A Tribute to Max - The Rottweiler that Lived with 200 Cats

Photo Credits: Nicholas Lee

Max

Rescued in January 2006 from a Fish Farm in Jalan Kayu

Passed away peacefully on 18 June 2014

Est. Age 9 yrs old

It has been fourteen days since Jill left us and on the afternoon of Wednesday 18 June, her companion Mighty Max passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his cat friends, Jasmine and Snoopy at the Wisma.

Visiting the Wisma will no longer be the same without Max - the familiar face of Max greeting and welcoming you into the cattery.

Photo Credits: Anne Young

One afternoon in 2012, we saw Max inside the Wisma with the cats - we got worried that he might hurt or eat one of the cats.  When we told Raymund what we saw - he did not believe and kept asking  "Are you sure?".  To proof that it was Max with the cats - we took a photo with our handphone and showed Raymund and he still could not believe that Max could get along with the cats.

Max proved to us that it is possible.  It is the humans that always assume that something bad will happen to the cats if a dog enters the cattery.  Partly we watched too much movies that shows the Rottweiler is always the bad dog - chasing and attacking  people and we have that image fixed in our thoughts.  Sometimes, we should trust our instincts and trust the dogs. If the dog shows aggression, we should not allow it to interact with the cats. If the dog shows that it wants to be part of the pack - we should allow and observe their behavior and how they interact with each other. 

Photo credits: Anne Young

Max had 8 wonderful years at Noah's Ark,  we will miss seeing Max jumping and swimming in the pond. Running to you at full speed on the open field - a life that all dogs truly deserve.

Max loved to stay in the cattery, because he didn't have to share his food with other dogs and he gets to be served personally, he sure knows how to be pampered.

Max and Jasmine with the cats.

Max's Puppyhood

In January 2006 Max was rescued from a fish farm in Jalan Kayu when he was about 3 months old by Aunty Vivian, a feeder.  Aunty Vivian asked a friend to foster him while she tried to rehome him.  Sometime later, what the fosterer did to Max, broke Aunty Vivian's heart. The fosterer had kept him in a cage for  24 hours a day and fed him with left food from the dinner table which included fish bones.  Aunty Vivian contacted Noah's Ark for help and immediately, we took Max away and placed him under foster care with my dad.

When Max arrived, he could barely walked, his paws were underdeveloped because he was caged up with no exercise. Max was young - with love, care and exercise, we were able to rehabilitate him easily.

Every day, my dad helped to foster Max by feeding, walking and playing with him. My dad would go to the wet market to buy beef and cook for Max, ensuring that he gets a nutritious meal and soon Max grew to be a big strong sumo dog weighing close to 40 kg.

As Max was growing, he soon became too strong for my dad who was in his 60s to handle him. On two occasions, while my dad was walking Max he fell and hurt himself. After hearing that my dad fell twice and concern for his wellbeing, he had no choice but to let Max make his journey to Noah's Ark.

Lessons from Max

Max has taught us that Rottweiler are nice and not mean creatures like what you see in the movies.

Max has taught us to respect others and not to get angry easily and start a fight over little things - Be Calm & Stay Calm.

Doesn’t mean that you have the size - you can be a bully.

Size does not matter - it’s the heart that shows you care - like what Max did for the cats.

Max showing his young friends around the sanctuary.

Our friends' children chilling out with Max and the cats in the Wisma.

Max, we will miss you, your spirit will live forever at the Wisma - you will always be remembered as The Rottweiler that Lived with 200 Cats.

By Lynda

City Footprint /城市生命线 on Noah's Ark

City Footprint - Part 1

City Footprint - Part 2

City Footprint - Part 3

Catch a glimpse of Raymund Wee's life, founder of Noah’s Ark, featured on City Footprint.  Over the years, Raymund has sacrificed much time and effort, essentially giving everything to Noah’s Ark. It is his life, his legacy and his steadfast passion which has made Noah’s Ark into one of the largest private animal shelters today.

For those who have not seen the beauty of Noah's Ark, this is a good opportunity for you to see what we are all about. It is also to help you understand the work we do and why we do it so passionately.

To view behind the scene of the documentary, please click here. 

Source: City Footprint
Date:  The documentary was aired on 13 January 2009

Visiting a Shangri-La for Animals: Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary by Supreme Master Television

Mr Raymund Wee, is the Founder of Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS). He built a comfortable home for his rescued friends by selling his shop and house. With the nearly US$1 million in proceeds, he first started his sancturary in 1995. 

The main goal of the sanctuary is to provide a safe, secure haven for residents where they can live out their lives in happiness and with respect and love.

Source:  Supreme Master Television
Date:  The documentary was aired on 12 February 2009

The Living Ark

The Living Ark

A video about the work of Noah's Ark. Click here to view the documentary. 

Big Ben’s 2nd Surgery - Scrotal Urethrostomy

Big Ben the Basset Hound was operated previously for bladder stones which made urinating very painful and uncomfortable. 

Big Ben had to have another operation to prevent the formation of new stones so that he can urinate with ease.

Two weeks after Big Ben was rescued from the streets of Malacca, 

he had to go through the surgery to remove his bladder stones.

Shocking amount of bladder stones that
were removed from Big Ben.

A cystotomy is a surgical opening at the wall of the bladder and 

to allow the veterinarian to obtain biopsy samples of the bladder. 

Dr Alice, a volunteer veterinarian from Singapore
doing the first operation on Big Ben,
a cystotomy which is the removal of bladder stones.

Condition of Big Ben’s swollen bladder. 

Imagine the pain and discomfort that he went through 

before the surgery. 

To read about Big Ben's rescue please click here.

Big Ben being scrubbed and preparation for surgery 

before the Scrotal Urethrostomy. 

Bladder stones no more! 

The Scrotal Urethrostomy had to done in order for Big Ben
to urinate through an opening from his urethral 
instead of having to pass through his penis. 
The urethral at the new opening is larger 
for any new stones formation to pass through.

Dr Alice taking a well-deserved break after the surgeries 

and mingling with the pack of dogs at the Ark.

Click to view  Happy Big Ben

This is Big Ben’s second surgery and hopefully his final surgery to correct his bladder stones problem.

The animals at Noah's Ark are fortunate to have passionate veterinarians like Dr Alice who volunteer their time to help with the surgeries for the animals.

Setting aside their busy schedules, they are willing to help out to make a difference in the lives of the animals. 

Thank you to all our volunteers.

Written by Darren Chan

Footnote:

What is a urethrostomy?
A urethrostomy is a surgical procedure to create an opening in the urethra, the tube through which urine flows from the bladder and is voided. The surgery is performed to correct a urethral obstruction, which can be caused by protein plugs, stones, trauma, or scarring (stricture). A urethral obstruction is a serious, life-threatening condition, therefore urethtrostomies are often performed on an emergency basis. In male cats, a perineal urethrostomy, or PU, is performed and in dogs a scrotal urethrostomy is performed.

Juno - Neglected & Mistreated by her Owner

This is Juno the Great Dane 

Her previous owner kept her in a cage 24/7 — whether she was fed at all, bathed or cared for in any way, we are unsure. But one look at her and it is painfully obvious the kind of neglect and mistreatment she had to live through.

A kind pet transporter contacted Uncle Raymund after getting to know of Juno’s situation. She was brought in to Noah's Ark about the time a group of us students from the School of the Arts (SOTA), Singapore, were staying a weekend at the sanctuary doing volunteer work.

"We were appalled, and
it was really heartbreaking
to see a dog in that state."

When we all saw her for the first time, I can safely say we all shared the same sentiments - we were appalled, and it was really heartbreaking to see a dog in that state.  She was literally skin and bone, with these gaping wounds on either side of her hips that were painful even to look at.

Juno was literally skin and bone.

Juno had a wound on both her hind legs,
it could fit a ping pong ball.

The wound on her right hind leg.

I’m sure most of us students would have come across animal abuse cases on the news or on TV, but I doubt any of us had actually seen one like Juno’s so up close and personal. It was a real slap in the face, back to the reality that there does exist people who can neglect their pets to such a cruel extent. It is hard to believe but it is a sad truth.

Juno refused to move, all she wanted was to be loved.

Alysha leading Juno to the clinic for a check-up.

However, I could feel that despite her condition, she still had so much life and spirit in her. It was touching because having been neglected the way she was for so long, she really only wanted to be loved and I could see that. There was absolutely no malice in her behaviour despite what she had been through, and she would sit quietly by you and allow you to pet her. I believe she knew she was safe and in good hands. How one could look an animal in the eye and treat them with such cruelty… I could never understand that.

Juno's weight.

An ideal weight for a female Great Dane is
between 45 Kg and 59 Kg

Le Ying drawing blood from Juno to test
for heartworm and tick fever.

Great News!!  Juno was tested negative
for both heartworm and tick fever.

Juno had to be put on drip due to dehydration.

We brought her over to the clinic to be checked. She was barely 30 kilos, far below a healthy weight for a Great Dane like herself.  But she could gobble up her food like it was nothing! We took her out for a short walk and much to our surprise she was stronger than one would imagine, and so enthusiastic!

Juno showing good appetite,
which is a good sign.

"There was absolutely no malice in her behaviour despite what she had been through, and she would sit quietly by you and allow you to pet her. 

I believe she knew she was safe and in good hands. How one could look an animal in the eye and treat them with such cruelty."

Seeing her strength, her heart (and not to mention how truly majestic she looked with her ears up and all), we knew we wanted to give her a name fit for a queen! So we decided to call her “Juno”. In Roman mythology, Juno is the most important and most highly regarded goddess and wife to Jupiter, equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera, wife of Zeus.

Under the care of Uncle Raymund and everyone at Noah's Ark, we know that the next time we return, Juno will be a changed dog, and we look forward to seeing her recovery.  

Written by Alysha Nair



Pet Sponsorship
To support  Juno's medical aid and animal sponsorship, please email to Noah's Ark CARES.


Footnote:
The Great Dane is a  "gentle giant". Sometimes referred to as the "king of dogs," this extremely large dog breed is known for being strong yet elegant, with a friendly, energetic personality. This breed is also popular as a family pet. Coat colors can be brindle, fawn, blue, black, harlequin and mantle. 

Sleepy Cats at Noah's Ark

18:30 hrs @ Noah's Ark 

Take a peep and see what the cats are doing.  They all go to bed early and sleeping soundly.

One of the ways in which cats show happiness is by sleeping.

 - Cleveland Amory

A Big Commotion in Rescuing Puppies- Rare Incident, Happy Ending!

Puppies are trapped. They need help!

Oh God, Puppies are trapped!

3 young puppies were discovered wedged between concrete beams at an abandoned construction site at Jalan Melaka Raya 12, Melaka. Some good-hearted lawyers tried to rescue them but were unsuccessful. However, with the help of the Fire Brigade (“Bomba”) from Jalan Kubu, Melaka, the puppies were saved.

The people who discovered the puppies tried, unsuccessfully, to lift and move the concrete beams to free the puppies.  They then enlisted the help of the Bomba which managed to extricate the puppies from the concrete beams. The puppies were adopted instantly by a dog lover who happened to walk by, thus letting this rarely seen incident draw to a close with a happy ending.

The incident happened at 9.30 a.m. The person who discovered these trapped puppies is a lawyer of Punjabi race, named Jaspal Singh (44 years old) and was joined by his fellow lawyer friend, Siah Li Mei (47 years old), whereby both of them, not concerned about their working attire, attempted to rescue the puppies, thus bringing a lot of attention to themselves.

Seeking Bomba’s help

Jaspal Singh said that about 9.30 a.m. as he was arriving at his law firm, he heard the cries of puppies. It came from the construction site which was located opposite his office. He went closer to look and discovered that there were puppies wedged in between the concrete beams.

“At that moment, I tried to put my hand into the gaps to coax them out. However, that made them go deeper into the narrower crevices of the concrete beams and their heads got stuck. They were unable to move. They yelped for help, which was so heart wrenching.”

He said his fellow lawyer had used food to entice the puppies to crawl out of the gap. But to no avail.

In the end, they had to seek the help of the Bomba since there was nothing they could do. The Bomba immediately dispatched its team. A number of firemen arrived at the scene, and they completed the rescue mission in less than 5 minutes.”

Siah Li Mei, a volunteer with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) Melaka, said that everyone is relieved and happy that the puppies have been rescued. It is extremely fortunate that these puppies found a new home immediately. Today is a very joyful day indeed.

Translation from Mandarin to English

Extracted from China Press Malacca, 4 November 2013

Elaine with a box of puppies.

“A Dream Come True”

I kept in touch with Elaine Tan who adopted the puppies. She told me that it was a coincidence that she was walking by with her husband on that fateful day and she was curious to see a crowd gathering at an abandoned construction site so she stopped to take a look.

When I showed her the puppies which was estimated to be about 3 months old in the box, her heart melted.  She said they were so young, and she could not bear the thought of seeing them starved and ridden with parasites.

Elaine recalled her daughter’s dream that they will have 3 puppies in their new home.  Instantly she knew it was destiny that brought her to the site. She decided to open her heart by giving the three puppies a home by adopting them so that they will not be homelessness.

I was delighted that the puppies will have a safe place to live and in a home environment.  I also ensured that the puppies will be sterilised when they are older and I kept in contact with Elaine on the progress of the puppies. 

Left: Fei Fei and Happy

Lucky

The puppies were named Happy, Lucky and Fei Fei.  

In March 2014, Elaine brought the three puppies to Noah’s Ark Animal Birth Control (ABC) Clinic* in Melaka for sterilisation.  Happy and Lucky have grown to be a happy-go- lucky characters.  Fei-Fei as the name implies is a cute and chubby. 

Elaine is loving mum to her teenagers and she is fur-parent that showers attention, care and love to Happy, Lucky and Fei Fei.  

For the Tan family, adopting 3 puppies is a dream come true.  Who says dreams don’t come true?

* Noah’s Ark Animal Birth Control (ABC) Clinic, Melaka – is a clinic with no frills and provides low cost sterilization to reduce the dogs and cats population.

All the sterilized dogs and cats will have their left ear tipped to show that they have been sterilized. We strongly believe that sterilization is more humane than culling, in order to reduce the over-population of unwanted animals.

Written by Siah Li Mei

China Press Malacca, 4 November 2013

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