Yesterday, we
published our Tri-Paws (click link here) at Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Shelter (NANAS) and shared how happy they have
adapted. This morning we received a few messages and emails from both Singaporeans
and Malaysians asking if we could help a disabled dog in distress located at a
car park near AEON Bukit Indah. Many wrote in because they were worried for the
dog's welfare and the “Street is not his home” and it was not a place for a
disabled dog.
Appealing for help.
Grayson found at AEON Car Park at Bukit Indah
Grayson making his way to NANAS.
Sharon and Chia
Hwei, Noah’s Ark Angels went to Bukit Indah to check on the dog. They managed
to locate the dog and brought it to the sanctuary for immediate medical aid.
After some observation and a physical examination, conclusively it was an old
injury that he sustained much earlier had led to the paresis of his hind limbs
and calcification of his fractured legs the trauma has led to this condition.
He is neutered and looking at his condition we can conclude that he was cared
for and dumped for some reasons which is hard of an animal lover to comprehend.
Click video to view Grayson's disabilities.
We noticed that
this is quite common for dogs or cats to get dumped on the streets by their
owners when the pet meets with a car accident. Owners refused to send the pet
to the vet for treatment for obvious reasons – they conveniently dump the pet
and let it wait for a slow death, while the pet has to look for food or get
attacked by feral dogs.
We have met
owners with accident victims before, when we asked, “How did your dog meet with
an accident?”. Their reply is: “Oh, I let my dog out of the house to pee and to
go for a walk on its own.” This is the ONE of the most common reply.
Grayson having his ears cleaned.
We have named it
“Grayson”, if you wish to support his medical aid and welfare:
To contribute in
Singapore Dollars
By Fund Transfer
Bank: DBS
Swift Code:
DBSSSGSG
Current Acct
number: 023-905510-9
Acct name: Noahs
Ark Natural Animal Shelter
To contribute in
Malaysian Ringgit
For Fund
Transfer:
Bank: CIMB
Swift Code:
CIBBMYKL
Acct No:
01190002636058
Acct Name: Noahs
Ark Natural Animal Shelter
Branch: Gelang
Patah, JB
We would like to
thank our readers and writers for Grayson’s welfare.
From the bottom of all the animals hearts, thank you.
Shiro's Tale
Shiro was ill treated by his ex owner in Singapore and we tried rehoming for several months and was unsuccessful because some people found him too old, he didn't have the looks and he walked funny with a cow hock legs.
Shiro is a lucky dog to be given a 2nd chance at the sanctuary and Noah's Ark has been his forever home for the past 14 months.
If you get to know him, he is a super duper sweet nature boy and some days he does behave like a BIG BABY. He does not like injections, if he does get one, he will cry loudly.
If you visit the sanctuary, do say "Hi" to Shiro - he stays at the main house.
Mickey (second from left) and Pluto (second from right) hanging out with their new friends.
Mickey and
Pluto were two guard dogs living in a factory which was in the process of
closing its operations. Having outlived
their usefulness, they would most probably be left behind to fend for themselves. This is a very common scenario during
difficult economic times.
Taking
Action
Hearing
about the plight of these two dogs, Roger and Christine, at their own expense,
engaged a security guard to feed and look after the dogs at the empty facility
while they searched for a long-term solution to provide for the dogs. They wrote to many rescue groups in Singapore
but to no avail so they turned to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS)
in Johor which took up the case.
Having
paid for the health checks at the vet, they also sponsored the dogs’ journey to
NANAS. They continued to help with
monthly contributions for the dogs under the Noah's Ark sponsorship programme
and made it a point to visit the dogs at NANAS whenever there was a public
tour. More importantly, Roger and
Christine are committed to the care of the dogs even after Noah’s Ark took up the case.
Mickey
Pluto
Commitment
and Responsibility
So what
does it actually take to save an animal’s
life? Aside from having compassion and
making that one phone call, it takes commitment and responsibility. Rescue groups depend largely on
volunteers. When someone reports a case
to us, the work does not stop there. It
is only just the beginning.
Roger and
Christine were not able to keep the dogs because of their existing pet
commitments but that did not stop them from giving the two dogs another shot at
life. It was inhumane to leave them to
fight for their own fate.
They could
not turn a blind eye but instead were committed and changed the lives of these
two dogs. Mickey and Pluto would never
have had a new lease of life in NANAS if WORDS did not turn into ACTION.
One person’s action can turn another’s life into a better
one. We cannot thank Roger and Christine
enough for their commitment to save the lives of these two dogs and for
continuing their journey with them.
You Can
Also Help Us To Help Them
Rescue
work is never easy and that is the reason why we need your help so we can help
these unfortunate animals. If you are
able to contribute in any way to our cause, please contact us at nanassporea@gmail.com.
Khang Khang was slashed by a man wielding a parang on a motorbike at Taman Malim Jaya, Melaka. When the first blow struck, Khang Khang was so stunned that he shat and peed on the spot, giving the sadist a second chance to slash him again. That shook him up and he ran away leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Khang Khang became a stray 2 months ago. He had an owner. She died from a sudden stroke in a hospital. Overnight he was homeless. Khang Khang depended on the neighbours to feed him.
At the animal clinic in Melaka. He stayed over night so that he could have a good's night rest and away from harm.
17-Oct-16
A
neighbour and her 4 year old grandson witnessed the attack on Khang Khang. Her
daughter contacted us and asked for help as he was in pain and flies were
hovering over his wound.
We
advised to bring Khang Khang to an animal clinic in Melaka for treatment. The neighbour also feared for his safety as
the abuser was seen "ronda" the Taman, looking for Khang Khang.
When
Raymund Wee learnt of Khang Khang's plight, he immediately offered the
sanctuary as a permanent home.
Khang Khang was discharged from animal clinic in Melaka and on the way to a "safe place".
Khang Khang with our volunteer in Melaka. He knew he was going to a safe place.
Khang Khang at a "safe place" while waiting for arrangements to send him to the sanctuary.
20-Oct-16
Khang
Khang made his journey to Noah's Ark.
Removing the maggots.
The wounds are stitched up. The tubes are surgical drainage tubes to prevent accumulating fluid, typically blood which serves as a medium for bacterial growth.
Dr Keshia attending to Khang Khang. After stitching the wounds, Dr Keshia had him castrated.
About 2 weeks later, Khang Khang's wounds were healing.
2 August evening - it's the eve before the start of the
7th month*, Trista, a volunteer was
feeding some strays at a cemetery and she found a dog which did not belong in
the area.
To her horror (don't worry it wasn't a ghost), the dog's
left hind leg was fractured, front legs were swelling, it was just skin and
bones.
One look you could tell that it was a hit and run
accident victim.
Despite the pain it went through, the dog had a
sweet nature and it still trusted man. From its behaviour and observation, you know it had an owner. Is
this how you treat your animal companion when it is injured and needs your help?
Casper's left hind leg was fractured.
It's owner had conveniently DUMPED him at the cemetery to die a slow death.
Doing such cruel act before the start of the 7th month - is NOT going be good for
its EX-OWNER.
Trista knew that the dog will die if it did not receive
help, she quickly carried him into her car and brought him to Noah's Ark ABC clinic for
treatment.
Dr Alice attending to the dog, while Trista held on to Casper.
It was Dr Alice's day off and she was spending her day at the sanctuary with friends and offered to attend to the dog by cleaning it's wounds and
put him on drip so that he stayed hydrated.
With his sweet and kind nature, we decided to give
him a name starting with the letter
"C" because he was found at a "Cemetery" and landed with "Casper" to
remember the start of the Hungry Ghost Festival - Casper the Friendly Ghost.
*7th month is associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival in the Chinese calendar.
Walk
into the Cat Wisma and you might
notice Black Jack, a senior cat who communicates with visitors with his excited
“meows” and he is known to Raymund as the “Talking Cat”.
Black
Jack is 16 years old and being a senior cat, he has only one tooth left but he
is still happy to be able to enjoy the company of his other cat friends or indulge
in his own personal time lazing around in the afternoon sun. Black Jack was
adopted by Raymund from Hougang, close to where he grew up.
Raymund
compares Black Jack to that of a typical Singaporean who is not satisfied with
anything and complains all day as he always entertains visitors with his incessant
comical meowing. However, Black Jack is considered a very lucky cat as not many
pet owners like the colour black and this has contributed to them not being always
able to find a permanent home.
The
reality is that many people boycott owning animals that are black due
to superstitious beliefs surrounding them. Shelter workers termed this
phenomenon “Black Dog Syndrome” where black cats and dogs face an uphill task
of finding potential adopters due to their colour. This has made shelters hold
special adoption drives to entice people to adopt these animals.
According to an
article, “It’s
not fur! Meet the cats no one wants- just because they are black. Can you give
any of them a home” by the Daily Mail Online UK last year highlights the
plight of animals that are black in colour who have a hard time finding homes.
At the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London, there is another problem that
comes up which are that black cats are too plain as compared to the many other
interesting colours available and that the colour black is too dull. In a bid
to get people to change their mindset about the colour black, Cats Protection,
a cat charity has launched the National Black Cat Day to raise awareness that
these animals are as cute and charming as other varieties of pets.
Black
cats and dogs are still being unfairly discriminated against but animal welfare
organisations and shelters are doing their best to maintain pet equality among
all animals so that everyone has a chance to find a home. Another aspect would
be that potential adopters need to see pass the outlook of an animal and focus
on the personality and chemistry of the animal which will help in relationship
building between pet and owner.
If
Black Jack could speak, he would probably want all animals to be given equal
treatment and love so that every animal can get that opportunity in finding second
chances and loving owners. To debunk the misconception of the colour of black
that prevents an animal from getting adopted, here are some of the reasons why a black cat make good pets!
In Ancient Egypt, owning a black cat was
thought to bring good luck.
Lots of famous cats have been black like those
featured in popular television shows and movies such as The Simpsons and Looney
Tunes.
Black cats are elegant.
Black cats are just like any other cats, they
are loving and sweet.
The colour black goes with everything as it
is a contemporary colour.
On
your next visit to the sanctuary, do remember to visit the Cat Wisma and lookout for Black Jack and his friends who are the entire same unique and
masculine colour. It is important to give all animals, no matter their breed or
colour that equal chance to be loved and accepted which is their one and only
greatest wish.
Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) has been attending to cases
of animals being abandoned or neglected for many years and through the care and
concern, the animals are shown again the beautiful ability to live their life
to the fullest which is within the wide open spaces that the sanctuary provides
them.
I remembered that it was 20 January 2015 at about 7 a.m. when I
first chanced upon the posting of Rocky on Noah’s Ark CARES Facebook page. This
is definitely not the typical story of a girl-meets-boy kind of story; it is
more of a girl-meets-dog kind of attraction. This account depicts the
restoration of Hope and a genuine acceptance that does not consider physical
appearances.
As a Christian, the biblical definition of Hope is "confident
expectation". The bible goes on to further describe Hope as a firm
assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown (Romans 8:24-25;
Hebrews 11:1, 7). Also, Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the
righteous (Proverbs 23:18). In this case, the righteous one is none other
than Rocky, a Neopolitan Mastiff who is approximately 10 years old. A Neopolitan
Mastiff is a dog that is known for its traits to be a
watchful guard dog but its characteristics is of a gentle affectionate giant that
just wants to lounge around to pass time.
Cruelly abandoned by this owner for being too old and smelly, Rocky
has medical issues as well - several lumps on his body that require surgical removal
and an aural haematoma. An aural haematoma occurs from an irritation to
the ear which causes excessive scratching which may rupture the blood vessel in
the ear leading to a deformed ear cartilage.
Upon physical examination by a volunteer veterinary surgeon at Noah’s
Ark Animal Birth Control (ABC) Clinic, Rocky was deemed fit to undergo surgery
to remove the lumps and to drain the swelling in his ear flap. The surgeries
were successful which helped to alleviate his physical discomfort, but deep
down Rocky was filled with emptiness and unhappiness from his ordeal.
When I first met Rocky in person on 24 January after his surgeries,
he was not interested in anything and anyone. He spent most of his time curled
up at a corner of Noah's Ark's main entrance, almost like a well - blended
wallpaper to its surroundings which made him unnoticeable. It occurred to me
that Rocky had separation anxiety which was common in human beings when someone
that they are attached to- leaves suddenly. Animals do have feelings and also
experience similar bouts of loneliness and grief due to a change of the
situation. Pessimism seems to hang over Rocky like a storm cloud and I felt his
emotional pain which needed a healing approach known as Tender Loving Care
(TLC).
The expression of caring in the clinical context is close observation,
precise listening and responsive questioning, in concert with committed engagement
and actions directly addressing the patient's problem, stripped of any assumptions
about what the patient might or might not be experiencing. Rather, it boils
down to genuine and sincere in the compassionate act of caring. After observing
his body language, I moved into Rocky's intimate space uninvited to try and get
to know him better personally. Naturally, he avoided any interaction with me by
either moving away or ignoring my advances. He was also uninterested in treats
which showed his low spirit. However, I kept talking to him and also stroked
his head and ear gently from time to time. I kept encouraging him to eat more
and to put on weight. He turned to me looking surprised whenever I spoke these
words of gentle encouragement, "Rocky, I see you. I care. Eat more. Put on
weight".
Two weeks passed with a blink of an eye, I had the opportunity to meet
Rocky once again on 7 February. During this visit, I fed Rocky with some
boiled chicken meat as treats and took him for a walk around the lush
surroundings of the sanctuary. It is without a doubt that he is living in such
a lovely and tranquil place; hence it is a real pity not for him to witness the
beauty of the sanctuary with his own eyes. As we walk along, Rocky's gloomy
face cracked up into a smile and I cannot help it but smile too at this
development. His eyes slowly lit up and he increasingly got more cheerful with
each gentle breeze brushing across his face. Rocky is starting to relax and is
learning to enjoy his surroundings with each moment.
After the walk, Raymund Wee, founder of Noah's Ark told me, “Rocky has gained
3 kg since his first arrival at the sanctuary and he is more responsive to
people now.” Most importantly, he has regained his will to live. I was
delighted at this great news and new development. Deep down, I am filled with
gratitude and peace that Rocky has finally settled down comfortably and is
regaining his appetite. He can certainly be confident in receiving the best
care at the sanctuary and live his life to the fullest!
In my opinion, Rocky's story serves as a timely reminder that good
welfare is not simply the absence of negative experiences, but rather is
primarily the presence of positive experiences, such as happiness, affection
and companionship. This is an aspect of transformation that an animal goes
through in finding both love and hope again in the lowest of circumstances.
I felt that all aspects of an animal's needs, including physical,
psychological, and social needs, should be taken into account and seen as a
whole when caring for an animal for the entire natural duration of its life
time on earth. Afterall, everyone needs to be understood and cared for, no
matter their condition. Love can be a double-edged sword as it might hurt at
times, but with respect for all living creatures on earth, the positive experiences
do outweigh the negative experiences. To be able to help an animal at a 100
percent level, it is important to break down any emotional or psychological
barriers within ourselves that exist to reach out to those that really deserve
the help and attention.
This article was written with permission from Mr T.T. Lim
Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS)
has seen its fair share of animal hoarders and the condition of the animals who
had become the prisoners of their love. Most of them start off with good
intentions and have compassion for the animals. When they see a stray, they
find it impossible to turn away. They allow their hearts to rule their heads
and became addicted to the accumulation of more animals. They are overwhelmed
by their well-meaning intention that their animal care is neglected or
compromised.
Take the case of Mr T.T. Lim.His neighbors label him as the “Crazy Cat Man”. Uncle Lim is 67 years old, a
retired bachelor who lives with his street cats. The cats are like his children and he knows
each by name and their medical histories. He retreated from socializing with
his friends because of his cats. His friends stopped dropping by his house because
of the stench of the cats’ faeces and urine and possible health risk to
themselves. Neighbours complained about the presence of cats’ waste in their
gardens and infestation of parasites. Eventually, he became withdrawn and
isolated.
This kind man would bring his rescues to our
Noahs’ Ark Animal Birth Control (ABC) Clinic in Melaka for medical treatment
and sterilization. Uncle Raymund has
shared and counseled Uncle Lim on the following:-
(a) Management
of community catsi.e. that instead of the
scattered, randomapproach adopted by Uncle
Lim on picking up stray cats across a wide geographical area, he should concentrate
on specific locations, for example, the food-court at Bukit Bruang.This way he could get an idea of the cat population
there and to sterilize as many as possible. This approach is faster and has
more visible impact to curb the over-population. Furthermore he would be able
to contain and manage any infection afflicting them.
(b) Quarantine
of sick animals and proper nursing protocol. Invariably the cats Uncle Lim rescued
are afflicted with respiratory infection. In order not to transmit any infection to his
healthy cats, Uncle Lim should not allow them to have any contact.
(c) Trap
Neuter and Release (TNR). Cats that have been neutered must be returned to where
they were first caught. However after
having nursed the sick animal to health or after sterilization, Uncle Lim forms
a strong attachment to the animal and cannot bear to release them. The “R” in
the TNR did not materialize. Thus, began the accumulation of cats in Uncle
Lim’s household.
Sometime in May 2014, while Uncle Lim was
mopping the kitchen floor in his home, he slipped and landed on his back. His injuries were so severe that he laid paralyzed
and helpless for three days. Without
food and water, Uncle Lim drifted in and out of consciousness. His shouts for help were unanswered as he lived
alone.
On the third day after the fall,
a friend dropped by his house, after failing to get him on the phone. Uncle Lim
knew this was his last chance to get attention from his friend, otherwise he
knew that he would not make it. He
mustered all his strength and expelled an explosive shout. His friend quickly
attended to him and called the ambulance.
No one knew the exact number of cats in this
multi-cat household except that the population was burgeoning. The 30 odd cats that hung around the house were
stressed, frightened and ill. A Noah’s Ark volunteer, Shaqira did most of the
heavy work – feeding and nursing the cats on daily basis. She took it upon
herself to clean and mop the house because the cats, in their stressed
condition, had defecated on the floor and other surfaces.
I wished that Uncle
Lim had listed the total number of cats and their respective medications,
rather than us doing “a guessing game”. Due to the overcrowding and the
deteriorating housing condition, more cats were falling sick. Some started to
linger outside the house, becoming a nuisance to the neighbours. Whilst we took turns to shuttle to Uncle
Lim’s house daily to tend to his furry friends, we felt the strain as we had to
juggle our own personal responsibilities with the added workload.
At best, we managed to find homes for some of
the kittens. Sadly, there were no takers for the rest of the cats. It is unconscionable to abandon the cats and
let them fend for themselves as the street is not their home. I kept Uncle Raymund updated of Uncle
Lim’s medical condition which would require long recuperation, the deteriorating sanitary conditions of Lim’s house and the complains
from his neighbours of the nuisance from
the cats. Uncle
Raymund offered the sanctuary as a permanent home for the cats on compassionate
grounds.
We set out with our rescue mission to bring
the cats safely to the sanctuary. However, we were met with obstacles. Cats are
highly territorial creatures and those 30 felines were very suspicious and
mistrustful of us. Some tried to hide
almost immediately when we entered the premises. It was a daunting task to coax the cats into
our carriers and now I understand why “herding cats” is a synonym for “chaos”.
After an exhausting “cat and mouse” chase as
some of the cats were stubbornly elusive, we manage to round up all the cats
without any “cat-astrophe.” The cats’ first stop was the ABC Clinic in Melaka
as a temporary holding area where they were de-fleaed and de-wormed until they were
re-located to the sanctuary. We also
provided food and water.
Cats getting ready for their journey from
Melaka to Noah's Ark in JB.
A mother cat nursing her kittens.
On 31 May 2014, Raymund and I visited Uncle
Lim at the hospital to provide updates on his 30 furry friends and assured him
that Noah's Ark will become the cats’ forever home. His eyes teared. The grief, guilt and burden that Uncle Lim had
been shouldering were lifted. I could tell that Uncle Lim is grateful to Noah's Ark.
He can now focus on recovery.
On the same evening, it took six people to hoist
the carriers and secure them properly for the cats’ two hour journey to their
“Purr-adise”. 45 minutes later, our
rescue mission was completed.
On 7 March 2015 ,Uncle Lim celebrated
his birthday. He is now residing
at a nursing home.
Uncle Lim has also undergone surgery and has
cervical spine disc prosthesis implanted in situ c3/c4, c4/c5 and c5/c6. Recovery will take a longer due to his age. Most importantly, he has a positive outlook in
life and he hopes that one day he is able to continue caring for the community
animals.
Instead of being appreciated for his compassion
for the street cats, Uncle Lim was judged negatively, either as a hoarder,
eccentric feeder or a person with mental disorder. He was ostracized. It tells us something about our society’s treatment towards stray animals
and their carers. We hope that our society is able to reach out to help those
in need and support them with help such as veterinary care or placement of
these animals.
Chained to a tree
without a shelter under the merciless weather.
This dog was left
outside the owner's house because he has very bad skin condition and the
owner said that he could not afford to send the dog to the vet for treatment and he
doesn't want him anymore.
Neighbors were puzzled and saddened by his attitude. Helplessly they did their best by providing the dog with food and sprayed his wounds with anti-maggots spray.
Noah's Ark was alerted about his plight and our volunteer went to investigate the situation.
We immediately asked the owner to
surrender his dog and a statement was made after "Tambi" was removed
from him.
"We pray that one day when you are old and mangy your own children
would tie you outside the house, like what you did to this dog. "
The following picture
will tell you his miseries n happy endings.
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