Lost & Found: Female Chihuahua

A female Chihuahua was found at 10:30am today (Friday, 23 September '11) by Pauline at Blk 30 Telok Blangah Rise.


If you recognise her and you know who her owner is, please inform her owner to contact us at mailto:dogstalk@starhub.net.sg or SMS 9199 6662 or 9199 6247.


Thank you.
Zeus Comms.

Happy Hito Girl Found Love

Hito watching the USDAA Trials, July 2011.

I'd heard of Hito (a.k.a Girl Girl) since the day she was found, presumably abandoned, in a bad state, and walking by the roadside with her companion (Boy Boy). On standby to foster the two dogs should the need be, this never came up due to a series of events (her being at the vet’s, my being out of the country then, etc, etc).

Fast forward to two months later – June this year, and her rescuer asked if I would like to see her (I had been contemplating a new, third dog for some months, but none had been found suitable).

On her first visit to ascertain if my current two dogs in the house would get along with her, I was still ambivalent and unsure as to whether she was the right one. She was bright, affectionate and playful, but I was unsure if her addition would make my shy, introverted dog (Chimmi) retreat even further into his shell (he was also an adopted dog, a dog mill rescue who had the forlorn and cold experience of dog mill kennel life etched into his face and psyche).

Hito and Chimmi, her new brother – another adopted Chihuahua from a dog mill rescue project.

I realised that one evening visit would not reveal anything, so we tried an extended weekend stay at my home to watch the interactions and behaviours unravel between the three little ones. Thankfully, they all accepted one another’s presence rather quickly and were quite content to be together.

Hito and Ellie, her other (younger) brother.

And that’s how a weekend stay turned into a week, and a week became … permanent.  It’s easy to understand why her stay with us became permanent: she is one of the happiest, waggiest dogs I’ve ever met. She likes dogs, she likes people, she loves food, hearts play and is as content to lie down beside you and quietly fall asleep. The bigger question that emerged was: why did someone abandon her and her boy companion? She is such an easy dog, so affectionate and such a bundle of joy all by herself.

It’s been over two months since Hito came into our lives, and the irrepressible spirit in her is something that can make anyone smile whenever they look at her. She’s a pretty fast-learner too: we took her to Sentosa beach one day and this little power turbo paddler proved her aquatic prowess; she has also just started basic obedience training and has displayed the ability to do anything for a treat!

Hito swimming debut at Sentosa, June 2011.

She’s still a tad weary of new environments and bigger dogs, but with constant socialisation and exposure – walks and weekends at dog parks (where she cheers her agility-training brother, Ellie), we’re hoping she’ll enjoy outdoor life as much as her indoor one soon.

Perhaps because she had always been such a positive little thing in her own mind, getting Hito used to being a loved member of the family was all-too-easy. This was unlike her brother, Chimmi, who, maybe because he had spent far longer years in the confines of a dog mill kennel, took us months and months to bring out of his shell. Like Hito, when he first came to us, Chimmi refused to walk outside, he was also scared: scared of new floor surfaces, scared of stairs, scared of people, scared of … just about everything. Seeing Chimmi in the dog park today, tail held high like he owns the place, is such an amazing learning journey for both human and dog. Looking at him though, I wondered how more confident a dog he could have been if only he had a family, rather than a puppy-breeding factory environment, early on in his life.

There are more than enough dogs still waiting for such a chance today. And to anyone who has a heart and a will to make your own happy story with a new four-legged friend, look to adopt. Make a dog happy today, so that there won’t be any more “Chimmis” waiting in the sad wings of dog mill life.

Photo Credit:Dogmilllrehomers

Photo Credit: by Nicole Zhuang at the USDAA Trials, July 2011

Top picture of Chimmi in a kennel - What a difference a year makes: Chimmi in June 2010 just before adoption.

Chimmi is blind in one eye, has about four teeth left only from bad nutrition incurred during his dog mill days, but is the happiest dog in the park these days!

Written by: Lisa Marie Tan
Photo Credits by: Nicole Zhuang

To read about Hito's story please click An Abandoned Couple

We would like to thank our kind sponsors for helping Hito's And Boy Boy's medical aid.

An Abandoned Couple

On 15.4.2011, I received a call from my fosterer that a pair of Chihuahuas were found squeezing in a corner under the hot sun outside a house along Surin Ave around 2pm, a male and female. I asked him to bring them to safety while I rushed down. Nobody was in the house and neighbours claimed that the dogs don't belong there.

A very tired and sad dog

Checking to see if their eyes were alright

Both were dying of thirst and the stench was horrible. Pus was oozing out from Girl's wound and Boy's eyes. Their nails were horribly long and they had very bad yeast infection in the ears. Both were taken immediately to the vet for check-up and blood test. The male has severe conjunctivitis and severe heartworm, while the female has a badly infection wound on her stomach, possibly from a Caesarean wound that might have burst open and did not heal well. Both have microchips but are not registered and they are estimated to be about 4 to 6 years old.

Ears were filthy but we always expect that. Usually, dirty ears are the least of our worries

Girl's cesarean wound was infected and oozing pus. Apparently, it is a rather old wound.

Girl Girl, who is suspected to having had multiple C-sections, had her surgery on 21.4.11 by Dr Dennis Choi at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital, Whitley Road. "Girl Girl, presented with a discharging sinus and nodular, lumpy lesion of the ventral abdomen. Surgical exploration revealed severe fibrotic mass lesion with purulent discharge of subcutaneous tissue of ventral abdomen extending all the way into abdominal muscles and linea alba. Entire abnormal appearing portion was excised en-bloc and sent for histopathological examination. Culture and sensitivity performed and came back as negative for bacteria growth. Girl Girl's surgical wound is healing well and currently recovering well under surgery." She will need another surgery in about 2-3 months’ time as her infection was so bad that vet can only treat what's beneath the skin and not further at time of surgery. She was hospitalised for a day. She’s now on heat. Thank God that she is now safe else she likely be pregnant again...

Female's Caesarian wound might have opened and she was not brought to the vet. The wound healed on its own but it did not heal well, with some insides healed on the outside!

Girl - long uncut nails. They had probably never left their cages and were terrified being at the vet.

Drawing blood and doing a thorough check to ensure they were well



Boy, eyes all red from tiredness and severe conjunctivitis

Boy Boy's eyes are getting better and there's a small ulcer on one of the eye. Vet has put him on medication for 5 days prior to treatment, to be on the safe side. He had his first heartworm jab on Tuesday, 26.04.11. The jab will put his life at risk because his heartworm is very severe and the jab may cause his heart to stop or trigger a heart attack but there's no choice. If he is not treated, he will die. He needs 3 jabs over a period of two months. The 2nd and 3rd jab will be done on the second month.

Long, unclipped nails

Getting his nails clipped. He tired to snap as he was so tired, stressed and confused.

Both are of very good temperament and Boy is very quiet and had not barked a single time since they were found, while Girl is always cheerful and active. She has a very high pain threshold despite all the sufferings she has been through. Both have separation anxiety but this will go away with time and care.

To Adopt/Foster

SMS: Alycia 9689 0777 or email yee.alycia@gmail.com

To contribute to the vet bills, please email dogstalk@starhub.net.sg

Written by Alycia Yee

The total bill as of now is about $1,600 and it is likely to increase. Please help in any way possible, it would be much appreciated.