeus Residence to nurse him and the next morning, our volunteer Hilda took Xiao Hei to the vet at Bedok to ensure that the wounds were not infected. The vet cleaned the wounds up and he went home with antibiotics.

Saturday, 10 Sept

When I visited Xiao Hei on Saturday afternoon, his wound was healing very well but to my greatest horror – I found out that Xiao Hei’s anus was bleeding and part of it was sticking out.  Immediately, we tried to clean the wound to stop the bleeding and to make him comfortable.  As I was cleaning his wound, I felt so upset that Xiao Hei has gone through so much pain and suffering. 

Xiao Hei was back at the vet again to see Dr Ang at Redhill who was on duty on Sunday.  The vet did several blood tests to check whether Xiao Hei could go under GA – when the results were out – we were saddened to hear that Xiao Hei had tick fever and heartworm. No way he could go under GA – he would never make it.  Dr Ang tried her best to push the rectum back with mild sedation and continued to monitor Xiao Hei.

When asked what was the cause for his anus to stick out – it seems that Xiao Hei had frequent diarrhea and he was using his muscles to push so often that it affected his anus.

Monday, 12 Sept

On Monday evening, Dr Ang called to say that Xiao Hei’s was losing blood and becoming weak. Hence, we needed to have a blood donor on standby the next morning for him. 

Blood Donors
Friends helped to broadcast for blood donors through Facebook and SMSes. You must be asking me this question now “I thought you have a data base of blood donors – what happened?” to be honest, it is still difficult to get owners to come forward to pre-register their dogs as a blood donor and some have donated before and they cannot donate so soon.  My vision for the future - I hope to raise a pool of dogs that are able to donate blood To Help Save Lives.

Not once has Xiao Hei ever complained, whined or growled at us despite all his pain. He never struggled whenever we cleaned his wound; he just stood still and allowed you to do anything on him. He is a real darling who went through so much pain.

Tuesday, 13 Sept

In the evening, we managed to find a Husky to donate his blood to Xiao Hei. Unfortunately, its blood type did not match.

And the search for another blood donor continued.

Wednesday, 14 September

It was late afternoon when we managed to find Dougie, a Golden Retriever to donate blood. However, it was getting late and it was not possible to get the transfusion done in the evening and we have to wait for the next morning to find out if there was a match.

Dr Teo called me in the evening to say that Xiao Hei had not been eating for the last 2 days and that his immune system was going down. Dr Teo wanted to prepare me that Xiao Hei may not make it through the night. 

Saddened by the phone call, I knew that in Xiao Hei’s heart that he wanted to live and that he was not ready to go.  I communicated with Xiao Hei and told him to be strong – I stayed focused and kept telling myself that I want to see him get well and see him play with the dogs at the shelter. He deserved this chance to be alive again!

Thursday, 15 Sept

At 10.00 am, Hilda made her way to Jalan Kayu to fetch Dougie but on the way to the vet, they were caught in a bad traffic, Dr Ang called to ask whether the donor was on the way.

Immediately when Dougie arrived, we did the necessary blood tests and at 1pm – I was delighted to hear that their blood cross matched and the transfusion was going to take place.  Such news brought joy and tears, knowing that Xiao Hei was going to get his second chance to live again.

It was 4.00 pm – Xiao Hei received about 300ml of blood from Dougie and he was in stable condition.  I visited Xiao Hei after work and Dr Ang told me that Xiao Hei had started to eat again.

Before I left, I gave Xiao Hei reiki till he fell asleep and also to reduce the swell on his legs which occurred due to water retention.  When I left the clinic, Xiao Hei was fast asleep.  Reiki helps to calm your mind and puts you at ease and helps you to rest well.

Xiao Hei was given the freedom to move around the clinic.

Black Magic?
Xiao Hei’s caregiver (we shall not name her but some of you will know who she is) told me that Xiao Hei was possessed by black magic, which sounded like some Chinese drama serial. It is believed that one man’s wife had an affair, hence the husband cast a spell on the dog and abandoned him at the temple to spite the wife.  Feeling sorry for the dog, the caregiver decided to rescue him although many had warned her against taking the dog for it would bring her bad luck. 

If you want my honest opinion, there was no black magic performed on the dog and he was fine.  The dog simply had low self esteem and no confidence - that’s why he couldn’t fend for himself.  We were going to change that for Xiao Hei by giving him the confidence he deserves so he can stand up for himself in future. 

Xiao Hei is a young dog estimated to be about 3 years old.  I made a promise to him that he will not have to return to the shelter where he came from and he will start a brand new life at Zeus Residence, where volunteers will show him with love and care.

Sunday, 18 September

It was Sunday afternoon and I was at the shelter getting ready to send 2 dogs to the vet for sterilization and I received a call from Dr Ang giving us the bad news that Xiao Hei passed away in his sleep.  I recalled seeing him on Friday evening when he was so alert and walking about in the clinic – he showed me the will to live but I had this feeling that his system was slowly shutting down – Xiao Hei did not even show us his suffering and his pain.  Could you see how strong willed this dog was?

We are extremely glad that Xiao Hei received the treatment and a second chance that he deserved.  When he passed away, he went knowingly that we all loved him very much and he passed away with dignity.

What is Pain?

Could you feel the pain and the sadness Xiao Hei was going through?  If it was us, we would ask for pain killers to stop the pain because our threshhold for pain is low.  As for Xiao Hei, he persevered and he never gave up.  When an animal wants to live, its survival instinct is very high.

We would like to thank Dougie’s owner James for allowing the donation of Dougie's blood to Xiao Hei.  Dr Ang and Dr Teo for attending to Xiao Hei and for doing what they could to save him.

I know that from the bottom of Xiao Hei’s heart – he says "thank you for caring".

Xiao Hei has gone through so much pain.

Xiao Hei passed away peacefully

in his sleep on 18 September 2011.

What is Pain?

Xiao Hei may you rest in peace and

we know that you are very forgiving towards

humans and dogs that have done this to you.

You still trusted humans despite what you have gone through.

 If humans are as understanding as you,

you would have made this place a better world.

When Will My Next Meal Be?

By Jeannie Yang

This is Dexter when we first met him at Lim Chu Kang fish farm.

He was such a happy camper. He was delighted to see us, completely oblivious to the fact that he was severely emaciated.

There wasn’t any sign of Dexter feeling sorry for himself. Though extremely scrawny, he was living each day with exuberance and joy.

Seeing Dexter has taught me about optimism in the face of adversity.

It must have been months as a vagabond with little food to eat and fresh water to drink before Dexter wandered into a fish farm at Lim Chu Kang.  Dexter (as we have named him) was skin and bones when he was found inside the toilet by AG who was renting part of the fish farm. One can literally count the number of bones on his rib cage. Dexter was shivering badly when he was found, shaking from hunger and cold as it was pouring heavily that day.

AG had no idea how he managed to get there because there were guard dogs at the fish farm and they were not too friendly towards other dogs.

“Hello boy, why are you here?  Did you lose your way? Are you hungry?” asked AG.  Dexter responded by wagging his tail as hard as he could and followed her everywhere she went. Fearing that he would be attacked by the other dogs at the fish farm, she led him back to the toilet by giving him canned food.

She was astonished that it was finished in seconds!  Dexter was literally gobbling it up.  He must have been famished!  Filling up the food bowl with dried kibbles to the brim this time, again it was devoured in last than a minute.  For the third time, she filled the bowl again and this time around Dexter finished half of it.  Can you imagine how hungry Dexter must have been, to have finished one huge can of dog food and one and a half full bowl of kibbles all in a matter of minutes!?

AG gave Dexter some water and asked him to stay where he was. Sweet Dexter obeyed.

“He is very trusting and sweet.  I wanted to help him because he is very pitiful.  I felt that he trust us and seem to understand what I am trying to tell him.”  AG told me. That was when she decided to call us to help Dexter.

Dexter is probably a Cross Weimaraner/Labrador.  When we found him, he only weighed 14.9kg.  A dog his size should weigh between 25 to 30kg. 

Dexter is thin as a rail, literally skin-and-bones.

Seeing the condition that Dexter was in, we immediately brought Dexter to the vet for a health assessment.

Dexter at Mount Pleasant (Redhill), waiting for his turn to get his health check. Seeing how thin he was, Dr Teo offered him a bowl of dog food but Dexter was more interested in the dental treats at the vet clinic and chomped up every bit of it.

At the vet, tests were done on Dexter.  He was having a slight temperature, his blood count was a tad lower than normal (which could be the result of malnourishment and starvation).  His white blood count was elevated which indicated infection of some form.  But we were relieved that test showed that he was free from tick fever and heartworm. 

Dogs have given us their absolute all.  We are the center of their universe.  We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.  They serve us in return for scraps.  It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. 
 ~Roger Caras~

Dexter is the sweetest young man.  Undemanding, easy-going, optimistic and warm. He is estimated to be about 1 to 2 years old.  We are not sure how Dexter became so emaciated, whether he once had a family or was a breeding dog that has outlived his usefulness.  We can only feel his emotions - but one thing for sure, Dexter is a fighter and he wants to live life to the fullest.  He doesn’t give up on life. He feels no self pity and like a soldier, he trudges along bravely and optimistically.

Recently, while cleaning his teeth, Dexter’s fosterer found a bamboo stick of about 3 inches long, lodged in the upper soft palate of his mouth.  No wonder, there was a foul smell in his mouth despite numerous brushes over the last few weeks.  Because of how deep the stick was embedded, it wasn’t spotted during the last 2 vet visits. It must have been there for some time and the gums have eroded.

This is a testament to the great endurance that Dexter exhibits. He was a contented and happy boy that no one would have guessed that he had a painful wound on his mouth.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Dexter.  A kind family has decided to foster him and he has since gained 2.3kg with nutritious meals.

Despite the tender loving care that Dexter receives and sumptuous home cooked meals which he eats heartily every day, Dexter’s blood count dropped from 31 when we first found him to 26.  The vet will be doing another blood test in a week’s time and we are keeping our fingers crossed that his blood count will improve.  If the blood count continues to drop, further tests need to be performed.

If you would like to help us to defray the cost of Dexter's medical bills or would like to contribute to the medical expenses incurred during the course of our animal rescue work, you can write a cheque to "Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre (Redhill) Pte Ltd.  Kindly indicate behind your cheque "In Aid of Dexter" and mail your cheque to 8 Raffles Avenue #02-01 The Esplanade, Singapore (039802).

Or join us as volunteers and help us in caring for the less fortunate animals like Dexter. Simply drop us an email at dogstalk@starhub.net.sg

I would like to share with you the Rescuer's Creed.

A RESCUER’S CREED

By Susan M. Pearson

I shall be a believer of all that is good in man and of all that is deserving in animals.

I shall plead for their lives, campaign for their safety and uphold their right to a natural death.

I shall seek out the injured and the maimed, the unloved,

and the abandoned and tend to them in their last days.

I shall not forget their place in the hierarchy of life, nor that we walk in each other's paths.

I shall bear witness to the wonder they bring into our lives

and to the beauty they bestow upon our souls. 

I shall renew their spirits when they are waning, bind their wounds when they bleed, cradle them when they whimper, and comfort them when they mourn. 

I shall be near them in their hour of greatest need - a companion and friend when the time has come.

I shall watch over them and console them and ask that the angels gather them in their arms.

From the creatures of the earth, I shall learn the fruits of compassion and undying love, and I shall be called the beloved of God.

In their company I shall indeed be blessed.