In Loving Memory of Baby Boy

In Loving Memory

Baby Boy
2008 ~  1 June 2011

Baby Boy was a local cross breed who was obese from being kept in a small room for 2 years, being fed on white rice and plain bread. It was all that his owner, Ida, could afford. Even though Ida was barely able to support herself, she loved her 10 dogs dearly and could not bear to part with them. Zeus Communications heard of the plight that Ida and her dogs were in, and offered to house Baby Boy and Nelly, another dog at Zeus Playhouse. We also offered Ida a job at Zeus Playhouse where she can spend time with the dogs and take care of them.

Baby Boy was so overweight, all of 44 kg, that his legs were giving way. This made it extremely difficult for him to walk. He spent his days lying down or sleeping at Zeus Playhouse. Last week, a volunteer had to take Baby Boy to the vet. It took 3 people 20 minutes just to carry him less than 30 metres from his kennels to the van! The doctor diagnosed him with Thyroid Deficiency and he was put on medication. Lynda bought him low calorie food and we told Ida to walk him 5 minutes a day. 

On 1 June afternoon, when Ida showed up to clean the kennels and to feed the dogs, she found Baby Boy motionless. She called and shook him but he didn't move at all. His body was still warm. He may have passed away in the morning, possibly from heart failure; all of 2+ years old.

Ida then contacted Jeannie, a volunteer, and Jeannie informed the rest of the volunteers from Zeus Communications. Arrangements were made by Jeannie to transport Baby Boy to Mt Pleasant (Whitley). Meanwhile, a new volunteer, Mandy, made her way to the vet to help with the registration and cremation arrangements for Baby Boy.

Baby Boy left us, knowing in his heart that everyone loved him. He had many fur friends and made new friends at Zeus Playhouse. During his stay with us, it was the first time that Baby Boy saw sunshine and that brought us a lot of smiles and happiness in our hearts.

It was a sad day for all our volunteers who knew Baby Boy and we continue to mourn the loss. He is dearly missed by his Playhouse mate, Nelly. Visiting the Playhouse this weekend was a sad affair with Baby Boy not around.

Baby Boy, may you rest in peace and thank you for sharing your Mummy Ida with the other animals.  Your Mummy has brought a lot of joy to the animals at the playhouse.
From all the volunteers at Zeus Playhouse.  You are our Sunshine :)

Ida's Babies

I have been following Ida's case for 3 years now. Her current rented flat has always posed a lot of problems. It all started when the owner of the flat handed over the keys at the start of her tenancy. When she first moved in, Ida realized to great surprise that they had left behind 2 dogs, and one of them was heavily pregnant. Though she had little money (barely enough to buy food for them) Ida didn’t have the heart to turn them out. Over the years, she also took in more and more animals that needed help.

Their living space

Ida’s situation got from bad to worse, and it was a huge challenge for her just to make the rent each month. As she struggled to keep her finances afloat, she started finding it impossible to manage all the animals on her own. It was time she sought outside help.


So some friends and I stepped in and took in a few dogs. 5 came with me, an elderly one named Monica @ Baby is with my friend, and another found a new owner as well. Sadly, 2 of the dogs were too sick and have passed away.

Darling - hoping for a better future.

Oktober - worried about his fate.

However, Ida’s flat remains overcrowded with animals. Despite having helped her rehome so many dogs, there are still 4 dogs and about 12 cats in her home. It was a difficult decision, but she has made up her mind to find new homes for the dogs. She will also pay 50% of their boarding fees at a kennel in the meantime, even though she hardly has enough money for herself. She really loves all her animals, but sometimes the best thing for the ones you love is to let them go.


Without the responsibility of cleaning up after all the animals at home, she could find a stable job with a better income. Right now, we’re also trying to find better living arrangements for Ida. Not only was she having problems with her rent, but her neighbuors had been giving her a lot of problems too. She would be moving back to her dad’s place with some of the kittens. She’s thinking about finding new homes for the older ones, but it will be difficult, as few people would adopt older animals.

Nelly, estimated to be 5 yrs old

Baby Boy, estimated to be about 3 yrs old and yearning for care and a brighter future.

Baby Boy needs to be on a proper healthy diet.

In all the time we’ve worked with her, Ida has never asked me for money. She is a fiercely independent woman, and will not call to ask for help unless she has really exhausted all her means. For the sake of her animals, she juggles two jobs; during the day, she works as a pub cleaner, and after sunset, a lady of the night. Frankly, we are happy with her decision to move and to let her animals go. Now we only need to find a shelter or a new home for her “babies”, as she always calls them.


DOGS


Oktober About 5 years old. Very gentle and shy.

Nelly About 5 years old. Black and tan. Bright, sweet, and full of life. She was Oktober’s best friend until Baby Boy came along.


Baby Boy Around 3 years old. Ida found him at the Changi coffee shop when he was just a puppy. The stall owners there considered him a pest, and would throw chairs at him when he walked around looking for food. Since Ida has to work in the day, she would keep him shut up in the flat most of the time. As Baby Boy is naturally a very active and playful boy, this has led to some behavioral issues. When he feels stressed, he chews on the walls and barks a lot. Once in a while, when Ida gets too overwhelmed by the lack of money, the cleaning up, and all the barking, she would yell at them, but unfortunately, that only makes matters worse.


Baby Boy also has a weight problem. Since Ida didn’t have enough money to feed the dogs well, she often mixed lots of rice in with their food, causing them to balloon and get really fat. While Oktober and Nelly have managed to lose all the unhealthy weight, BB seems to just be getting fatter and fatter.

Darling About 1-2 years old. A very calm and gentle girl. She was abandoned by her previous owner. She has been through a full health check and is very healthy. 

Give these dogs hope for a better life!

CATS
There are about 12 cats remaining. Most of them have been sterilized. However, it was difficult for Ida to take care of so many cats, so they do have fleas.

Please help us to help Ida and the dogs and cats that live with her. We need immediate help with fostering, adoption and sponsorship of boarding kennels.

We’ve had several volunteers that have helped out with taking care of the animals once or twice, but it is definitely not a long-term solution. Several kind animal lovers have also donated food and pet supplies and we thank them for their generosity.

The four dogs need to be out of the house by March 30 as that is the last day of the lease. If you can help, please contact Natasha immediately (HP 81830180)

Written by Natasha