Benji Gets A New Family !!

Sparky in his new home.

Yesterday, our newest family member, a Bichon Frise (previously known as Benji) arrived. As many of you would remember him as the "dirty mop", you would also know that he was abandoned by his last owner at a construction/industrial area. Noah's Ark Cares rescued, cleaned and nursed Sparky back to his former bouncy self.

When he first arrived, he was named Benji. However we have since re-named him Sparky as my husband Richard wanted his name to start with an "S", in line with our 2 children – Sean and Sophie. One of the first things that Sparky did was to take a ride in Richard's Beetle as he had to send me somewhere.

Next, Sparky took a jog with Richard along the Singapore River. Routinely, Richard would do a 3km run and to his astonishment and surprise, Sparky managed to keep pace and run along with him! Although my husband is not an avid dog lover alike me, he really took to Sparky thanks to his running abilities.

An excited Sparky couldn't hold his head still for his first car ride with daddy.

I noticed that Sparky had previous toilet training as we did not have much trouble in this area. He also really enjoyed going on car rides. Even at 12 midnight when I had to go out to pick Sean up, Sparky was still full of energy and ready to go!

Initially, we fenced Sparky in the kitchen area where we also placed his bed (a big basket comfortable with cushions). Before long, Sparky knew how to break out of his temporary fencing. We then reinforced it with 3 chairs. But Sparky was not to be deterred!

He started whining and charging at the gate in order to break free. His efforts soon paid off in half an hour and this time, we decided to shut the kitchen door but it too, was of no use. There may be some bull blood in him as he still kept charging against the kitchen door.

Eventually, I gave up and let him roam freely around the house. Due to Sparky having no fur (his fur was shaved off as it was matted and extremely dirty during rescue), he reminded me very much of a lamb. It was a case of "Mary had a little lamb".

Every time I got up to get a drink or go to the toilet, Sparky would trot happily after me. He is now my shadow as he would not leave my side. Perhaps he was insecure in this new strange environment and needed some human company.

We eventually realized that Sparky hated to be left alone and eventually I allowed him to sleep in our room. Knowing now that his bed is in our room and physically close to us, Sparky slept soundly throughout the night.

Being lovable and full of energy, Sparky has bounced right into our hearts and our whole family simply adores him. I felt a tinge of sadness when I left home for work this morning, but I am eager to see him run towards me when I get home tonight.

By Mommy Teresa

******************************

We would like to thank Teresa for her contribution in this blog and for giving Benji a good, happy home - at last!


p.s. We would also like take this oppurtunity to thank June Boey for kindly sponsoring Benji's medical bills. :D

Before and After - Honey (Mongrel)

Honey is one of our fortunate rescued victims. She is our poster girl for July in the Noah's Ark calendar 2008.

She is one of our success story of an abused animal - rescued, treated and rehomed to a loving family.

Frequently few people bother about the negative impact they have on an animal abuse done on a reckless whim. There are also many people out there with a compassionate heart who give their time, effort and money unconditionally to rescue these animals.

We hope those in the compassionate camp will outnumber the other.

One of Noah's Ark's objective is to educate the public about preventing animal abuse and compassion for animals. Also, we want to reach out to like minded individuals that are aligned in thoughts to Noah's Ark no-kill policy to rescue and rehome abused animals.

Through our sterilisation projects like Project Industrial Dogs, we need your help and support to control the stray population to stop bringing unwanted puppies into this world, provide medical treatment and monitor the the current stray dog population in humane ways and educate the public on the importance of stray sterilisation.

Here is Honey, a living proof and example as a lesson for all of us. We hope to find more of you on the same side of the fence with us.


** Kindly note the photos as follows may make you uncomfortable.

Cut by a wire tied too tightly around the neck.

Close up of the weeping wound.

The neck is almost servered.

Honey had to be anaesthesized to have her wounds cleaned and treated.

The wound closed up after 2 weeks of treatment.

Honey back for a medical review in high spirits after 2 weeks of treatment.

A much doted Honey in her new home.

Groomed and poised for her new life.

Lady Amazes the Drs !!

Lady sitting at the Vet, patiently waiting for her turn to see the Dr.

Lady arrived at Mt Pleasant (Whitley) in a pet transport. The pet transporter said she was well behaved and enjoyed looking out of the windows during her journey. At the reception, she waited patiently for her turn, occasionally dragging us out to sniff other dogs! This is a vast difference from when we last took her out. Then, she was not interested in anything or any dog and was basically in a world of her own.

Dr Nan checking Lady's ear. Dr Nan could not see the ear canal. Lady has lost the function of her ear.

When it was her turn to see the Dr, she was examined by Dr Nan. When Dr Nan removed the bandage, she literally squealed in excitement, calling Dr Dennis Choi in to take a look at the wound too! It had healed so well. Both Drs were absolutely amazed by her will to live and her recovery. Her flesh was fresh pink and there was good tissue growing. Both DRs commented on how sweet and good natured she was and hoped that she would be adopted.

Dr Nan then examined Lady's ear but could not see the ear canal. Lady has lost the function of her ear but the good news is she will not have to have that major surgery to remove her ear. She CAN keep her ear! It was absolutely amazing and those that were in the clinic with her were moved by her will and determination to live.

Close up of Lady's ear.

We recall the day we saw her stumbling on the road and the awful stench of rotting flesh when we drove past and how she allowed us to rescue her without a struggle. We recall how much blood she had lost and that she was in a state of shock. We recall our first thoughts of putting her down, mainly not to prolong her pain and suffering but with our belief that all dogs should be given a second chance, we told the Vets that we would monitor her for 3 days and then decide.

By the next day, our minds were made up and we never looked back. And needless to say, we're glad we did what we did. Volunteering for Noah's Ark and being the voice for the animals is fulfilling and rewarding when you see the abused, neglected and injured animals allowing themselves to be helped and greater satisfaction when they recover and remember you for helping them. This is the reward.

Edward, Mt Pleasant's Vet Tech and Lady's first love - cleaning her ears.

Lady has gone back to the pet hotel where she will remain for another 2 weeks before she sees Dr Nan again. Puppy Prince has recovered from his ordeal and will visit his Mommy on Sat evening. We hope this will lift his spirits.

When the bandage was removed, the DRs were amazed at her recovery and her will to live. Her flesh was salmon pink with new tissue growing.

We would like to thank everyone for their concern for Lady, friends who have bought meats and supplements for her, cooked for her, prayed for her, visited her - THANK YOU!

Lady is indeed a lucky Lady - graciously receiving many visitors at her "hotel" and enjoying their company. Stay tuned for her update in 2 weeks time.

We hope she recovers well and perhaps would make a special guest appearance at our upcoming National Dog Walk 2008.

• Date: Aug 3 2008
• Venue: West Coast Park
• Time: 10am to 7pm.

Look out for Lady and the Prince!

JJ - The Loyal Stray Dog

We received a call from a lady to help a stray dog in Jurong. No, it’s not the one hogging the limelight of our blog recently, although this one deserves more attention; positive attention, that is.

There is this stray dog - JJ, she used to be a factory dog and she used to have an owner. Her then owner was the security guard of the factory. The factory had a no animal policy and JJ was kept in secret inside the guard house; only to be let out after dusk.

When the factory moved out, JJ was left behind….. That was 5 years ago!

The empty plot of land that JJ continues to guard faithfully. This picture was taken on the day of the rescue, while it was raining. We were concerned for JJ and went in search of her.

Faithfully, in rain or shine, JJ continued to guard the “factory”; now an empty plot of land with grass long overgrown.

The same lady, who works in a nearby factory, was surfing the internet, came across the work of Noah's Ark and called us. She told us that a security guard from a neighbouring factory had been providing JJ with food and fresh water on alternate nights for the past 3 years.

Lynda Goh, a volunteer with Noah's Ark sheltering JJ from the storm while waiting for the van to come rescue JJ. Everyone involved in the rescue were moved to tears by her loyalty.

She told us that the security guard's work contract was ending soon and he would be leaving in a month's time. The guard was worried and felt sorry for JJ. He was both amazed and touched by her steadfast loyalty and hoped that she would continue be provided with food and water, even if it is only on alternate days.

Another volunteer speaking to JJ during the rescue, ensuring her that we were there to help her and to take her to a better place. And guess what, she went into the van willingly!

JJ is no longer young; she looks to be about 8 to 10 years old. After her rescue, she will be sent for a thorough medical check up and thereafter be re-homed in Noah's Ark. Unfortunately, we don’t think she has many years left. Our hope for JJ would be for her to live out her life in happiness, comfort and dignity; never having to worry about incumbent weather, shelter nor her next meal again.

JJ getting her very first shower in years after the rescue.

JJ has already given her utmost to fulfill her guarding duties. Now, Noah's Ark will step in and afford her the best care in her twilight years.

At Noah's Ark, we believe all animals should be given a second chance in life.

There is no doubt JJ truly deserves it.

Junior - Maltese

Junior was a Maltese belonging to a family with 3 daughters. Initially, the father of the house had originally said that he did not like dogs. Yet the reason why this family got Junior was because the 3 girls wanted to tell their friends that they had a dog although they didn’t love nor want to look after him.

Due to much neglect, Junior's fur soon became matted and dirty, while having not enough food resulted in his malnourishment. Not being trained well also caused him to constantly dirty the house. It was when the mother started her new job that her husband decided that "enough was enough" and decided to evict poor Junior from the property.

Junior arrived one weekend with bad skin issues and extremely underweight. Eventually, dog-lovers sent him to the groomers to be washed up and cleaned. Soon after, he was sent for sterilization before finally being adopted in May and Michael, people who truly loved him.



By Michael and May:

On 18 November 2007, we welcomed our newest addition direct from Noah’s Ark to our family… a Maltese named Junior! What an apt name for the youngest member of our family of four dogs. When we first saw him at his foster home two weeks before on 4 November, he was a real bundle of energy, zipping around the garden and running circles around the other dogs.

We were initially rather hesitant about taking him in as we did not quite know how he would be able to adapt to living in an apartment after having an entire house and yard to roam around. We had also brought along one of our dogs, Snowy, also a Maltese, to see if the both of them could socialise because should we have decided to give Junior a home, they would both be living with us in our apartment.

Apparently Junior had never been taught that first impressions were important because when Snowy saw him running and jumping all over the place, she steered clear out of his way and seemed rather horrified! However, we decided that every dog should be given a second chance and without much of an afterthought, took on the challenge of giving Junior a good home.

He was rather apprehensive and wary of us when he first stepped into our apartment. However, over the next few days, he grew more comfortable with us and started getting along very well with Snowy. Junior was also a very fast learner and he picked up new tricks simply by observing what Snowy did.

Within a week he had learnt how to shake hands without having been taught! He adapted to our household routine and is now an indispensible part of our family. We are constanly amazed by his boundless energy and amused by his occasional “grumbling”, the low rumbling noise that he makes whenever he wants our attention or to express his dissatisfaction about something or someone.

Just last month, we bought him his first chew toy. He has been so attached to the toy ever since and insists on making us play fetch with him all the time. Junior has proven to be an affectionate and loving dog, often rubbing himself against us when we get home.

Besides successfully socialising with Snowy, he has also made friends with our other pets, Gandalf the chinchilla and Little Pip the hamster. He often places his chew toy in front of Little Pip’s cage and looks eagerly at Little Pip as though expecting the hamster to respond by playing fetch with him.

Junior has also put on some weight, tipping the scales at a healthy 5.4kg during his last visit to the vet in June this year. His skin condition has improved to a healthy pink and his fur which used to be dry and rough, is now soft and fluffy. We have absolutely no regrets taking Junior into our family.

For all his “grumbling”, he really is a wonderful and lovable dog! It is truly heartwarming to see how lots of love and care can transform a dog that was once labelled as ‘aggressive” by the previous owners into such a loving and affectionate dog. We are glad that we decided to give him a second chance because he has indeed turned out to be a pint-sized package of joy and energy!

Do not own pets if you're extremely irresponsible!

** pics are courtesy of Michael and May.

Rottie Attacks Puppy Prince !!

Off to a joy ride!! Hurray!!

Little puppy Prince's royal carriage arrived on Sunday afternoon to fetch him to visit his mommy, Lady - he was all excited to be going on a long car ride to the pet hotel. He had not seen his mommy for a while. Throughout the journey, Prince was well behaved. He sat upright on the back seat and looked out the windows excitedly, as if remembering the route.

When we arrived there, Prince was as usual a little fearful of all the loud barks coming from the kennels, greeting him, and had to be carried straight to his mommy's kennel. He was happy as a lark when he saw his mommy - licking and sniffing her constantly.

Little puppy Prince's royal carriage arrived on Sunday afternoon to fetch him to visit his mommy, Lady - he was all excited to be going on a long car ride to the pet hotel. He had not seen his mommy for a while. Throughout the journey, Prince was well behaved. He sat upright on the back seat and looked out the windows excitedly, as if remembering the route.

When we arrived there, Prince was as usual a little fearful of all the loud barks coming from the kennels, greeting him, and had to be carried straight to his mommy's kennel. He was happy as a lark when he saw his mommy - licking and sniffing her constantly.

Poor Prince was snubbed by his mommy.

Again, his mommy's reaction to him was rather cool, preferring to look at the volunteer and wait for her liver meal. Sigh . . our hearts went out to Prince. His mommy really seemed as if she had forgotten him. She was only interested in her warm meal.

And according to the care-takers who care for Lady, they say she has started being choosy with food, refusing to even eat her canned food and vegetables. She waits her for warm cooked meals daily and will only have that and nothing else. Seems like we've spoilt her!

We must thank the care-takers (JoJo and Chris) at the pet hotel for taking such good care of Lady - her wounds seem to have dried up and recovered really well. She will go to the Vet on Wednesday afternoon (June 25) for a review - we're keeping our paws crossed that she would not require that major surgery to have her ear removed. Prince sat with his mommy in the kennel for a while and just enjoyed being close to her.

Lady sniffed at him a few times but we sensed she was no longer interested nor attached to him. We left shortly after, feeling rather sorry for this little puppy who so wants his mommy dearly. As we had to bring another puppy Jerry (son of Truffles) to his new adoptive family in Woodlands, we decided to take Prince for a car ride as well.

So off Prince went, on another joy ride to fetch Jerry and his fosterer to Jerry's new family. After the excitement of seeing his mommy, Prince was tired and slept well in his royal carriage all the way to his next destination.

Immediately after the attack, Prince couldn't put weight on his right front leg.

On arrival at a private residential area in Woodlands, we parked the royal carriage a few houses away and were met by Jerry's new family. Together with Prince, Jerry and the new family, we headed towards their home. The family's young children were really excited at meeting Jerry; their previous dog had just passed on not too long ago.

Hardly 3 mins into our walk a huge Rottweiler dashed out of one of the houses and pinned Prince down!! The irresponsible owner had left his main gate open, allowing the Rottweiler to dash out and attack.

Everyone screamed in fear and froze as the Rottweiler bit and put puncture wounds into little Prince. One of our volunteers tried pulling at Prince's leash but the Rottweiler grabbed Prince a second time! Another volunteer ran over and grabbed the leash again and tugged the leash up like a fishing line with Prince at the end of it. She did not dare use her hands to grab poor Prince for fear of losing her arm as well.

Despite all this commotion, the owners were still nowhere in sight. Fortunately this time Prince went up in the air with a hard tug on the leash and the volunteer grabbed Prince in her arms and ran, using her legs to fend off the ferocious Rottweiler.

Inspite of having the puppy in her arms, the Rottie continued to chase the volunteer, trying to get Prince. Everything happened so quickly and it was terrifying! The volunteer ran with Prince in her arms, Prince was crying in fear and pain and he pee-ed and pooh-ed all over himself and on the volunteer!

After running a short distance, the owners of the Rottie finally dashed out of the gate and ordered the Rottie back. They took a while to stop their dog from chasing Prince before their dog obeyed. The Rottie had neither a collar nor a licence tag on.

Close up of the 2 puntured wounds.

Everyone ran into Jerry's new home and some of the people were in tears and shock. Prince was still squealing in pain. When we were safely in the house, we put him down on the grass, he was trembling so badly, he was drenched in his own pee and pooh, he had two puncture wounds on his neck and he could not put his front right leg down.

Someone went over to the Rottie's family to ask for their name which they refused to reveal. However after some time, they gave us their name and mobile number. We were fortunate that Jerry was not attacked by the Rottie as well.

It seemed like a random attack as Prince was closer to the gate where the Rottie had dashed out from. The royal carriage, now turned into a royal ambulance, rushed Prince to Mt Pleasant (Whitley).

The Vet on call was Dr Simon Quek. He immediately shaved off some fur and cleaned Prince's wounds. Prince was still in shock and a lot of pain. Dr Quek also did an x-ray of his front leg. Fortunately the xray did not reveal any fractures on Prince.

Dr Quek said that it was fortunate that the puncture wounds missed Prince's lungs and heart. The Rottie's head was almost as big as little Prince!

Dr Quek shaved off some fur to reveal the wounds which were small but deep.

Soon after, the family of the Rottweiler arrived at the Vet. When all was done, wounds cleaned, medicine dispensed, the bill was prepared. The Rottweiler's family then offered to pay for only HALF of the bill. We were quite insistent that they foot the entire medical bill as their dog and them were clearly at fault. After some discussion, they paid in full and left.

Prince went home with his fosterer and according to her, he cried throughout the night - either from pain or trauma. He is still not using his front leg - it could be extremely sore and bruised from the attack.

Fell asleep straightaway on the examination table after been given 2 jabs for pain and shock.

Our objective of relating this story to the public is in line with AVA's Responsible Pet Ownership. A Rottweiler, is a Category B dog, should be licensed and muzzled in public.

It was totally irresponsible of the owners to walk out of their house leaving the main gate wide open, knowing full well that you have a Cat B dog in your home and children that may be playing right in front of the house, on the streets.

What if the Rottie had mauled a child instead? What if the Rott had mauled BOTH Prince and Jerry? There has been one too many incidences on irresponsible owners - its high time that pet owners be more responsible and not take their dogs for granted.

Dogs, like humans, have moods too. They can sometimes be unpredictable and you'll never know what triggers them off! Must it always take an accident for people to wake up and be more responsible??

In this instance, all they did was take a slow stroll in a quiet private housing area and what started off as a happy and pleasant day for Prince, going for a car ride, being with his mommy but because of the irresponsibility of some pet owners, poor Prince ended up being rushed to the A&E.

He is still in a lot of pain and shock. He has found himself a quiet corner and he hides there all day, no longer wanting to play with his best buddies. He cries when he tries to walk. It could be that his tiny body is still extremely sore and bruised.

Our heart goes out to little Prince - he has had a terribly hard life. Born on the streets in oil and grime, lost his mommy for a while and when finally reunited, his mommy snubbed him.

Hardly gotten over that rejection, he was attacked by a Rottweiler. All this in 4 short months of his life. A hard life indeed. We hope that when he recovers, someone will adopt him and give Prince a life fit for a king.

Noah's Ark NDW 2008 Photography Contest

It's the time of the year for National Dog Walk (NDW) again!!

This year, the event will take place on 03 August 2008 at West Coast Park. In conjunction with National Day celebration, we encouraged all waggies and their parents to turn up in our national colours of red and white.

At the same time to raise funds for their fellow four-legged friends in Noah's Ark, there will be a Photo Contest with a National Day Dog theme and it's open to all ages.

1. All entries are to be printed on 4R glossy/matt photo paper.
2. Entries are to reach us by July 20 2008.
3. Each photograph should have your full name, contact number and email address written clearly and legibly on the back.
4. A S$10 registration fee is applicable for every photograph submitted.
5. Every participant may submit as many entries as they like but each photo must be accompanied by a S$10 cheque. Pls do not send cash in the snail mail.

Please send all your entries to :
Noah's Ark CARES, 42 Cairnhill Road,
#02-01, Singapore 229661


ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO NOAH'S ARK CARES.

To support the work we do for these aniamls, please participate actively in the photo contest!

Shoot for Charity! Shoot for Noah's Ark!





Photo is by kind courtesy of Nicholas Lee (www.furry-photos.com).

Update - Truffles is Home!

Truffles arrived safely at Noah's Ark and her caregiver/rescuer from Singapore had the pleasure of making a trip to Noah's Ark to release Truffles into 10 acres of lush doggie paradise! The joy and pleasure of watching Truffles bolt into the vast lands of the Sanctuary was an indescribable feeling.

The joy shown in Truffles sprinting with boundless energy across the entire Sanctuary, the happiness and light in her eyes, her gratefulness - I'm sure it made volunteering and rescue work all worthwhile. This must be the "reward" that other volunteers speak about.

The pleasure and satisfaction of helping and rescuing animals. Truffles was indeed in seventh heaven. It's amazing how loyal dogs are.

Truffles walked beside the caregiver throughout her visit at Noah's Ark, leaving her side only for a few seconds to do some sprints and then she would be back in an instant, pacing beside the caregiver, loyal and grateful, begging for pats and belly rubs.

We are glad that Truffles was rescued and brought to Noah's Ark - it is a tough life being a stray, and even tougher being an unsterilized stray. Imagine not having food nor shelter and having to give birth to litter after litter of puppies every half yearly and watching these puppies go hungry, wet and cold during downpours, knocked down by cars while in search of food and shelter.

This is not a life we can ever imagine but it is a sad fact. There are many strays, especially in industrial estates. Truffles had 6 puppies, only two could be rescued - Ben & Jerry. It is fortunate that Ben & Jerry have been adopted. Not all strays have such fairy tale endings, neither puppies nor mommies.

This is why Noah's Ark has decided to embark on "Project Industrial Dogs". We plan to actively educate factory owners about the importance of sterilization, licensing and microchipping.

Stay tuned to find out about Noah's Ark's launch of "Project Industrial Dogs" and how you can play a part in helping all the Mommy Dogs that roam the streets as a stray

Barnie - Saint Bernard

Helloooo.....

My name is Barnie and I am a Saint Bernard, the famous breed of dogs from the Swiss Alps bred for rescue work.

I was rescued in Malaysia. My ex-owner imported me but had no time to train or care for me. To control me, I was tied to a toilet for a year. The lack of excercise caused my leg to turn inwards as I was still young and growing then.

Finally, he had enough of me and sent me to SPCA Selangor. All dogs that are been sent there has a time frame of 2 years to be rehomed before being put down and my time was approaching....

I am lucky that Uncle Raymund found me and brought me back to Noah's Ark. When I first arrived, I was all skin and bones. I had heart worm, eczema, ticks etc due to poor health and poor nutrition. Uncle Raymund took a long time to treat and nurse me back to health. Now, I am a glorious sight!

My best buddies were Tosca (Bull Mastiff) and Beethoven; another Saint Bernard. The 3 of us used to hang out together for some "big" time comradeship. Tosca has since heed the call of the sanctuary above and Beethoven has migrated to another part in Noah's Ark.

I spend a lot of time in the clinic now as my coat is unsuitable for the hot and humid weather of the tropics. The air condition in the clinic helps prevent skin conditions. Another reason I am allowed to stay in the clinic is because I am well behave - I get along famously with cats, I don't soil the clinic area and I am a quiet boy.

When you are here for a visit at Noah's Ark, please remember to give me a pat. Don't be fazed by my size, I may be huge but I am a gentle giant. Not only am I very friendly, I am big and beautiful too!

Paws and Licks,
Barnie

Noah's Ark Tour in September

Hello everybody!

It's Jojo Schnauzer again!!

I want to thank everyone who came for our tour on 07 June 2008. The animals were elated that they were showered with much attention. The dogs had lots of pats, the kitties were cuddled and the horses enjoyed their apples and carrots.

Due to overwhelming response, many had to be turned away. The inital plan was to only take a bus load of visitors but we ended up with 2 buses. We have also received many requests to organise the tour soon.

Hence we have decided to organize the last tour for this year on 13 September as December is the monsoon season and it's unsuitable to trudge around in mud.

For those who missed the previous tour, please reserve seats early to avoid disappoint.

To register, please send email to info@noahsarkcares.com . Kindly note that seats will only be confirmed with payment. For S$50/pax, transport to and fro plus yummy dinner.

We have received positive feedback about the June tour and will post those feedback from our visitors in this blog. So keep a look out for them.

Till we meet again, adios!! I look forward to see you in Noah's Ark.


Paws and Licks,
Jojo Schnauzer

Editor-in-chief

Wang Wang - Mongrel

Hello everyone!

My name is Wang Wang which can be translated as "汪汪" (meaning barking in mandarin) or better still "旺旺" (meaning Fortune )!!

I was rescued by SPCA Selangor, who saved me from my nasty owner who poured hot water on me and left me alone to die from the wounds.

She was eventually charged in court. Her penalty for animal cruelty was 1 day of jail time and a nominal fine.

She got away fairly lightly but the scars of her misdemeanour will always stay with me physically. Till now, there's a huge patch of skin on my thigh that will never grow back any fur.

I was so traumatised that I was very weary of humans and can't trust them anymore. I would snarled and bark at people even before they come near me. My defensive and aggressive behaviour means that I am unsuitable for adoption, hence I stayed at SPAC Selangor for a long time.

One day, a visitor accidentally stumbled into my territory and I did the unthinkable - I bit her!

Panic to decide on my fate ensued. Luckily, the kennel supervisor decided with the unfortunate circumstances that I had experienced; I deserved another chance and sent me to Noah's Ark in Johor as it's a animal sanctuary with a no kill policy.

Here in Noah's Ark, I feel safe. I no longer fear that my life will be taken away prematurely. Uncle Raymund and the workers had been very kind to me. I had a roof over my head, food and water are always provided.

Above all, I had the freedom to roam the entire grounds!! I do not have to see the sky behind bars anymore!! I can roll in the grass, chase butteflies and swim in the pond with the other dogs. It took 2~3 years of reconditioning to let strangers come near me.

I am very pleased to tell you now that I am a very friendly and happy dog. You are most welcomed to visit and pat me; especially during Chinese New Year. You can call my name and you will see "Fortune" running up to greet you!!

Isn't that wonderful?? :D

Paws and Licks,
Wang Wang

The Lady Smiles!

A bit of fresh air does wonders to bring on that smile!

Volunteers brought Puppy Prince to visit his Mommy over the weekend. See the cute picture of the little one waiting patiently in the pet hotel's reception, to go in and visit his mommy? He had no idea what was in store for him - it was his first visit there.

When we walked through the gates and towards Lady's kennel, Prince started shivering as all the other dogs started barking enthusiastically to welcome him. When we finally got to Lady's kennel, Prince wagged his tail in delight when he saw his mommy and he started licking her face.

Little Prince waiting patiently at the reception area to visit his mommy.

To our dismay, Mommy's response was lukewarm. She wasn't particularly overjoyed at seeing him - she was happier receiving her bones and daily meat supply! We felt a tad sorry for Prince with Mommy's reaction towards him.

We sat in Lady's kennel with Prince, while Mommy lapped up all her food. When she was done eating, she sniffed Prince a little and walked about her kennel. We are not sure if she no longer recognizes him as her puppy as they have been separated for quite a while? Or is she still in some shock from the massive loss of blood and pain and having so many things happening to her in this short spell of time. Whatever the reasons, Prince was elated to see his Mommy but we felt sorry for him.

Lady enjoying her bone.

We stayed for a while and left with Prince. Having said all that, Lady does seem a little happier. Look at her photograph - do you actually detect a slight smile? There seems to be more life in her eyes.

She is a lucky Lady indeed - she has had a constant stream of visitors and well-wishers - people coming to visit her with treats, or just to see how well she is recovering. We have yet to decide if Lady would like Prince to stay with her in the kennel for a week or so, although we're sure Prince would love it.

We will bring Prince for another visit soon, and gauge their reaction, before deciding. In the meantime, Lady's wounds are drying up and healing well. She will be due for a medical review next week.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Our Visit to Noah's Ark by Andre Tang

Andre and Bushy Tail cosy up with each other in Wisma Kuching.

7 June 2008 (Saturday)

Yesterday was the most exciting and the best day of my life! My mom, sisters and I visited Noah’s Ark. It has been years since we went there. The weather hasn’t been very kind. Nevertheless, my sisters and I just couldn’t wait to get there, even if it floods!

We boarded the coach and after 1 long hour, which seemed eternity, we finally got to Noah’s Ark. As we entered the sanctuary, all the dogs came running to us, wagging their tails – welcoming us! They were sniffing us all over from bottom to top! They were all so happy to see human friends!

And for us, it is like stepping into paradise, where we can leave our worries behind and enjoy the serenity of the environment, surrounded by all the innocent paw pals….. our most trustworthy friends.

Nikko, whom we met from our last visit years ago, is still going strong. We were indeed very happy to meet again. She is a huge dog, but as gentle as a butterfly. We spent some time at the reception area with the ‘Guest Relations Officers’ (those dogs who ‘guards’ the main entrance) and moved on to the cat pen.

There I met a one-paw kitten whom I named ‘Pawless’. A teenage kitten who lost his left paw to pranksters that tied her left paw with a rubber band, preventing the blood circulation.

This has caused the end of the paw to fall off. Such a sweet- natured kitten and undeterred by his lost paw. I was really moved to tears thinking which human would be so wicked to do such a thing to an innocent animal.

My last stop was the horses’ stables. 5 horses whom I met in my last visit are still there! They seemed to recognize me as I approached them. I was greeted with their continuous ‘neighs’!

I had a great time feeding them carrots, which they chewed like potato chips! We chatted for a while before I returned to the dog and cat area.

When it was time to go, as usual, we never had enough. My sisters and I were reluctant to leave. Looking back at the mini ‘Animal Kingdom’, we dragged our heavy feet towards the waiting coach. It feels like our hearts have been left behind!

One sure thing-we will be back soon….and in order to do that, we will be bugging Aunty Lynda to make that happen!!

KUDOS to Noah’s Ark!

Andre

Road Show @ MGS Paya Lebar

On 20 May 2008, Noah's Ark Cares was invited by Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School to participate their Career Day event.

Our spokesdogs present on that day were Zeus (Mongrel) and Princess (Cocker Spaniel). Both of whom are rescued and rehomed by Noah's Ark Cares.

They were there to educate the girls on jobs relating to animals like e.g.; careers in vet science, management of strays population, education in responsible pet ownership, running an animal shelter etc..

Here are photos of the road show:

Zeus and Princess with the organising committee for Noah's Ark Cares booth.

Poster competition for N0ah's Ark Cares.


Creating awareness and education on keeping a pet dog.

One of the entries.

Taking 5 to chill out with little Princess.

Our four legged reps and their handler in an media interview.

Memories of Noah's Ark Tour 07 June

Stealing a surprised kiss!!

Three years ago, on a day which felt like a “puppy” day, my husband and I decided to visit SPCA with the hope of adopting one. As it turned out, it was closed on a Thursday, and being the ignorants we were, we ended up buying a 2.5month old Shih Tzu.

Champagne was our first puppy. With the benefit of hind sight, we won’t be buying puppies any more, especially from commercial pet shops or puppy mills. But Champagne gives us indescribable joy every day and in an effort to care for it better, it started me looking out for news and information about dogs.

And that’s when I learnt about Noah’s Ark, and the small group of tireless volunteers who devote their time and finances to caring for 5 horses, more than 750 dogs and 400 cats.

Nothing quite prepared me for what I saw on my first visit there last Saturday, 7 June 08. I think I half expected to see make shift shelters, sorry looking animals, all either lame, blind, deaf, starving or unloved.

Instead, as we rolled up the dirt track on a wet afternoon, two bus loads of visitors were welcomed by the chorus of barks, and being surrounded by some 750 dogs is an experience you can’t quite put in words.

Happy healthy animals, who were not like that when they first arrived on the Ark.

Jill (Sister of Lucky - Fox Terrier) greeting her brother's family.

Many of them loving creatures and they’ll come right up to you for love and attention and often planting wet kisses on you. And there are of course some still too frightened of humans remembering the abuses they suffered at human hands.

It is to the credit of the small group of volunteers, Raymund, Lynda, Fiona, Beatrice, amongst others, that these animals are even alive. And you marvel at just how much it takes, quite apart from the generosity of their hearts and souls, both time and money, to give off love and compassion, in the same selfless, unquestioning, unconditional way, a dog loves us.

And I know, because everyday that I speak with Fiona and Lynda, all by the way, full time employees with regular jobs, they are somewhere rescuing strays, visiting rescued animals at the Vet, taking them for their heartworm checks / vaccination / sterilization, or re-homing rescued and abandoned animals.

Crowded House - Can we have more homes please!!

And these are just a handful, Noah’s Ark and the animals need all the help we can give. We know it costs $ 25,000 a month just to keep the animals there alive, but it will cost less if Raymund and his team had their wish, to educate, and embark on sterilization programs as that would help control the stray population and there would be less dogs dumped at Noah’s Ark.

We know AVA is spending some $ 1 mil in educating Singaporeans on the responsibilities of pet ownership.

In an ideal world, the separate groups should work together pooling resources and programs and efforts. After all, more hands make light work they say.

And culling is not the solution – after all, you don’t cull a child just because it’s sick or there is not enough room for the child. You make room in your heart.

Those of us unable to give our time, there are so many other ways we can help – it costs just $ 35 a month to sponsor one of these animals at Noah’s Ark, that’s slightly over $1 a day! Canned food and newspapers, are always much needed too.

For me, as is true for the others on the 2 bus loads I am sure, the animals left their paw prints on our hearts and I know we will be back.


Article contributed by Ms April Chia and husband, Claudio Bizzoni after their first visit to Noah’s Ark.

Attention!!

"Our next Noah's Ark tour is scheduled for Sept 13 (Sat). Please reserve seats early to avoid disappoint. To register, please send email to info@noahsarkcares.com ".

Lady Checked Into The Pet Hotel Today

Our volunteer went to Mt Pleasant Animal Hospital this afternoon to fetch Lady to the pet hotel.

Somehow she knew she was going to be moved to a new place. The Vet Techs mentioned that when they open her cage, she usually stands up and walks out of the cage.

Today when they opened her cage, she just lay there and stared at them - the same blank and empty stare that followers of our blog have seen in almost all of Lady's photographs.

The two Vet Techs gently put on her new collar and leash, donated by a well-wisher and tried to coax her out of her cage.

Lady refused to budge. It took the two men a few minutes to lift her out of her cage. When they put her on the ground, she stood steadfastly to the ground. They tried tugging gently at her leash but she stood her ground firmly.

One can only guess that having stayed there for the past few weeks, Lady had grown attached to the people who cared for her, loved her, fed her and excercised her.

They said she was a real sweetheart and despite the pain and discomfort, would allow them to flush her ears and change her dressing twice a day without any fuss. They too had grown attached to her.

A nurse asked if Lady would someday be adopted; her eyes reddening at the thought of her leaving them. Of course we hope that a loving family would take Lady in and care for her like a part of their family; but it is still early days. Lady still has to overcome a major surgery in a few weeks time.

Then the nurse asked if anyone would be adopting the little Prince. To date no one has offered to adopt him and we are not in a hurry either.

Kind friends have written and called in to offer to pay for Prince's boarding charges at the pet hotel so that he can be with Mommy but first; he needs to be vaccinated.

Not wanting to leave her comfort zone, Lady had to be carried to the clinic's reception area by Edward -the Vet Tech; her favourite man in her life now.

Lady refused to leave the clinic with our volunteer and Edward had to bend over to talk to Lady, telling her that she was going to a bigger cage to recover and that she could come back and visit them next time.

He too found it hard to part with Lady. When he turned to leave, Lady tried to dash after him but was held on by our volunteer. With nowhere else to go, she walked out of the clinic on her own.

Surely you didn't expect Lady to jump into the van on her own, did you? She had to be carried up, of course!

She seemed to enjoy her ride to the pet hotel, walking about at the back of the van and looking out of the different windows. I wondered if she knows how far away from home she is? Perhaps she remembers the last time she was in that same van was some weeks back and she had maggots falling out of her ears then?

When Lady arrived at the pet hotel, she had a short walk outside before entering the compounds. She was anxious, stressed and started trembling. She had to be patted and assured.

When she was brought into her kennel, there were many dogs barking, welcoming her to their compound - again Lady trembled and just crouched on the ground.

There are no current photographs of Lady in the pet hotel as we would like to let her to settle into the new environment first.

The staff at pet hotel will now have the responsibility of taking care of Lady and changing her bandages twice daily. Lady also has antibiotic and iron tablets to boost her blood count.

She will also have her supply of different kinds of meats delivered to her daily and we will be visiting her again over the weekend.

Stay tuned to this gentle Lady who has shown us that she has the will to overcome all obstacles.


For all stories on Lady's rescue, pls click her name under the Label section.

Lady Will be Discharged Tomorrow!!

Yippee!! Lady will officially be discharged from Mt Pleasant Animal Hospital tomorrow!!

Our volunteer will fetch her to Pet Hotel where we hope she will recover soon and be strong for her ear surgery.

The Vet Tech at Mt Pleasant suggested we bring her puppy - Prince, to stay with her at the pet hotel but we are still toying with that idea as it would be at additional costs to us.

Lady is scheduled to stay at the pet hotel for between 1 to 2 weeks. The bigger enclosure there will have more space and even a spot in the sun for tanning. Hopefully, the change in environment will give Lady a reason to smile.

Our volunteers will continue cooking and delivering her daily supply of mutton, liver, gizzards and supplements to beef her up.

Stay tuned to this page for more on Lady's recovery.


For all stories on Lady's rescue; please click "Lady" under the Labels section.

Update - Lady (10 June)

Still her quiet self since admission.

Wound has been cleared of maggot.

Tucking into liver and gizzards donated by a well wisher.

Volunteers visited Lady over the weekend and her wound is healing. The Vet Tech at Mt. Pleasant tell us she is eating well but still a little dazed and still in shock.

They take her out for her daily walks but she does not seem to want to walk and often needs to be carried to the grass and carried back to her cage. They think she may be confused with all that has been happening with her.

In a day or two, she will be transferred to the pet hotel where she will remain for a week or so until her red blood count stabilizes and then she will undergo surgery to have her right ear removed.

Many people have written in, hoping that she will survive this ordeal, having come this far.

We think she will . . . she is a survivor!

As for her little son, Prince. He was at a different branch of Mt Pleasant (Sunset) this evening. He has dry and itchy skin and needed a skin scrape to ensure he did not have fungus. He will be put on anti biotic and will see the Vet again in two weeks time.

Apart from his dry and itchy skin, Prince is enjoying himself at his foster home, playing with the other family dogs and being a very happy puppy.

Please click "Lady" under Labels for stories from her rescue by Noah's Ark Cares.

Waffles (Update) - 09 June

Little Waffles still has the bone pin in her hind leg. She has been living with a fosterer for the past 2 mths with lots of "cage rest" in order for her bones to fuse.

According to the fosterer, she is still not putting weight on her hind leg and we're getting a little concerned.

In the opinion of her Vet - Dr Simon Quek, she is young and recovery period is generally should be quite fast.



Waffles (her fosterer calls her Audi) had a surgery on Wed (June 4) to have the bone pin removed.

Stay tuned to this page to find out more about Waffles' surgery.


Click on "Waffles" under the Labels for her story on being rescue from the start.