Noah's Residents

Noah's Residents

Monday, September 29, 2014

Noah's Ark Fund Dinner with Rosina, Animal Communicator & Your Fur Kids



Proceeds from the dinner will go towards the upkeep of the 600 dogs, 300 cats, 10 horses, 3 monkeys, 1 wild boar and many small animals at the sanctuary.

Seats are limited, please register early with Lynda at email with the following details:

Registration details:
Name:

Hp:

Email:


No. of Adults:
X
_____
X
$70
=
$
No. of Fur Kids
X
_____
X
$25
=
$

Fur Kids Details:
Name:

Breed:



Menu for Adults 
4 course dinner (Soup, Starter, Main Course & Dessert)

Please select your main course:
·        Spring Chicken   or
Qty:  ____
·        Vegetarian Angel Hair Pasta with         Braised Tofu
Qty:  ____

Fur Kids Menu
·        Beef   or
Qty:  ____
·        Chicken
Qty:  ____







Thursday, September 25, 2014

A determined volunteer who made a difference in an animal’s fife

Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) has a team of dedicated volunteers in Singapore where they are known as an extended arm under Noah’s Ark Cares and in Malaysia as NANAS volunteers. 

Shalom Tye is one of our hardcore and hardworking volunteers has been named as a “Slave of Noah’s Ark” for his dedication in helping the street animals in Malaysia which has been referred to Noah's Ark Animal Birth Control (ABC) clinic.




Shalom did a street rescue and took time off his busy schedule to collect a young cat from a Malay lady in JB who took the cat in after a road accident. The grey and white cat whom is named Mass met with an accident in front of her warong (stall). 

As a stall owner, she could not afford to send Mass to the veterinary clinic for treatment due to the high incurred treatment costs and was referred to the Noah's Ark ABC clinic for medical help by Shalom.

The Noah's Ark ABC clinic found the cat to have slight scabies and lower body injuries which was sustained by the accident. The clinic performed an orthopedic examination and diagnostic imaging to confirm his injuries. Mass still has trouble walking due to the legs being injured which left them slightly wobbly and temporary paralysis.

Mass was given medication for his nerves which was slightly damaged and glucosamine as a supplement to boost his bone support and speed up the healing process. The kind Malay lady also donated RM$50 to show her appreciation in the help rendered to Mass. Being a street cat, Mass was sterilised at the clinic and is now recuperating in the sanctuary.

Raymund said, “For a volunteer to remain satisfied and committed to their work, they have to sense that their work means something and is recognised and appreciated.” The volunteers in Singapore and Malaysia have one cause in mind which is to help the animals that require help. The clinic also renders help through sterilisation such as spay days in Malaysia, animal rescue cases and animals that need medical help. Through the ABC clinic, Noah's Ark hopes to bring about a time when there are less homeless animals on the street and to avoid healthy animals from being euthanised. Through the volunteers, they are special individuals who have helped people and helped the animals.

by Darren Chan 

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Lasalle Students @ Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary


Where I live in Singapore, majority of us seldom spend time being at peace with oneself in Mother Nature. We dwell in concrete jungles and spend most of our time behind computers/tv/mobile phones with distractions ranging from ads telling us the latest "things" we need to buy, propagandas spreading hate and intolerance and last but not least cute cat videos .

That's why I've decided to bring my new batch of Year 2 students from Lasalle out of the classroom to open their minds & hearts and experience a paradise on earth known as Noah's Ark Nature Animal Sanctuary in JB, Malaysia. A rare Shangri-la where happy free-roaming animals outnumbered humans; where interacting with 400+ cats is better than watching cute cat videos on Youtube. Everyone of us, from different walks of life, nationalities, cultures, religions and ages are all smiles and laughters as we arrive in our bus greeted by dogs running excitedly towards us. 












The 600+ dogs, 400+ cats, 11 horses here have all underwent trauma and abandonment before finding their second chance through Noah's Ark. Even though through the fault of their humans that they were strays, they still welcome us and trust us new humans with their little hearts.

It was a brand new experience for many of my students. A few told me it's the first time they have touch a cat, for some it's the first time they've touched a dog and for others the first time they've touch a horse. We may all have different new experiences but their smiles are the same. The pictures speaks a thousand words. It truly warms my heart. 






I'm proud to say that we have donated a sum of money which goes towards buying approx 300 cans of cat food for the wonderful cats we've got to spend our time with in the cat hut during the 2 hours of torrent rain. 


The trip back to Singapore was filled with laughters and singing. One of the song "Colors of the Wind" they sang really sums up our experience at Noah's Ark Nature Animal Sanctuary. 


"The rainstorm and the river are my brothers

The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends"



Thank you Noah's Ark CARES for accommodating us and @Nikon Singapore for the camera loan for the students. Learn more about Noah's Ark Nature Animal Sanctuary and find out how you can help in your own unique way. 
http://www.noahsarklodge.com/our_story.html
https://www.facebook.com/noahsarkcares

By C.S Ling Photography
Nikon Singapore Professional Photographer 

SanDisk Extreme Team 
Gitzo Ambassador (Singapore) 
Singapore Women's Weekly
Winner of Great Women of our Time (Arts & Media) 2011 
Grand Prize Winner of Nature's Best Photography 
Windland Smith Rice Award 2012 

Winning work now exhibited at Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Washington, USA 

Websites: 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Dumped and Left to Die

Warning 
The photographs below contain contents that is graphically disturbing, viewer's discretion is advised.

This dog was found dumped outside Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary (NANAS).
Workers at the sanctuary immediately took the dog in to clean its wounds
which were already infested with maggots. 


It was a typical Sunday afternoon at Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) when the workers were alerted to a mongrel that was dumped just outside the sanctuary.  

Immediately, the workers rushed to the dog’s aid and brought it in to seek medical treatment.




The prognosis was bad, maggots were already devouring and infecting the dog’s wound. There was only one option - which was to remove the maggots individually before treating the wound. The reality was that 100 maggots were able to eat through about ½ a pound of flesh. If left untreated, the dog would suffer a slow and painful death.

The main problem lies with the owner not knowing or being ignorant of the meaning of responsible pet ownership. Being responsible means going through the right channels to surrender your pet.  

Animal sanctuaries such as Noah's Ark and organizations such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)  seek the public co-operation to use the right channels to safely surrender your pet if need be. 

The sad outcome of these dogs is that they lose their sense of direction. Often they yearn for their owners, are susceptible to further abuse and attacks by other strays. Surrendering of your pet should be done as the last resort and always seek the right help for your pet. Medical treatment and financial assistance plans are available, thus there should be no reason for the dumping of pets.

Bruno, estimate to be about 3 years old is on the road to recovery. He also has a permanent place to call home.  Practice animal responsibility and never dump your pet. There are always alternatives available and a pet is a life-long commitment. 

by Darren Chan


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

My experience volunteering at the Ark


When I renewed my passport, I made a promise to myself that my first passport stamp would be to a meaningful and memorable destination which turns out to be Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS). 

Since then, I always find a chance to return to Noah's Ark whenever the opportunity arises, to relive the good old memories and to seek new ones. The ark has been my respite away from the hectic city life, a soul invigorator and I look forward to these volunteer visits where I can spend an entire day just being free and contributing to the ark.  Noah’s Ark is a rare place as it is where the animals outnumber humans. 



I did not know what to expect during my first visit to the ark. I stepped out gingerly, in awe of the many plantations surrounding the ark. Before I knew it, many canine residents came up happily to greet me. I was slightly overwhelmed by this reception of that many dogs in one place. I had to navigate my way through the many furry bodies to ascend the stairs to the main area for visitors.  Do dress very casually during the visit to the ark. I would discover later on that human speech is not all that necessary within the sprawling grounds of the sanctuary given that majority of its residents are dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and monkeys. The main house, reminds me of being in a villa, somewhere in Bali perhaps due to its rustic feel.


Raymund the founder and official ‘pack leader’ is chirpy and wise, the person that you know can easily swing from light-hearted chatter to serious talk. He peppers his conversations with tales about animals with plenty of humorous quips. He is very actively dedicated and emotionally connected to his cause that I envisioned him to be, having spread awareness on animal rescue and welfare for years. His belief that every animal has a right to a happy and healthy life has helped save thousands from euthanasia, though it has been no easy feat.  

He employs a hands-on approach towards the care and maintenance of the animals at the Ark. The last we spoke while gazing at the horses grazing, he told me that how he spends time treating rain scalds on some of the horses. The horses are allowed to roam freely on the grounds at certain times of the day. They make quite the impression tottering amidst the tall trees that Raymund takes charge of maintaining and trimming off the excess or overgrown bits. A total of 10 horses call the Ark home, with a new member, DJ joining them 5 months ago. 


On my first volunteer trip, I signed up to help groom and bathe the horses. I remember the walk there was accompanied by the ‘free-ranging’ dogs. I met a couple of three-legged ones, eager for affection and attention, which I gladly reciprocated. Being three legged does not diminished a dog’s eagerness to connect with visitors.  On arrival at the stables, I was told by one of the regular volunteers that to get acquainted to a horse, it is essential to let it know you in depth.

Hold out your hand to signal that you pose no threat. Alternatively, do it the Native American Indian way – blow your breath in a calm and casual stream right into a horse’s face. I can safely say that none of those methods have landed me in trouble. The horses are of friendly temperament, save for the occasional ‘love bites’ they plant on each other, and on the odd human or two. I wonder if any of the dogs has been love-bitten, considering some eagerly drink from their horses’ share of water and some even confidently enter the stables to nibble on poop. Yes, to my amusement and wonder, I learnt that horse poop is good for canine digestive health.

I am not the best groomer around so I was grateful for the horses’ patience. With several of my newfound volunteer friends, we managed to bathe a few even. It can be disarming at first to get so close to a gigantic beast, which could easily paralyse me with a swift kick.

Yet, as I went on, I realised how delicate these creatures are. It amazes me that something so elegant and majestic, several hundreds of kilos heavier than I am, can be more of a flight than a fight animal.

I am not horse person to begin with, having never kept a horse for a pet and being brought up in a country which does not allow you easy access to one, so upfront contact was a whole new experience for me. 

I guess you could say that my interest in horses stemmed from the curiosity of wanting to understand their sensitivity to human emotions and feelings better. Hearing about the atrocities that racehorses are subject to once their ‘prime time’ is up further moved me to pay a visit to the horses at the Ark, where most of them are former racing champions.

That being said, I was just as besotted with the other animals. The cats at the Wisma Kuching gave me an oddly calming sensation of euphoria –it is the feeling of being surrounded by so many contented felines that it sends you into a peaceful Zen-like state. Of course, you can imagine that when you see so many around you stretching their lithe frames with smiles etched across their faces, you would feel inclined to do the same.  Upon entry, you will be greeted by the few dogs who consider themselves cats deep down inside as they stay with the cats at the Wisma Kuching.

At the sanctuary, no ailment appears to diminish or compromise the quality of the lives of the animal residents because of Raymund’s determination. I cannot reiterate enough how often I thought I have caught the dogs actually smiling. I brought my partner here for the first time on my third visit. He was evidently charmed and observed that each animal there seemed to have its own unique personality.                 

Starbuck the one-armed macaque.

My partner getting his dose of animal loving.
                                           
Before you embark on a trip to the Ark, please do note that the Ark is not like a farm commercialised for tourism, or a generic piece of land to showcase the generosity of some humans. It is not just all fun and play. A huge amount of energy, resilience and finances are needed to ensure its smooth operation on a daily basis. Every animal has their previous histories and plights, but remember that they underwent trauma and abandonment before finding their second chance through the ark.

The animals at the sanctuary, though seemingly numerous, are just a handful of the many more out there who lead lives curtailed by cruelty and harsh treatment. Do visit the ark with an open mind and think of an idea of how you can contribute to a more widespread campaign of animal welfare. Make sure you talk to Raymund and the regular volunteers, who are some of the warmest people I have ever met on how you can consciously help. 

Get involved by being a volunteer and stay updated through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/noahsarkcares


by Nadia AR

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Rescued from Majilis Pendaraan (MP) JB Pound

Four young dogs were rescued by two young men three days ago from the Majilis Pendaraan (MP) JB pound and they were brought over to Noah's Ark ABC Clinic at the sanctuary for a physical medical examination.  The dogs were tested negative for parvo and distemper.  A vaccination was given and dewormed at the same time, sterilization will be done after their 2nd vaccination.
As promised, vaccination, deworming and vaccination will be provided free of charge for any dog/dogs that are rescued from the pound.
A happy ending for the four lucky dogs.
Raymund Wee

*Majilis Pendaraan means town council





Noah's Ark Volunteer Day: 11 October '14





Noah's Ark Volunteer Day is back!

If you have missed the volunteer's day in March, we are organising one on Saturday, 11 October 2014.

We need your help to groom the dogs, cats and the horses - if you do not have grooming experience we will be there to teach and guide you.  A professional pet groomer will be present to give us grooming tips and a helping hand.

Grooming can be therapeutic for both the animals and you.

The benefit of grooming:

  • helps to keep their coat shiny
  • remove under and dead coat
  • keeps the skin healthy 
  • helps to bond and socialize with the animals 
Programme
10.00 a.m.     Depart S'pore from Bishan MRT station for Noah’s Ark
11.30 a.m.     Arrive at Noah’s Ark followed by orientation
12.30 p.m.     Lunch at the Ark (lunch is provided)
1.30 p.m.       Lets groom...
5.00 p.m.      Get ready to go home
5.30 p.m.      Depart Noah’s Ark for home

Fees:  S$50 (includes transport, lunch and tea)

Closing date for registration: 
Friday, 26 September '14 

Seats are limited to 12 paxs

To register, please email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com as well as indicate the following details:


Name:


Email:


Hp:




Q1.
Areas of interest, you would prefer to work with:
(a) Dogs 
(b) Cats 
(c) Horses



Q2.
Have you visited Noah’s Ark before?  Yes / No
If yes – which animal do you know at Noah’s Ark?



Q3.
Do you own a pet/pets? Yes / No
If yes - what do you own?



Q4.
Please let us know if you have dietary needs.



Priority will be given to volunteers who have visited Noah’s Ark before and are familiar with animals.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Understand the Roles of Shelters and the Blames

by Raymund Wee

In order for veterinarians to work effectively with shelters they should understand the various roles or functions they may be asked to serve, the mission and philosophy of the shelter/sanctuary. 

Each shelter has their own strength, Noah's Ark strength is to provide low-cost spay and neuter for animal guardians with lesser disposable income, also for those who can't afford other medical services for their pet/pets.

Limiting Disease Transmission
If there is a possibility of an infectious animal population, the only "treatment" that will prevent any disease transmission is true isolation.

Unfortunately, few facilities in Malaysia and Singapore have a space that is physically and environmentally separated from the rest of the shelters.

The canine population typically exhibits problems limited to a few common diseases, isolation areas should reasonably focus on those diseases, name:
  • Infectious kennel cough
  • Distemper 
  • Canine parvovirus
  • Fungal skin infection and scabies


RESCUING 70 dogs that were rounded up from the multiple areas from the dog pound in JB all at once sounds pathetically humane but their outcome regarding their well being need to be questioned.

While considering the implications of the impact of other insidious diseases and their effects on an adopted animal and the adopter.

Keeping exposed and sick animals in the shelter jeopardizes the health of current and future populations often falls on the deaf ears of untrained management who are influenced heavily by public sentimentality.


VetHelp@Noah's Ark with the Animal Ark Clinic



A team of vets from The Animal Ark Clinic participated with VetHelp@Noahs Ark. 


4 cats and ten dogs were sterilized and most of the dogs were rescued from the MPJB pound in Udan and a few of the dogs were covered with fight wounds.




A lump was removed from a cat's nose, nasal planum resection was carried out so that it can breath more comfortably again. 








A a dog's tail was amputated due to an accident and not forgetting many clinical cases that the volunteer vets had to attend to.



Despite of volunteer vets' busy work schedule, they sacrificed their rest day to give back to the less fortunate companion animals. 

Friday, September 5, 2014

The Harsh Reality of Our Street Dogs

We need the community's help to help them

Every society has its strengths and weaknesses - that includes us.

Our top priority is to care for 600 dogs, 300 cats, 10 horses and many small animals at Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary, a place for the animals to call home and to pass on with dignity - it is no fault of theirs that their caregivers have abandoned, abused and neglected them.  It is our moral obligation to provide food, shelter and medical care for the animals at the sanctuary. 

Apart from taking care of the animals at the sanctuary, Noah's Ark places a great emphasis on Project Industrial Dogs (PID). The objective of PID is to stop the endless reproduction and to lessen the number of strays on the streets through active sterilization.

Our PID team is small, we focus on a firm belief that every female street dog is spayed, many lives are inadvertently saved.  We regularly provide the street dogs with food and our priority is to sterilize the dogs and control their population.  We visit industrial areas to explain to factory owners, supervisors and workers about our project and the importance of sterilization, and to convince them to work with us.  We do get negative responses from factory owners that are unwilling to help.  But on the positive side, some workers are able to understand our work and they do ask for medical help for the street dogs.  Some of the workers refer their friends who work in other factories to us to help the street dogs. 

We are grateful that they understand and they want to help the dogs - and these dogs do not live in the lap of luxury but they are taken care off with basic needs.

Recently, we had three rescue cases referred by the factory workers that needed medical attention.

Sintu
An elderly caregiver who feeds Sintu regularly informed us that Sintu was not well.  When we went to look for him, they discovered that he had contracted TVT (canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor) and he must have had this condition for quite some time for his genitals to show such symptoms externally.  In order not to infect the other dogs, we brought Sintu to the vet for medical treatment.


 

 



Yogi
During one of our feeding sessions, we made a turn into this particular lane when we saw some dogs loitering around.  A huge dog came running towards us when he smelt food and we found out that he is affectionately called Yogi by the factory worker who has kept him since young.  When we were feeding Yogi and we were about to leave, we saw that he had a hole in his scrotum.  We know only too well that the hole though small for now, will likely get infected and in time to come cause pain to Yogi.  We spoke to the elderly security uncle and he was only too glad to have our help to treat Yogi. 
 

 
Jackson
Jackson squeezed out from a corner as we were about to leave after leaving some food for the pack of dogs.  Initially, we only saw his right view which was fine until he lifted his head from eating to look at us straight in the face and our jaws dropped. Jackson's left eyeball was popping out of the socket and the front part of his eyeball was covered with soil, mud and dirt sticking to the pus!  No way we could leave him unattended, immediately we brought him to the vet for medical aid.
These dogs are cared for by the factory workers and security guards, they provide shelter for the dogs, we provide food and in return the dogs help to take care of the factory when everyone goes home for the day.

 


To read about Sintu, Yogi and Jackson's plight, please click here.

Some lucky dogs get to stay within the compound if the workers like them.
Some dogs will sneak and hide for lodging.  
Ideally, we wish that every dog can find a home. 
In reality, there are many dogs at the shelters waiting for their forever home.  
Some dogs have been sitting and waiting for a year or two at the shelter.
When can they say that "I have a home"?

We are thankful that some factory workers are helping to take care of them, we at Noah's Ark try our best to provide the assistance needed for the welfare of the animals and we need your help to help the community's street dogs.

How you can help?
To help support Sintu, Yogi and Jackson medical fees, please email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com no amount is too small to help the community's street dogs.

To make a contribution by cheque
Please make cheque payable to Noah's Ark CARES and mail to:

Noah's Ark CARES
42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01. Singapore 229661
 
To make a contribution by fund transfer

For transfer to DBS BANK:
Bank: DBS 
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171
For transfer to OCBC BANK:
Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

Thank you.

From the Volunteers of Noah's Ark