Russell. Abandoned By The Only People He Ever Loved

A Shih Tzu was tied at a HDB void deck at Bedok. A family saw the dog in the morning on the way to work, but thinking that the dog's owner was probably nearby, they left. However, to their horror, they saw the poor dog still tied up at the exact same spot that evening. He was hungry, tired and thirsty, looking forlorn and confused. The family brought the dog to Mt Pleasant Animal Medical Center (Bedok) and handed the dog over to the vet as they did not want to take him home. That was 8pm and the poor dog had been tied up from early morning.

Russell at our fosters' home

Good-natured Russell

Why are some pet owners so irresponsible, giving up a member of their family who has been loyal to them all his life? Why didn't they bring the dog to SPCA or an animal shelter instead? If they wanted a kind person to take over their dog, it worked. Thank God for Zeus Communications and concerned people. Pet ownership is a responsibility; the animal is part of your life, your family. Why all of a sudden give it up when it dedicated its whole life to loving and protecting you? This Shih Tzu had been crying at the vet, longing for its family and wondering what it did wrong to be left alone and abandoned. Animals have feelings and emotions too; they feel sad when you leave them out in the lurch. Imgaine what would have happened if the kind family had not rescued the dog - it would have died of hunger, thirst and a broken heart.

Russell at the playground 

The Shih Tzu is estimated to be around 6 to 7 years old. Zeus Communications has vaccinated and microchipped the dog, given it a full medical check up and paid to board him at the vet while we looked for a foster. The dog is now with one of our volunteers but urgently needs a home. Our foster says that he has a very sweet and gentle temperament; eager to please and shows lots of affection. He cooperates very well during bath-time and is good with other pets. He is also intelligent and learns fast. He'll be a perfect companion!


By accepting this dog into your home, you're giving him new hope and a fresh start. See Russell's adoption page here.

Email dogs_ink@singnet.com.sg or SMS 9757 2528.

Written by Jo-Ann 

Editor's Note : Because Russell has been recently abandoned, he has severe separation anxiety. He sticks to the foster like super glue and will not let her out of his sight. He is extremely sweet and well-behaved. To adopt him, all you need is some love, time, patience and understanding and you would have made one of the best decisions in your life!

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

They Call Me Angel (A Rescued Breeding Sheltie)

I ask myself sometimes, what did I do to deserve this? Was I a bad dog? Did I do something wrong to upset the Tall Ones? I look around me and see that all the other dogs around me are in cages. Is this the kind of life all dogs live? We never get to play together, we never get to run on that green stuff called grass, we never leave these cages. Ever. This is home for me.

This was me when I was first rescued

Day in and day out, I sit in my little prison and do nothing. Nothing but count the minutes away until the Tall Ones come and force a male dog on me. Then my belly becomes full with my babies. Puppies that are born and which I care for only for a short while before they are taken from me. I don't know where they all go. I never see them again.

Then one day, I find myself outside. On the roads, all alone and wandering around, free of my cage. Free! I'm free! But as I try to run, to stretch my legs for the first time, I find that I could not. I take a step and stumble. My back foot was bleeding from a gaping hole around my nail. I had forgotten about that. I had numbed myself to the constant pain I had been feeling for more than a week. Where am I going to go now? How am I going to move fast enough not to be run over by these large scary metal things rumbling past me? Resigned to my fate I curl up near a shadeless tree and lick at my wound. If I could cry, I would. If I could scream for help, I would. Many times I have wanted to take my own life, to end my miserable existence; too bad dogs can't commit suicide. I would have been free from all the pain, suffering and cruelty.

Dirty ears

"Hi sweetie, are you ok? It's alright girl. I'm not going to hurt you." I look up and see a kindly old man with a smile on his face and love in his eyes. He patted me and stroked my dirty matted fur. His was the first kind touch I've felt in my life, the first kind words I've heard. I placed all my trust in him and prayed and hoped that my life would change.


I was taken to a vet and examined. My foot was swollen and I heard the vet say that my nail may have to be amputated if the infection doesn't go away. She prodded at my wound and I was praised for being a brave little girl, never once did I wince or snap. "Oh my goodness!" I heard someone exclaim. "Look at all the maggots in her wound! And she's also covered in ticks!" I think someone gagged at this point. The vet cleaned out the hole around my nail and removed all the maggots. The vet also commented that the hole in the wound was too deep and they could not reach the maggots inside. They had to patiently wait and clean the wound daily.

I looked so malnourished and old beyond my age

Holes in my paw

Maggots from the wound on my paw

The nurses at the vet shaved me down and did her best to remove all the ticks, leaving only the scars from their bites on my skin. "She'll also need to be sterilized and her womb removed as soon as possible - she's got pyometra. Her uterus is infected and filled with pus." Pyo-what? In the flurry of activity around me, I managed to grasp that I was in a terrible condition. I am what is known as "breeding stock" for a puppy mill. The Tall Ones probably realised my uterus was sick and I couldn't make puppies anymore and left me out to die. I was nothing but a puppy making machine, churning out stuff they could sell until I was broken and couldn't make anything anymore, then I was conveniently disposed.

My very first human touch

The darker shadow portion shows the deep open wounds in my paw

All cleaned and bandaged up!

I am currently at the home of a very kind lady. She has 3 great kids and they all helped to take the pain and suffering of my earlier years away. They introduced me to the inside of a home, to tables, sofas, the sounds and smells of a kitchen, to grass! They showed me what I had been missing all my life; what I had been deprived of by the wicked Tall Ones. They helped to heal my foot wound (no need for amputation!) and are helping to make me strong and healthy with each passing day. They gave me a glimpse of what it was like to have a home, a family, a real life.

They named me Angel.

A much happier me at a Sheltie gathering! Can you see my smile?

Sadly, the kind lady cannot keep me for much longer. I don't want to go back to my old life. I'm begging for someone out there who will want to love me and keep me safe, to let me lead the life that dogs are supposed to live, to play and be content lying nearby. I just need someone to be patient with me while I learn about the world I never saw or knew before. I really won't be much trouble. Rescued dogs are usually very well-behaved and grateful for being given a new lease of life. I don't understand language so you would need to teach me like you would, a young child. No one has ever spoken to me. Despite all that the Tall Ones have done, I still love people and am always happy when I meet kind souls. I really hope someone will want me. I really hope someone will give me a new place to call home. I really hope someone will be my family. Please.


To foster or adopt Angel the rescued Sheltie, please contact Michelle at 9339 9889


(Update 5 April 2011: Angel the Sheltie has been adopted!)

Written by Michelle Chan