Updates - Lucky Angel

Dear readers,

We're glad to say that Angel visited the Vet a few days ago with her fosterer, Catherine Thomas. They now call her Lucky Angel and she seems to respond to that name! If you don't know Angel's story, please see http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2009/04/angel.html

She was a mere 11kg when she was first rescued. In a short span of two weeks, she has put on 3kg and now weighs 14kg. The Dr thinks she is improving, in terms of getting stronger and has some fur growing back slowly. She is no longer totally furless, although she is still somewhat weak and wobbles with a weak gait. The Dr said she should put on another 5 - 6 kg as her bones are still protruding and her hind legs are very weak.



When she was first rescued, the Drs were unable to gauge her age as she was in a poor state. Today they had a better inkling and estimated her to be just slightly more than a year old. The open sores on her body has gradually healed too. Indeed, her fosterers have showered her with lots of love and good nutritious food.

The Dr checked her and gave her another month's supply of medication to control her itch and her mange. When she entered the clinic, the typical smell of dogs infected with mange followed into the clinic, causing other dog owners to move aside, most likely put off by the foul sourish smell. We have to let you know that mange is non-contagious, cannot be passed to other dogs and is a long term recovery process.

Lucky Angel's fosterer, Catherine, and her family love her dearly despite her condition and smell. Catherine sat on the floor in the clinic, instead of on the chair, to be closer to Lucky Angel, to cuddle and assure her. We are touched by her warmth and love for Lucky Angel. Catherine had also kindly paid for Lucky Angel's medical bill on this visit.

Our volunteer that rescued Lucky Angel has also visited her, just to check on her and bring her treats, which she is now learning to enjoy. She still gobbles her food like a stray. This is because the strays that are fed usually gobble their food and eat as much as possible as they do not know when their next warm meal might come.

When Lucky Angel returned "home" after the Vet, she somehow knew it was her home. She wagged her tailed and walked as fast as her weak legs could carry her, right to the correct lift. When she got home, she headed straight to "her room" for her afternoon snooze and looked very comfortable in her new found home.

We are glad Lucky Angel is well on the road to recovery. Although she still sleeps for the most part of the day, she has learnt to climb steps in her fosterer's apartment and manages quite well on the smooth marble flooring. She is still a little scared of the vacuum cleaner and continues barking at herself in the mirror, but we think she is really happy there!

We would like to thank all our friends, readers and supporters for emailing us their concern, and to thank all the kind supporters who have donated generously to Lucky Angel's rescue, medical and food bills. We are truly grateful for your support and belief in the work we do.

Last but not least, we would like to thank Catherine for agreeing to foster Lucky Angel, for loving and taking such good care of her and Ryan, Catherine's third son, who is now Lucky Angel's best friend.

Stay tuned to Lucky Angel's recovery in a month's time. Thank you everyone.

We’d like to dedicate this song to Lucky Angel and all the countless strays out there, many of them never ever getting a proper meal in days, never having shelter from the rain nor shine, never ever experiencing love or the human touch but continue to have hope, and the will to live. Dare to Live.

Andrea Bocelli & Laura Pausini 2007 "Dare To Live" (Vivere)

Help us to help them. Help us reduce the number of strays and unwanted puppies by donating to our sterilization project, Project Industrial Dogs. Please see (http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/09/project-industrial-dogs-importance-of.html) for more details.

Tigger is happy in his home!

Dear readers,

Do you remember Tigger? He was looking for a home last Christmas and we are happy to announce that after a long and hard search, he finally has a place to call home! For his past story, please see Tigger’s previous story - http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/11/adoption-opporunity-tiggers-christmas.html

These are what his new family members have to say:

Thomas DeKlotz (Age 5)

My dog "Tigger" is so cute. We got him from Noah's Ark. I had always wanted a dog. Finally Mommy decided to get one! I like to pat him. He licks me and it tickles very much!


Analena DeKlotz (Age 10)

What do you call an animal with a cream colored body and with black stripes? Some might call this a tiger but I call it MY DOG! His name is "Tigger". "Tigger" was born at a construction site. His mom was killed by a car when he was just two months old. He had about 3 or 4 brothers and sisters. Some of them were killed at the construction site too when heavy vehicles rolled over them. We got "Tigger" when he was six months old. We adopted him from Fiona. She helps Noah's Ark Cares. She picks up stray dogs and cats and takes care of them until she can find them a home. She is so nice! I like "Tigger" because he is so fun. He is a little bit nervous since we got him but I’m sure he is going to adapt to this new place. I have faith in him. I had always wanted to get a dog. Since our other dog died in America, I have been very sad. Tigger reminds me of Taz (my previous dog) because of his ears and face. I like to take Tigger on walks and I play with him alot. He is my little striped Tiger.




Sophie DeKlotz (Age 12)

Tigger is our new dog. We adopted him through Noah's Ark Cares. I think adopting a dog is better than buying a dog. Did you know that over 700 stray dogs and cats are picked up in Singapore every month? If you adopt a dog you can help give an animal a new home! If you buy a dog then you aren't helping these stray animals. Fiona helped us find "Tigger". She found him at a construction site. He came to our house on a Thursday night. He was really nervous at first. He slowly got used to us though and now he is very playful. A few weeks after we got him, he ran off while he was on a walk. My brother was handing the leash over to his friend when Tigger got scared by some dogs barking at him which made him run. My helper, Tri ran after him, but he was too fast. He was gone for about 7 days.

We were all very sad when he disappeared. We put up alot of posters and called the many shelters of Singapore. Every night, Noah's Ark Cares helped us look for Tigger. One night the guards outside our apartment saw a shape following behind Tiger (a very sweet doberman from our neighborhood) coming home from a walk. The guard grabbed him and it turned out to be a very dirty Tigger. Tigger is very smart because he recognized Tiger and followed him back to our house. We were so happy to have him back! A day later, we took him to the vet because he was limping. The vet said he broke his leg. But now he is on the mend and we are very excited about our future with him!

**We at Noah's Ark are very happy to know that Tigger has been adopted. We must say that Tigger is really blessed to be part of the DeKlotz family. We are sure that he will have a great life ahead of him (:

Pets Magazine Issue 19 (Mar/Apr 2009)

Have you gotten your hands on the latest issue of Pets Magazine-issue #19 March/April? If you have not, go grab one now! Its available free, at most pet shops and at your respective Vets.



In case you cant get hold of a copy - do check out the following where Noah's Ark was involved in! :-)



To see blog posts on Marley and Me, please click on the 2 links below!
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2009/01/charity-premiere-of-marley-me.html
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2009/02/marley-me-charity-premiere-tickets-all.html

Our very first charity movie premiere was a great success and we have YOU to thank for our success! Thank you!

Not to forget.....VP of Noah's Ark, Ms Lynda Goh, was also featured in the section "People & Our Pets" along with Mr Zeus, the blog editor!



This issue also talks about dog aggression as Pets Magazine investigates from the point of view from dog owners, dog trainers and animal welfare groups. Don't forget to pick up a copy today!

Happy Reading!

A dog's prayer for food

Dear Noahs Ark CARES blog readers,

Today we have a lighthearted post for you - written specially by a good friend, Mr Popsicle, and edited by Mr Prince. From the bottom of their little doggy hearts, it was written from scratch with much sincerity and thoughtfulness. Please enjoy!

A Dog’s Prayer for Food

Kind souls have sent us to Noah’s Ark
Where everyday is like a frolic in the park
Playing to our hearts’ content
Our unpleasant experiences put to an end

With humans and dogs we now call friends
We look forward to the weekends
Where people visit to play with us
While bringing us food and giving our coats a brush
Feeding us treats is always a must!

With the sharp increase in pet food costs
We are worried about Uncle Raymund
For we know that he will continue feeding us
To him our doggy lives we entrust

So please Lord, help feed my fellow friends
All 700 of them (to be exact)!
Simply by clicking on this link
( http://www.reinbiotech.com/shelters/nanas/contribute-nanas.jsp)
And ordering food from Rein Biotech

It wasn't easy to obtain this source,
so please do help to share the cost
They are giving us a one-for-one deal
So that we’ll never have to worry about our next meal!

More food please?

Noah's Ark CARES @ FashBash

For the first time ever, Noah's Ark has been invited to participate in FashBash 09! Want to find our more about FashBash ? Please do read up on FashBash by visiting this URL: http://www.fash-bash.com/about.htm

Date: Saturday 18th April
Venue: The Cathay Atrium (2 Handy Road)
Time: 12noon-7pm

Steela + Steelo Designer & Limited Edition Accessories only THIS SATURDAY.

Noah's Ark volunteers will be hard at work as always, manning our booth and doing our part to raise funds for the animals. Come lend your support by visiting our booth and purchasing our merchandise.

Limited Edition Bangles & Rings

Bracelets

Designer Earrings

Cool & Unusual Necklaces

Fashionably Hip Dog Necklace

This time, for the first time ever, we will be selling designer silver accessories by Steela + Steelo. For sale would be items such as bracelets, cat / dog pendants, necklaces, charms, earrings, limited edition bangles, etc - all kindly donated by a friend. What you see in these photographs are a mere fraction of what we have for sale this Saturday.The usual prices of these accessories cost between $150 to $400 but we will be selling them at a discounted rate and hope you will come down and grab these accessories. You will be entitled to a 15% discount for purchases of $500 and above. This is the one and only time to get your hands on these awesome fashion accessories - only on this Saturday!

Payment is by CASH only, so please do come down with sufficient cash in your pocket. However, there is a DBS ATM in the nearby area but do expect long queues. All proceeds from the FashBash sale will go towards the running of our Sanctuary in JB.

Come down for a chat, say hello and take a look at what we have for sale! We look forward to seeing you there this Saturday! :D

**We are very thankful and appreciative to the organizers of FashBash for the kind sponsorship of the booth and to our animal lover friend who generously sponsored all the silver accessories. Thank you!

Buddy Hugo's 3rd Update

We’re back with some jolly good news on Buddy’s speedy recovery. For Buddy's previous story, please refer to: http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/10/buddys-misfortune.html & http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/10/little-buddys-2nd-update.html

On Nov 5, we were informed by Tim that Buddy was no longer on any medication and he was allowed to walk around their apartment, as long he was not jumping around or playing too much with Meemok. Meemok is another adopted dog of Tim and Jacqueline, and both dogs have got on fantastically well! They are the best of pals enjoying each other’s company. Buddy loves playing with Meemok and is reasonably solid on his feet now. Says Tim ‘Though we do have to be careful that Meemok doesn’t chase him around too much – when she does, at least Buddy knows to go and lay down on his bed in our room.’

Buddy Hugo & Meemok

07 Nov marks a special day for Buddy - Tim, Jacqueline, Maria (family helper) and Meemok have decided to officially adopt him! They had grown so attached to him during the past month and they have seen him grown to be Meemok’s best friend – Jacqueline shared in her note to us that they would be doing injustice should they separate both of them and they would miss Buddy too much. Bless their kind hearts!

Originally, Tim and Jacqueline were only fostering Buddy while he rested in preparation for surgery. They have 2 street cats and an ASD dog, so they were not really looking to add a permanent member to the family. Buddy came to them with an inability to walk and within 24 hours of arrival, had a catheter inserted to solve another problem that had developed. Despite his obvious discomfort, his tail would wag every time they gave him a scratch on the head or called out his name. Though he was in obvious pain when they carried him downstairs, he never once was angry or upset with the Jarvis family for moving him. The highlights of his day was mealtime or having Meemok lay alongside his play pen. A family meeting was held and it decided that regardless of how his hips would heal, Tim and Jacqueline could not give him up not knowing what his fate would be.

“I don’t think Hugo ever thought he was going to live anywhere else. He loves mats not dirt, big regular bowls of food which consist of Maria’s chicken soup, rice and fresh chicken and the boy loves his air conditioning. As of yesterday, his meals were served in the yard area with Meemok and the water bowl has moved from the dining room area so he must venture through Singapore cat territory to reach it just like his big sister”, says Jacqueline.


Buddy Hugo in good spirits

Together with his new parents, Buddy made his next visit to Dr Ly on 14 November. Dr Shum attended to Buddy during this visit. They were greeted by good news when X-rays revealed that his bones were mending and there were signs of re-growth where most of the damage was done, mostly on his left side. Although Buddy was still a little stiff, his movement had given some indication that he was mobile and they have recommended not to proceed with any operations at this stage. Dr Shum did advise that at some point in the future, the ball of the femur would need to be removed, however, so as to help the muscle would be able to support this.

There was discussion to have Buddy sterilized but the vet recommended not to while his bones continue to heal as the testosterone that is being produced is good for his mending bones as well (lucky Buddy for now). He is on a supplement of calcium and Arthormax to help with the recovery process.

Buddy would be reassessed in 12 months’ time but the doctors are happy with the little one’s progress. He was encouraged to take up to 15-minute walks per day and he simply enjoys exploring the grounds around the apartment – this is something Buddy would not have imagined doing after the accident. Simple things go a long way in making Buddy one happy little dog - a bath, some food, a loving family and a friend called Meemok.

Tim and Jacqueline took comfort that although Buddy may not join their runs around the block with Meemok, one thing was for sure - they do know that the little one will be waiting with his ‘whole body shaking anticipation’ every time they come home!


Such a handsome boy Buddy Hugo is growing to be!

Two weeks ago, Buddy’s rescuer paid him a visit. Buddy knew it was her even before the door opened! Jacqueline said he was wagging his tail in excitement while the rescuer stood outside his house. He was happy to see her and snuggled up to her for a few minutes. Perhaps a sudden thought had floated into his mind, that she was there to either take him to the vet or to take him away from his new home and Meemok, and Buddy immediately ran into the room and pretended to look as if he couldn't walk! He continued with his pretence all evening while his rescuer was there, much to Jacqueline's amusement.

Right after his rescuer left the house, the playful little boy was back to his old self - He played with Meemok for an hour, had dinner, made two trips downstairs and took a long nap! Who says animals aren’t smart?


Buddy Hugo playing with his best friend Meemok

Buddy’s story comes across like a fairytale with a happy ending. However, such happy endings are few and far between. Cross breeds have a slim chance of being adopted. We are very happy that Buddy has not only found a loving home with the Jarvis family, he also does not require surgery! Miracles do happen. His next visit is in 6 months time. Thank you Tim and Jacqueline for giving Buddy a second chance to live his life to the fullest!

­­­­­­­­­­­*Tim and Jacqueline have since renamed Buddy, he is now known as Buddy Hugo Jarvis.

Chwing’s wheels have been ordered!

Dear readers,

Do you remember little Chwing? The little handicapped puppy that was abandoned, whose story brought tears to our eyes? (See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/09/story-of-nikki-chwing.html) We had many readers write in to offer to buy him a "wheel cart" so he could move round more easily, without causing friction to his poor little knees. (See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/10/wheels-for-little-chwing.html)

After consulting with Vets and the manufacturers of the wheel cart, we were advised to let Chwing grow fully first before we take his measurements. Furthermore he needed to be sterilized too. So we waited . . . . (See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/10/chwings-wheels.html) Just a week ago, we were really very excited when his Mommy, Nikki, finally took his measurements after ensuring that he would not grow larger anymore!

Noah's Ark VP, Lynda, has just recently put in the order for little Chwing's wheels (See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/12/dear-fellow-supporters-of-noahs-ark.html) and we look forward to receiving the wheels for little Chwing in a month or so.



Stay tuned to our blog and see how happy little Chwing will be when his wheels arrive from the USA. This set of wheels would help him to zoom around more freely and less effortlessly. Thank you to the generous and extremely kind donors who have fully sponsored these set of wheels!

Noah's Ark rescue: Angel

One night along the quiet industrial area, a volunteer caught sight of this extremely thin stray dog with reddish skin whilst she was out on her stray feeding rounds. She fed it some dog canned food but the dog refused to eat nor move. It was obviously in pain and discomfort, constantly shaking its head, possibly from the itch. The gravel she was lying on was definitely not helping her skin condition either. Her entire body was covered with red open sores from scratching them. The volunteer continued to feed the other dogs before leaving, with a heavy heart.

Food was provided, but she was not hungry at all

Wishing for a swift death to escape the unbearable pain

The volunteer was unable to get the dog out of her mind for the next few days, continuously seeing the dog's sad eyes in her mind. Eventually, the volunteer specially took half day off from work and decided to look for the dog. Planning and hoping to catch it, she hung around the area where she last spotted the dog. After what seemed like a long wait, the dog emerged from its hiding place. With the help of an elderly couple working nearby, she managed to lure it into a pet carrier by putting food on the inside. This time the dog was lured by the smell of the canned food and went inside the carrier without a fight.

Her eyes reflected pain and emptiness...

On the way to the vet, the dog threw up in the pet carrier. The vomit had a faint smell of curry rice with spices, food that isn’t supposed to be eaten by dogs. Due to hunger, she must have desperately rummaged through the garbage in order to find some leftovers to fill her empty stomach with. She was in such a sorry state it was heartbreaking.

At the vet, we could feel the accusing stares of other pet owners that burned into the back of our heads as we stood at the counter. It was as if they thought of us to be the cause of state that this poor dog was in! While waiting for the vet, she curled up into a ball quietly at the base of our feet. The way she curled up seemed as if she was just waiting for death to come and take away the unbearable pain she was in.


Her skin condition was terrible

Who knows how long she has been in this state? Looking at the open sores on her body, we think it would have been more than half a year for her to reach this pitiful state.

As she was all skin and bones, the vets had a hard time looking for a proper vein to draw blood from! A little while earlier, she had tried to bite as the feeling of receiving help was something new and foreign to her. Eventually, she relented, probably guessing the doctors meant well. Besides, she was too weak and in no condition to put up any sort of a struggle.


Curled up in her own little world

Thankfully, she passed her blood test without trouble. The sole problem was that she was undernourished and had a case of severe mange. The vet diagnosed her skin condition as dermodex mange (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mange for more information). Moreover, she smelled rather bad due to a sour smell emanating from her hardened skin. It looked raw and reddish, but in fact, it was rough and hard, similar to a tree bark. All this was the cause of the mange.

She scratched until her skin was raw and red

Due to the state she was in, the vet was unable to estimate her age. At this point in time, she could do with 3 solid meals a day where her diet has lots of meat and protein in it. She is also currently on medication for mange in the hope that it'll help her. Beyond her sad eyes was a black endless vacuum of space, where life seemed to be cruelly sucked out.

Her bark-like skin

Her rescuer took her home for the night as it was almost 9pm by the time we were done at the vet. At the rescuer’s house, Angel ate ravenously, as if she had never eaten such a good meal before! It was probably the first time in a long while that she had a shelter over her head and that she didn’t have the hard cold gravel as a bed. She slept soundly like a baby for the first time in a very long time.

Yes, we named her Angel. To us, we feel as if God must be watching over her from afar, keeping her alive despite her pain. Now, thanks to her rescuer, she has hope. We pray that she would recover in time so that we’ll be able to transport her to Noah’s Ark. There, she will be loved unconditionally and never have to worry about food, water or shelter ever again. It is there where she will receive the necessary treatment for her skin and be able to live the life that she fully deserves.

Angel, an apt name for a tiny dog that has had to struggle with life. Thankfully, Angel now has a fosterer who will care for her, feed her, love her and strengthen her, till she is ready to head for Noah's Ark, her forever home.

Would you please help me?

If you would like to donate towards Angel's medical bills, food, supplements and eventual passage to Noah's Ark, please make a direct transfer to our bank account or fill up and send a giro form. All details can be found in the right column under the section "Contribute" and "DBS Giro form".

Thank you in advance. Please help us help her.

Could you please give Timmy a warm, loving home?

Timmy is another nameless, unwanted stray born in a industrial estate where strays dogs are aplenty. His mother was killed in car accident when he was just 3 months old, leaving Timmy and his sibling behind . By the time he was 4 months, he lost another member of his family to yet another car accident, leaving just him alone in this world.

2 months later, Timmy became the victim of a hit and run himself. Apparently, he had been hit in his chest by a moving vehicle. It is a sad common fact that in industrial estates, people dont bat an eyelid at the numerous dogs that roam the streets, hungry, wounded and injured. Is this what it means when we say we are the voices for the animals?


Wound on Timmy's leg

For 3 days, Timmy lay in a corner vomiting blood, not moving, as painful silent tears welled in his eyes. The security guard took pity on him and tried to feed him but Timmy simply refused to eat or drink. In the end, the security guard managed to contact someone who happens to feed stray dogs around that area, who in turn contacted Noah's Ark. We went down and was told it had been three days since he last ate or drank. By that time, he was getting weaker and dehydrated.

A few volunteers arrived lifted him carefully, afraid to injure him or cause him any pain. We put him into our doggy mobile and took him to the Vet. At the Vet, x-rays were done on his body and thankfully, all his x-rays revealed no broken bones. However, he continued not eating nor drinking at the Vet, simply lying and staring blankly at the walls of his cage. Eventually, Timmy had to be put on a drip.


Such sad and doleful eyes Timmy has

Timmy is a sweet affectionate boy and he had a steady flow of visitors since, who drop by specially to pat and stroke him. Attention was something he probably never had all his life. With that, he soon started eating and getting stronger by the day. As there were no visible injuries, he was soon discharged.



Timmy is now 10 months of age, extremely gorgeous and a very good natured little boy. He has fully recovered and bears no grudges against mankind for causing him any pain and trauma. Despite all that he has gone through, we believe is still extremely happy and grateful to be alive.



Timmy is now living with a fosterer and ready for adoption. He has been sterilized, vaccinated and does not pull when walking on leash. Such an extremely obedient and affectionate boy should not have to live life out alone on the streets. Do note that Timmy is not an HDB approved breed and ideally should be an only dog in the household.



Should you wish to open your home and heart to him, please contact Suzanne at 96975363 or email us at info@noahsarkcares.com if you are interested in adopting him.