Sunday, December 28, 2008

A Desperate Plea For Help

Some two weeks ago we received a call from a social worker requesting help with an animal issue. A single elderly lady, 74 yrs of age, under their care, had some animals in her one-room rental apartment and could no longer care for them. She had fallen sick, was hospitalized and lost her job washing dishes in a coffee shop during her long stay in hospital. The social worker had initially called SPCA for help and was told by SPCA to call HDB. Instead she went online and called Noah’s Ark for help.

Our volunteer went to the elderly lady’s home to pay a visit. Mdm Oon had initially told the social worker she had nine cats and one dog in her home. When our volunteer visited the home with the social worker, she was both saddened and taken aback by what she saw. Mdm Oon lived in extreme poverty and filth. The stench from her home could be smelled the instant the lift door opened on her level. She only had one bedroom, and that door was closed during our visit. The cats they saw were all underweight, malnourished, had little fur on their bodies and some only had a few teeth in their mouth. Her two year old dog, Julie, a mongrel, had never ever had a bath in her life, not since she was brought home by Mdm Oon when she was less than two months old.

Our volunteer left the home with a heavy heart and discussed with the social worker to understand a little more of the situation. Noah’s Ark agreed to help remove the nine cats and one dog from Mdm Oon’s home. Much as she loved them, she had lost her job and no longer had the means to care for herself, let alone her pets.



The following Saturday three volunteers from Noah’s Ark arrived in a huge van, with 7 pet carriers of various sizes, prepared to rescue the nine cats and one dog. We were accompanied by the social worker.



Behind one of these doors, there was a sad story to be told.


Nothing prepared the volunteers for the sight, the stench and the sadness that greeted them behind this door. Mdm Oon’s home was barren, save for a small table fan, some cages and a table. Mdm Oon’s bed was an old table. There was cat pee all over floor of the entire house as she could not afford cat litter. Her dog had also peed and pooh-ed on the floor and one volunteer even spotted maggots creeping on the floor.



Mdm Oon's makeshift "bed"



Maggot on the floor

The first to be taken away was Julie, her mongrel. Julie initially put up a struggle but eventually relented and went into the carrier. Mdm Oon had to be the one catching the cats as only she was familiar with them.



Julie was extremely wary of strangers as she had never had anyone else other than Mdm Oon and had never left home.


Mdm Oon was bitten by one of her cats while trying to catch them


After catching 5 cats, the social worker asked Mdm Oon to open her room door. To everyone’s shock and horror, there were more cats in the room! The room was barren except for two rusted table stands, minus the table tops. The sight of the cats brought tears to our eyes. The room was equally filthy and the cats were rather young, some mere kittens. One had deformed legs due to malnourishment and a few others just lay down and stared blankly at us, too weak and too surprised to even move or run. It was such a sorry sight.


Look at their faces, the cats were equally shocked when we opened the room door!



A deformed & malnourished cat


We had gone with the intention of removing Mdm Oon’s nine cats and one dog but now there were suddenly so many more! Twenty cats and one dog to be exact. It was impossible to take only our intended nine cats as those in the room were sickly and needed medical attention.



One cat that was volunteering to go into the carrier on its own


Armed with only 7 pet carriers, we slowly caught the cats, one at a time. Some carriers had 4 or 5 cats in them and we only managed 17 cats and Julie. We had no more space in our carriers and three were left behind. These final three were also not easy to trap.





Noah’s Ark volunteers, the social worker and Mdm Oon spent a total of more than two hours catching 17 cats and 1 dog and it was during this time that the social worker revealed a sadder story. During the time that Mdm Oon was hospitalized, she had entrusted her house key to another elderly lady, tasking her to feed the animals in her house. Instead of feeding the animals, this lady helped herself to whatever little things that Mdm Oon had in her home; an old kettle, an old rice cooker, the only 3 sets of clothes she had, and even her bus / MRT card.

We felt truly sorry for Mdm Oon and were also told that during her three weeks away from home, Julie had killed a cat, despite living with them since she was less than 2 mths old. We suspected that Julie was not fed during those three weeks and acted on her survival instinct and killed the cat for food. Mdm Oon had picked Julie up from a garbage bin when she was a mere puppy. Whilst she was working as a dish washer at the local coffee shop and out throwing rubbish, she had heard whimpering from inside the garbage bin.

Out of curiosity, she rummaged through the bin and found that someone had put five tiny puppies into a cardboard box, and thrown them into the garbage bin! The kind-hearted Mdm Oon then took out the puppies from the garbage and went around the coffee shop asking customers to take a puppy each. Four were taken up and it was then that she chose to bring Julie home.



Outside the vets with all Mdm Oon's pets


We took Mdm Oon to The Animal Doctor with us, in case we needed her help in handling the animals. To our surprise, despite what they had all gone through, her cats were all rather sweet and pleasant natured. Julie was extremely timid, having never left home in almost two years.

We spent four hours at the Vet and with the help of the Drs and assistants, all the animals were vaccinated, microchipped, and had their blood tests done. Their visit to the vet revealed the following;

- almost all the cats were malnourished, each under 2kg
- most had lost much of their fur and teeth, possibly caused by poor diet and under nourishment
- two cats had FIV/ Fel
- Julie was given a clean bill of health



Malnourished cat

Currently, Julie is with a fosterer and coping well, all the other cats are being boarded. We would like to appeal to the public to help in any way you can, such as to;

* sponsor a cat for sterilization > Male $25-30, Female $35-50
* sponsor Julie the dog for sterilization $120
* contribute to the vet bill in any amount possible
* adopt Julie and give her a loving home
* sponsor a cat to live in Noah’s Ark $150
* sponsor Julie to live in Noah’s Ark (transport + permit = $330)
* sponsor a cat’s one year (or more) boarding at Noah’s Ark ($35 per month, payable by GIRO)
* sponsor Julie’s boarding for one year (or more) at Noah’s Ark ($35 per month, payable by GIRO)

Most of the cats are shown below in the pictures the volunteer had taken:











A mere kitten, it was scrawny and had bald patches on its body due to loss of fur.


This cat still had a slight resemblance of how beautiful it could look but with lack of care and improper nutrition, it was a sorry looking sight.



This kitten was extremely underweight and malnourished to the extent that legs were deformed with the loss of fur and teeth, along with its bones protruding from body.



















We’d like to assure everyone that all the animals rescued from Mdm Oon’s home are in safe and good hands but in order to do more, we need your help, kindness and generosity to help us send the animals to Noah’s Ark. Moreover, the social welfare will also be making weekly checks on Mdm Oon, ensuring that she no longer takes home any more pets.

In our line of volunteer work, we occasionally come across such cases where the person involved needs just as much help as the animals. In such situations, our volunteers do often dig deep into their pockets and contribute what little they can, in the hope that their contribution makes a difference in the life of the person involved. A little help certainly goes a long way.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

President's Message for 2008


Dear Friends and Supporters of Noah’s Ark,

2008 is drawing to a rapid close and yet there is still much work to be completed. We at Noah’s Ark CARES are still aware that our sterilization programme for the street animals in Singapore is far from complete. Nevertheless, heartened by the support the National Dog Walk in August 2008 we received both from the general public and our faithful and loyal supporters. We believe that without active sterilization of both the stray population in Singapore as well as our own companion animals – the number of animals that suffer an inhumane death would be even larger than what it is at the moment.


Your support has made the difference. So please help us stop this senseless killing by helping us eradicate the root of the problem. Perhaps this is a somber message but it is something that we would like everyone to mull over as they enjoy the festivities of the season. Likewise, please don’t forget the less unfortunate animals that eke out an existence on our streets — even as we count our own blessings.


We too, at Noah’s Ark have been doubly blessed by the continued support of many who help us feed our animals at the sanctuary and believe in our education programmes. Without all your continued support – we would not be able to exist. So, from all of us at Noah's Ark CARES, thank you once again for making 2008 a very good year!


With many doggy licks and high paws – we wish each and everyone of you a Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year!



Warm regards,

Ms Chew Gek Hiang
President
Noah's Ark CARES

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Sweet Champion found at National Library Car Park



Tonight a gentle and noble soul lay sleeping soundly beside me; and as I looked into his cloudy eyes, I saw not the protruding ribs from a too thin body or the unsteady legs gnarled with arthiritis but a glimpse of a "champion" that he once was.

So begins my story of a brown abandoned dog that was found in a carpark in town this week....

In the last few weeks, he had walked many streets searching desperately for the friendly faces of his people he once called family. Everything looked unfamiliar but yet they were strangely the same. Bright street lights assaulted him on his lonely trek, zooming cars whizzed past him and countless angry screaming people hurled stones as he approached. All this made him extremely frightened and confused! It wasn't long ago when things were so much different!

He is now very tired and sad - his last fond memories were that of a car ride that he had eagerly anticipated with his family. But suddenly, all that changed - they called him out of the door and he bounded out happily eager to please and as soon as he was on the pavent - his cloudy eyes could just barely make out the sight of an all too familiar car hurtling away in the distance and in an instant, he was left all alone.

He is certain that they will return for him. Minutes pass, hours lapse, days come and go and with it he things that something has happened to his family. He feels the need to look for them as they are not safe without their little "champion".

He is certain that they love him. He has not changed from the playful puppy they once selected and loved. Although he is now older, he was still the same dog that "championed" the causes they being humans, strongly believed in. Had he not been loyal, brave and selfless as he dutifully played protector to both their house and family. His heart pounded as strongly and as bravely as when he was a pup, his bark remained loud and confident and his unwavering and steadfast love was the same as ever. No - they did not leave him because he had become old!!!!

He needed to find them - they would be in peril without him - and so he continues his lonely quest to find them - the family that he so loved.



Today, his legs have failed him - he lies down quietly in a secluded area. Some people gather around him, he looks up but sees no one. He closes his eyes. He is injured they exclaim. He must be in pain - is he dying? He hears their voices of concern but they mean nothing to him. They are right, he is dying - the pain from a broken heart overwhelms him and his breathing becomes laboured. He waits for a quick release ..... willing for it to happen as fast as possible.

Suddenly he hears voices - voices that ease the pain somewhat - the tightness eases -he struggles to his feet - he looks up and though the face is unfamiliar it is the tone he recognises. He edges closer - unsure and fearful of possible rejection - will she too turn him away as so many have done so not too long ago? He gingerly licks her fingers not knowing what to expect and felt her warm hands cupping his face, stroking his grey whiskers before whispering quietly in his blood-swollen ears - "You will be fine my dear- you will be going home........ "

So ends our dog's quest to find his home - in this instance he found another - where he will be loved till it is time for him to bid his final goodbye. Sadly such endings are a rarity in these times - there are just too many unwanted animals and too few homes out there willing to take them.

The hard financial reality of abandoned animals is that it is far cheaper to have them euthanized as opposed to rehoming them. For Noah's Ark - each animal taken into our folds amounts to anything between $ 400 - $ 1,000 in medical fees. The cost and time of our fostering and training can not even be quantified!! Yet ever so often we are screamed at and cursed when we are unable to accede to every request to help.

Please try to understand that we have both our financial and physical limitations. We are trying our best to do what we feel is in the best interests' of the animal so bear with us. Sadly we will not be able to save most of these animals and hence our continued commitment to mass sterilization and educate responsible animal ownership entails. We believe that without these two prongs of action - things can never get better.

So if you really wish to help such animals - look within yourself first - what are you prepared to sacrifice - your time, your money , your home to help.... or is the only thing you freely give are your words?

Yet despite these setbacks, we will continue with our limited resources to do what we can for such animals and more. I guess for all of us at Noah's Ark - we believe that every bit makes a difference to these animals so if you too believe - please continue to help us help them.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Life of a Stray

Our life is harsh - did you know,
And it is a story that must be told.


I am a stray puppy living on a construction site,
One of the many hiding in plain sight.

Our mommy could not produce any milk,
So our tummies were never fully filled.


Every few days we get to have a bite,
When caring stray feeders make an effort to feed us late at night.



We drink water when rainwater collects in deep puddles,
Contaminated water that is full of disgusting germs.


Occasionally we have our lucky day,
When clean containers of fresh water are sent our way.


Amidst the dust, rocks and stones,
Buried in the earth are some doggy bones.


Some of my family members have already gone to heaven,
The result of many large industrial vehicle accidents.


These are dangerous conditions we live in,
Everyone claims we are too small to be seen.


Sometimes people drive right on by and do not care,
Ignorant and unknowing about our welfare.


I didn't ask to be born into this world,
It seems too unfriendly and cruel.


My future ahead seems too bleak,
Where is the warm loving home that I desperately seek?





This video was done by one of our friends which basically sums up the entire blog post. It is a sad and sombre plight that these poor strays are in. More often than not, hidden in the unseen areas of Singapore, they are easily forgotten by most people. However, we have taken the effort to highlight them to you and show your how tough their lives are as strays.

As the economic crisis looms around the corner, lesser and lesser puppies are able to find good homes. Our strays roam the unlit industrial streets, searching for food and water but not always finding what they need to survive. Moreover, with the many large vehicles in the areas, not everyone looks out for them. Sometimes, this results in horrific accidents of innocent and unknowing young puppies like Buddy and Ziggy. Life is harsh and there is no point bringing a puppy into this world if conditions are as such.

That is why we at Noah's Ark strongly encourage sterilizations – especially so for our industrial strays. Please do continue to support Noah's Ark and help us sterilize the strays. We hope that in time to come, we will be able to work towards the goal that there will be no longer anymore homeless dogs.


*Video Credits to Ester
*Article & Pictures to the Wombat

Sunday, December 14, 2008

US doggie bakery - X'mas Dog Cookies for our 4 legged friends in Noah's Ark!

Come spread some Christmas Cheer to the 700 Dogs at Noah's Ark this Festive Season! Help fill their Christmas stockings with Doggie Cookies and Yummy Muffins from US Doggie Bakery. Want to share your Christmas joy? You can spread some of the happiness by sponsoring a Christmas Snack Pack for the Doggies at just $10 each.

Each pack consists of :
1. Rudolph's Boxing Day Cheese Sticks
2. 3 pieces of Santas Favourite Muffins
3. 200gm of Assorted Cookies



Sample of yummy doggie cookies!



US Doggie Bakery will accumulate and collate all orders. Then, Noah's Ark volunteers will make the arrangements to ensure that these doggies receive your Christmas gifts to them! It's that simple! There are 2 ways you can order.

You can visit the store directly at:
US Doggie Bakery
110 Turf City Road
D9-10 K9 Kampus
Singapore 288000
Tel: 9656 8936

Alternatively, you may order with Noah's Ark by emailing us at info@noahsarkcares.com
Please indicate the number of Christmas Snack Packs you wish to order. Last day for orders is 31 December '08.

Payment can be made via funds transfer to:

Bank:DBS
Account name: Noah's Ark CARES,
Account number: 012 - 900823 - 0

OR

Bank: OCBC
Account name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Account number: 501-827745-001

Please don't forget to provide us with your transaction code to enable us to trace your transfer, issue a receipt and THANK YOU heartily for your support!

We are extremely grateful for your generosity and support in our work at Noah's Ark. From all the furry three-leggeds and four-leggeds at Noah's Ark, here's wishing you a Woofing Christmas and Barking New Year!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Come on down to Telok Kurau Park this Sunday, 14th Dec 08!

Dear readers and supporters of Noah's Ark,

We have been invited by the Telok Kurau & Frankel Neighbourhood Committee to participate in this year's "X'mas with your Dog!" which will be held at the Telok Kurau Park.


Poster of the event - click to enlarge!


Come on and join us this Sunday at Telok Kurau Park from 9am to 1pm! There will be goodie bags (for the first 100 only!) so come on down early! Moreover, to add on to the festivities, there will also be talks, performances and numerous games with great prizes to be won.

Noah's Ark volunteers will be hard at work, manning our booth and doing their part to raise funds for the animals. Come lend your support by visiting our booth and by purchasing our merchandise. We have newly designed t-shirts, polo shirts, luggage tags, memo pads and post-it notes for sale. For the full list please see http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/11/do-your-christmas-shopping-at-noahs-ark.html

Moreover, our 2009 calendars will be on sale too! If you have already bought one for yourself, please do not hesitate to buy some for your friends and family too! Everyone needs a calendar especially with 2009 just around the corner and would make great Christmas presents don’t you think? Alternatively, you can visit http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/09/long-awaited-noahs-ark-calendar-is.html and purchase through an online order form. Stocks are running low, so get yours before it is too late!

For easier reference, a map is provided below. Click on it to enlarge. We apologise for not being able to give exact the exact location as the park does not have an address.


Map of Telok Kurau Park


Thank you for reading and we hope to see you there! Do not forget to bring your dogs along too for a day of fun, games and socializing. That’s it then, see you on Sunday! :D

Sunday, December 7, 2008

88

Paul was walking along one of the pet farms located at Pasir Ris when a pair of Sharpeis which were being sold for $880 each caught his attention. Cramped in metal cages, the 2 of them were snuggled together for warmth. As he already had 2 huskies at home, all he could do was hope for the best for them and he decided he would return another day to see if they had been bought.

Weeks passed and Paul decided to visit the pet farm since he lived nearby. To his dismay, he saw that the Sharpeis were still up for sale, but by that time their values having dropped by at least half the original price. After a talk with one of the workers, he realized that the Sharpeis’ fate would be doomed if they were not bought after a certain time period and he tried his best to pass the message around that there were Sharpeis up for a relatively cheap price. Unfortunately, they were stuck there for 4 months and their value eventually dropped to as low as $88 each.


Sores on 88's back from poor living conditions in the cage


Desperate, he looked around for animal lovers for help and he managed to get hold of me. Paul requested if I could foster the male because he could only house the female since his female dog was rather territorial. I agreed.

When Paul first brought the dog to my place, it was petrified. Despite having the large space to roam about in the living room, the huge area seemed to overwhelm him. He stayed to one corner for a good half hour before daring to take a step forward. Perhaps he thought that the world only consisted of a metal cage and that he belonged there for eternity.


88 suffering from an eye infection which produced lots of eye discharge

It was then we decided to nickname him Bling. Bling was the epitome of sadness – after having been caged up for almost 4 months, his eyes had difficulty focusing, had sores on his body and his legs were not strong from lack of use. As he was in a small cage with his sister, they did not have enough space to lie down so the first night when he slept, he stood and closed his eyes. The sight of that brought tears to our eyes. How could anyone do this to innocent puppies?


3 weeks after 88's rescue

We fell in love with Bling for his cute, soft rubbery folds and his saddest eyes, which we were convinced, were meant solely to tug at your heartstrings, and remind you he would have been put to sleep had it not been for the fact we agreed to foster him. He was just so beautiful.

He literally took baby steps to explore the house and started following me because he trusted me the most, and although my male dog Pharaoh didn’t like him too much, my playful female dog, Chi Chi, adored him and tried to play catch with him whenever she had the chance. He soon learnt how to play with her, like a typical puppy, and they became pals as they chased each other around the house.

Unfortunately, my house wasn’t big enough to house a dog as big as a Sharpei. We had to ask around if anyone was willing to adopt him and give him the life he deserved. Fortunately, my cousin managed to find a friend, Yvonne, who was more than willing to take him in. To me, she was the perfect adopter as she absolutely loved Sharpeis and had owned a few in the past.


This is 88 today (:


Deep down I felt sad as if I had let Bling down, because I knew he and I had a bond, However, I couldn’t give him what he deserved, and so I made the choice to let him go. Still, it is heartwarming knowing that he is living a life he fully deserves. Oh did I mention that his name has also been changed to 88? I think it is extremely appropriate, because it was either to be bought at $88, or to lose his life forever.

I think of Bling aka 88 often, always with a smile and a deep contentment knowing he is loved and well taken care of. I will always be grateful to Yvonne and her family for giving 88 a home and the love that he deserves.

~Article contributed by Zen Law

If you haven't done so, don't forget to buy a NA 2009 calendar to support dogs such as 88. Click on http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/09/long-awaited-noahs-ark-calendar-is.html or paste it in your browser to get to the calendar order page. Start the year with 88 - he is Mr January 2009! :D

Beneficiary of Animal Merchandise :)

Noah's Ark CARES Supporters