Thursday, January 28, 2010

Update: September + PUPPY ADOPTIONS!

First and foremost, a big THANK YOU to all of you well-wishers out there who have written in to ask how September is currently coping. We are certainly glad to report that September is well, healthier and stronger, and definitely naughtier!



He looks so much better doesn't he?


September has just gone to the vet for a follow-up over the weekend, and oh boy, Dr Lesley Teo was pleasantly surprised to see that he has grown so fast! He has received his second vaccination too, with the thinnest needle being used. He has also undergone another blood test to ensure that all is well. Dr Lesley Teo was all smiles to see that September was now the same size as his siblings, and equally big and round! Interestingly, September is currently the biggest and the healthiest of all the siblings. His next follow-up will be in two months time.


Grinning cheekily at the camera!


As for the tests to check if the rest of the puppies suffer from the same blood disorder, we have consulted many vets and all of them said it would be unlikely that the others have this disorder. If they did, they too, would have bled during micro-chipping.

Both the volunteers and September are extremely grateful to the well wishers, donors and everyone who has helped in one way or another. Big and small, as it all adds up to help September get to where he currently is today. September has a long life ahead of him, and regardless of the challenges there may be in the future, we will be taking a step at a time.

Last but not least, September and his siblings are ready and up for ADOPTION!!!



Name : September
Sex : Male
Age : 5 + mths

Vaccinated & microchipped.

Walks well on leash, knows basic commands; sit and down. Loves his food very much!

Important : September needs to live indoors and should avoid cuts, scratches and needles.



Name : Schubert
Sex : Male
Age : 5 + mths

Vaccinated & microchipped.

Walks well on leash, knows basic commands; sit and down.

A little on the shy side but sweet & affectionate.


We hope that someone out there will be able to provide a home for one of these puppies! If you are interested to find out more about the puppies, view or adopt them, please contact our volunteer, Ruth at ruthlim4@gmail.com or sms 96314050.

**Note: Please note that these dogs are not HDB approved. An adoption fee of $120 applies and this covers the microchip and two vaccinations.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Thank you for supporting our Hachiko Movie Premiere!

Dear Friends of Noah's Ark,

Thank you for supporting Noah's Ark Cares in our second ever movie premiere. To all our kind sponsors and supporters who made this event possible, no words can express our heartfelt gratitude. To all our friends who bought the tickets - we thank you for your constantly ongoing support towards our cause. Without your generous assistance, Noah's Ark will not be where it is today.


Flyers with Mr Tan's story that were placed in the goodie bag



Volunteers interacting with the guests



Teachers and students from St Anthony Canossian came to support us too!


We hope you had enjoyed the movie and a terrific night out whilst meeting new friends and interacting with fellow animal lovers. After the movie, we hope that many of you would be more appreciative towards your dogs. They bring you love and unconditional loyalty. They deserve to have that returned to them by an owner that loves them just as much.



Mrs Mea Wheatley of SPCA Selangor shows her support for Noah's Ark!




If you don't already know, the entire proceeds from this movie premiere were going to help Mr Tan's three dogs, [See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2009/01/home-alone-for-christmas-mr-tans-story.html] ensuring they will be happy, comfortable and remain together as one family. The monies raised will be used to pay their medical bills, the exportation and transportation to Noah's Ark and their upkeep at the Sanctuary - where they will live out the rest of their lives. Like Hachiko, they will never be reunited with their Master here on earth, but we are sure that Mr Tan will always be etched in their memories, and someday, they will meet again.


A special thank you to Vernon Cornelius of The Quest fame, for doing the opening introduction and sharing his experiences about Noah's Ark.



Lynda Goh, VP of Noah's Ark thanking the crowd.


Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." We will always be responsibile towards our pets that are very much part of our daily lives. If you do have a dog at home, do remember that you are the world to him/her, and you are very much obliged to take care of them for the rest of their lives. Do remember that you mean the world to your dog, and you should never question their unwavering loyalty and unconditional love towards you. Their whole being revolves around you and be sure not to ever forget that!

Thank you for joining us once again for this special movie premiere. As William Shakespeare put it, "What is the city but the people"? Likewise, what is Noah's Ark, without people like you?

Till the next time we meet, take care!

**Photographs were taken and contributed by Jean Qingwen Loo. Visit her at
http://logue.sg

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Dogs visit Mr Tan before they leave for Noah's Ark

It was a usual warm Saturday afternoon on 9th January. What wasn’t usual about it was spending it at SWAMI home in Sembawang. We arrived slightly before 4pm with Mr. Tan’s freshly groomed 3 dogs. Mr. Tan was sitting in his wheelchair waiting for us in the foyer, and as he saw the dogs approaching, he broke out into a broad toothy grin, waving and gesticulating happily.


Dogs off to visit Mr Tan after their grooming



From left to right: Mark, Lynda & Joo Kim bringing the dogs to see Mr Tan


Mr Tan's face lit up and broke into a wide smile when he saw his dogs walking towards him



Mr Tan and his dogs in the foyer


We found it odd though, that the dogs did not reciprocate with the same degree of exuberance. Later, we wondered whether the dogs might have been so traumatised with the separation over the last 4 months and that this might have possibly affected their memory, or whether the changes that Mr. Tan had to endure might have contributed to their reaction. Could it possibly be that towards the last few months of living with Mr Tan, dementia had already set in and through no fault of his, he may have been less affectionate or overtly harsh with them and thus when they saw him, they were not exactly jumping for joy as we had anticipated them to. Unfortunately, we are not expert canine psychologists and will never know for certain.


Mr Tan patting Snowy


Mr Tan patting Beef



Snowy licking Beef's tears away


What was certain though was Mr. Tan’s fondness for and affection towards these dogs. With patient coaxing and gentle probing, we managed to get Mr. Tan to recall their names – the one that came the easiest was Dan, who’s the brown one; Scruffy is the hyper white one and Laddie is the extremely shy black-brown one, who spent the whole time cowering underneath the chair. When I was referring to Dan “she”, Mr. Tan quickly corrected me and said “it’s a he, all of them are boys”.


Ben cowering under the chair


It took more probing with Mr. Tan to piece together the dogs’ sketchy background. He said he’d had them since they were puppies, they were strays from the neighbourhood, and he’d been caring for them for about 5 years now. “They all sleep with me”, Mr. Tan mentioned more than once, and he could remember that he went to the supermarket to buy meat to cook for their meals, which he claimed were 3 times a day!


Mark bought some treats for Mr Tan to feed his dogs


Mr. Tan had great difficulty remembering details and events from his past and it was heartbreaking to witness him struggling with words and grappling with facts that he was trying to recall, like when we asked what his previous job was and whether he had any siblings. There were occasional flashes of clarity and coherence, one such moment being that he explicitly requested for “2 wanton mee, with lots of chilli”.


Mr Tan sharing his char siew with Beef


Mr. Tan proceeded to devour his wanton mee with contentment, in the midst of it he insisted on sharing some of the char siew with his dogs. He also wanted to give them some of his noodles but we were concerned that the chilli which was mixed in would not be good for the dogs. Fortunately, we had some doggie treats with which to distract and satisfy the dogs with.

After an hour and a half, Mr. Tan said a gentle “bye bye” to his 3 dogs; he reached out to pat and cuddle them one more time. He was smiling and I was relieved that there didn’t seem to be any discernable sadness on his part, although I’m sure on some inner dimension somewhere, Mr. Tan is aware that his life with his 3 dogs is no more. It was also a consolation that on some level, Mr. Tan is well aware that his dogs are being cared for and they will continue to live out their lives in peace and safety. This was further reflected in his earlier comment – “I am very glad I have given my dogs to you, otherwise they have no one who will look after them, no one will care for them; I know you will look after them”.

As we accompanied Mr. Tan back to his room, he kept telling the nursing aide that he wanted to go home, but by the time he got to his bed he seemed resigned to fate that this was where he was going to be for awhile. We left Mr. Tan looking at the photos of his 3 dogs as we said our goodbyes.

With a heavy heart I trudged down the stairs, pondering on how many of us bother to make a will or some kind of formal, legal arrangements to ensure that our loyal, loving canine companions are well taken care of should they outlive us or should our life’s situation not enable us to carry on providing for them. I give silent thanks that Noah’s Ark is here to carry on Mr. Tan’s commitment to care and provide for Scruffy, Dan and Laddie. May their lives at Noah’s Ark be truly peaceful and full of happiness.

**Article contributed by Koh Joo Kim

He's Just My Dog

He's just my dog.
He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
My other ears that hear above the winds.
He has told me more than a thousand times over that I am his reason for being,
By the way he rests against my leg,
By the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile,
By the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him.
I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.

When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy unbounded.
When I am a fool, he ignores it.
When I succeed, he brags.

Without him, I am only another person.
With him, I am all powerful.

He has taught me that the meaning of devotion is loyalty itself.
With him, I know the secret comfort and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.
His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things.
He has promised to wait for me ... whenever ... wherever ...
In case I need him, and I expect I will, as I always have.
Who is he? He's just MY DOG!

**Author Unknown (but greatly appreciated!)


Snowy @ Noah's Ark



Ben @ Noah's Ark



Beef @ Noah's Ark


We’d like to thank Mark of Stormville for closing his grooming salon on Saturday afternoon just to specially groom Mr Tan’s three dogs and for taking them in his van to the Home to visit Mr Tan.

Thanks must also be given to our volunteers who spent the afternoon with Mr Tan. Volunteers found out that Mr Tan’s birthday falls on Feb 14 and they will pay him a visit again during that period, to celebrate his birthday with him, as well as to wish him Gong Xi Fa Cai.

As of today, Mr Tan’s dogs have arrived safely at Noah’s Ark. It is there they will be treated with care, respect and dignity for the rest of their lives.

Thank you everyone for helping Mr Tan’s dogs and do not forget to give them a hug when you visit Noah’s Ark!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Foxy

It was almost one and a half years ago, when I first saw Foxy near my house. I had 2 dogs on the leash and had just started walk them. I saw something white in the bush and found that it was a small dog. He was hiding as he was scared of my dogs. I quickly put my dogs back in the car and asked him to come to me.

Surprisingly, he ran to me and jumped up happily many times as if he was asking me to help! He was in very bad condition - extremely skinny and miserable. He didn't have any fur left on his body. The only thing I could see was red skin and scabs. I bathed him and fed him but he was too weak to eat. At the time, I only knew of SPCA and trusted them to help all animals, but when I talked to them about Foxy, I received a big shock - the lady I spoke to said that they will possibly put him down immediately! Appalled, I instantly said no!! I rescued him so that he can live! Not to be killed!



Foxy when I first found him


The same day, I started to search for somewhere else that could help him. I was relieved when I finally came across Noah's Ark. Fiona and Lynda came to visit Foxy a few hours later and promised to help him.

As I spent more time with him, I found out that he had such a sweet personality, but my biggest fear was that he may be abandoned again – and it seemed that was his worst fear too. One day, he was sound asleep next my bed, when all of a sudden, he awoke screaming! It seemed that he had a nightmare, remembering those bad days. Still frightened from his nightmare, he kept following me around everywhere I go. Even when I moved 1 or 2 steps, he would jump up and tell me not to leave him. I kept telling him not to worry but still, he had trouble sleeping. He would stare into my eyes and seemingly beg me not to leave. I’m so sorry Foxy that I couldn't keep this promise that I would always be by your side...

Finally the day came, when he was to leave for Noah’s Ark. He kept barking at me from inside the cage as if he asking ‘Why? You promised!’ But in my heart, I will never forget him. Every day I am thinking about him.

October 4th was great day. I was reunited with Foxy!! But at first, I was worried that he wouldn’t remember me. The first few minutes he looked a bit puzzled. But after a while, he came closer and closer to me. I was so glad that he hadn’t forgotten about me after all. Now his fur is long and beautiful and he has certainly put on some weight. Seems he is getting on with his friends too! I wished I could take him home but knew better.

Foxy today, happily living life @ Noah's Ark!


Thank you Noah's Ark. I am so glad that he is now happy and living a peaceful life there. I personally hope to go and visit all the animals there again!

*Photos and article contributed by Ms Yasuko Yamamoto

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thank you to all our partners for the help & support in 2009!

Dear friends of Noah's Ark,

2009 has drawn to a close, but there is still much work to be done. We are well aware that our sterilization programmes (Project Industrial Dogs and Project Catsnip) is far from complete. Nevertheless, we are heartened and kept going strong by both our partners and supporters. We would like to take this time to thank both our supporters and our partners.

Our partners:

Veterinary Clinics in Singapore
Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital
Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre (2004) (Clementi)
Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre (Bedok)
The Animal Doctors
Clinic for Pets

Veterinary Clinics in Johor
Koh Animal Clinic & Surgery (Johor)
Pusat Haiwant Koh (Johor)



Pet Retailers
Annie’s Pets Corner
Furry Pets
Pet Lovers Centre
Stormville
US Doggie Bakery (USDB)

Pet Services
Aristomilago Pawzllywood
Furry Photos
Pet Call (Pet Identification Network)
Purina - Beneful
Rein Biotech Services
Royal Canine


Supporting Partners
Bikers Forum
Col Bar
Fash Bash
Fortune Travel
From a Pixel
Joo Chiat CCC
Marine Parade Town Day
Pet Lovers Foundation
Rotary Club of Tanglin
Telok Kurau & Frankel NC
Touch & Print
Twentieth Century Fox – Marley & Me

Animal Welfare Organisations
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)
Singapore Kennel Club
SPCA Selangor
NTU Animal Lover Society
SMU People for Animal Welfare


Educational Institutions
CHIJ Kellock
National University of Singapore
Temasek Junior College
Temasek Polytechnic


Media - TV
Channel News Asia
Channel U - City Foot Print
FM938
Supreme Master TV

Media - Magazines
Club Pets
Pet Magazine

Last but not least, to our special friends, sponsors, supporters and volunteers who have helped us to make it pawsible for the animals in 2009. Thank you for giving the animals The Gift of HOPE.

Your support has made a difference. Without you, Noah's Ark CARES will not be what it is today.

Monday, January 11, 2010

A big thank you to everyone!

The Fish4Dogs food donation drive was a success! The dogs at Noah’s Ark are barking in delight and extremely happy to have a change of food to their regular menu. Each year, Noah’s Ark continues to advance in its mission to help the creatures of this world that are unable to fend for themselves.


Our volunteers at Noah's Ark helping to stack the food.



Deepa the JRT sitting on top of the bags of donated food. Deepa was abandoned and found on Deepavali 2007, thus her name.



Deepa getting the first whiff and taste of the yummy Fish4Dogs!


First, we would like to extend a heart-felt Thank You to Pet Lovers Centre for making this food donation drive so successful. Thank you for offsetting the cost in order to encourage the public to buy whilst donating the difference to us. This has helped us offset the cost of food we usually pay for at the sanctuary and we are extremely grateful for your thoughtfulness in picking us as a beneficiary.



Next, a big thank you to our dear friends and supporters who made a trip down to the pet shop to place orders for our dogs of Noah's Ark. Throughout the years, you've been with us every step of the way, always ensuring our sanctuary keeps running through your various donations and assistance rendered. As always, your contributions are greatly appreciated.


Leo enjoying his special treat of Fish4Dogs.



Obviously, Leo just couldn't get enough of it! Noah's Ark is unable to buy these premium brands for our dogs, thus these are indeed once in a lifetime treats for the dogs at the Sanctuary.



Deepa asked if you could donate more dog food to her friends at Noah's Ark? Check out the right hand column "Help Feed Our Animals" we have another ongoing food donation drive kindly offered by Reinbiotech.


Some facts about the Sanctuary.

What we need to keep 1,000 animals alive.

Dog Dry Food - 17 bags a day or 306kg a day
Dog Tin Food - 1 carton a day or 700gm x 24 cans = 16.8kg
Cat Dry Food - 1 bag a day or 23kg a day
Cat Tin Food - 10 cans a day or 400gm x 10 cans = 4kg
Cat Litter - S$1,200/- a month

Lastly, we end with this quote:

One of the sanest, surest and most generous joys of life come from being happy over the good fortune of others. - Robert A. Heinlein

With the constant help and donations from supporters such you, we know it will ensure that the animals at Noah’s Ark will never ever have to go hungry.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Home Alone for Christmas

DISCLAIMER: THERE MAY BE CERTAIN PICTURES THAT MAY MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. IF SUCH, WE WOULD ADVISE YOU NOT TO SCROLL DOWN. THANK YOU.


This story was featured on the ChannelNewsAsia website on 25 December '09.

Click to enlarge and read


T’was the week before Christmas and Vice-President of Noah’s Ark CARES, Lynda, received a call from the authorities that there were three dogs that needed the help of our society.

An elderly man, about 70 yrs of age, lived alone in a house with his three dogs. His mother had passed on some years back and all he had left was the love and companionship of his loyal dogs. Despite his age and being diabetic, he took his dogs out for their daily walks and walked to the nearby supermarket to buy meat for their meals.

One fateful morning, Mr Tan fell a few houses from where he lived and was injured. Lying on the ground, and after many moments of desperate cries and shouts for help, a neighbour finally called for an ambulance. Sadly, his right leg had to be amputated from his knee down. We're not sure if the amputation was due to his fall, his diabetes or a combination of both. We later found out from neighbours that this was not his first fall. He has had many falls in his own home. On one occasion, he even laid in the garden for three days, with the dogs helplessly looking on.

As this was a case that required immediate attention, Noah’s Ark volunteers took the day off from work to visit Mr Tan’s home, together with a social worker from NUH, another authority from the government body and a neighbour, Edith, who found the key to his house underneath the flower pot.

We were confronted by the nauseating stench of feaces and urine as we entered the house. Neighbours had assumed that Mr Tan had family and friends to check on the dogs. Little did they realize that his dogs have been left to their own devices for 6 days, enduring hunger, thirst and living in their own filth, waiting faithfully for Mr Tan’s return. Fortunately, they had not cannibalized each other.

Condition of the house when the dogs were left to fend for their own

The mess left by the dogs

Sadness filled our hearts as the dogs’ downcast eyes conveyed their longing for Mr Tan’s companionship and their anguish of not being able to be reunited with Mr Tan, as they scoured the home, hoping to find Mr Tan in our midst. Needless to say, it was clear in our hearts that Mr Tan could no longer care for himself, the dogs can no longer be in his care.

It was obvious the dogs were free to roam about the house

Mr Tan is a dog lover. Though the house was unkempt; pictures, paintings and statues of dogs filled his walls and gardens. He must have loved his dogs dearly as they had free rein of the house, bed, sofa . . . They were his family and he was theirs.


Mr Tan's Garden of Eden, a paradise for his 3 beloved dogs



Statues of angels and dogs in Mr Tan's garden



Mr Tan's extensive collection displayed outside his front porch




More of Mr Tan's collections in one of his rooms




It was obvious Mr Tan was a staunch Catholic and a dog lover. His walls were filled with pictures of The Last Supper, doggie paintings and doggie quotes.


As Mr Tan had no next of kin to take over the care of his dogs, his neighbour, Edith tried to get the dogs adopted. But efforts were in vain. The authorities then informed Edith that the ownership of the dogs would be transferred to Noah’s Ark. It was agreed that the three dogs would continue to live in Mr Tan’s house and fed by Edith until they were ready to leave for their new home in the Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary, JB.

The next day the three dogs were sent to the vet for a complete health check, vaccinations, microchipping and one of the dogs had a bad eye infection. Two of the dogs will also need to return to the vet for dental scaling as their teeth are in poor condition.


Dan's eyes were constantly tearing as he had a bad eye infection.



Rotten food from Mr Tan's fridge being disposed of by the authorities



Authorities sealed up the house and turned off the electricity. The dogs were only allowed in the garden area, with Edith still holding the key to the main gate, so she can continue feeding and caring for the dogs till they depart Singapore.

Keen to know more about Mr Tan, we returned the following day to take a walk around his neighbourhood, speaking to neighbours to try to find out if he had family or friends. We found out that Mr Tan kept to himself and although he had been living in that estate for the past 17 years, not many people knew much about him. He hardly had friends or visitors to his home. They did tell us that he was an ex-civil servant and an accomplished pianist. Neighbours remember him playing beautiful music most mornings when he was at home.

We also took pictures of his three dogs and visited Mr Tan. By this time, he had been transferred to the Swami Home, never to be able to return to his own home to be with the love of his life as he was now wheelchair bound and suffers from dementia.

Mr Tan was friendly when we met him and he spoke excellent English. His face lit up when we showed him pictures of his three dogs. Sadly, he could no longer remember that they were his. He said the dogs in the photographs were beautiful and asked who they belonged to. When told it was his dogs and they were well, he asked if they were really his. It was a heartbreaking moment and we tried hard to hold back our tears. Mr Tan then asked us if we could bring his dogs to visit him, and we promised we would.


Laddie, the most timid out of the three, hides under a bench when visitors come



Laddie, hiding in a corner


We left with a heavy heart. As we looked back, we saw Mr Tan sitting in his wheelchair admiring the photographs we left with him, smiling. We knew he didn’t know those were his dogs, he smiled because he just loved dogs.....any dog. The names of the dogs – Mickey, Dan and Laddie - were given by his neighbour, Edith, who has helped care for them since Mr Tan's hospitalization in August. We have no idea what his dog's names are. Despite asking Mr Tan, he could not recall them.

The export permits for the three dogs are being processed and they will soon be making their journey, as a family, to Noah’s Ark. They will visit the vet just one more time, for their dental scaling, and volunteers will take another day off from work to bring the dogs to the Home to visit Mr Tan and bid him farewell. The Home has kindly agreed to allow the dogs to visit him there.

We wish we could end the story on a happy note, with the dogs being reunited with Mr Tan, but alas, that is not to be. The consolation is the dogs will still have each other at Noah’s Ark, where they will live out the rest of their remaining years, but we know they will remember him and miss him always. While we had a lovely Christmas with family and friends, Mr Tan’s dogs were home alone this Christmas . . . . . awaiting their master’s return.

We are still hoping to find a friend or someone who can tell us a little more about Mr Tan Hoo Chuan. Knowing that he is a staunch Catholic, we have contacted the Catholic church to help circulate his story in the Catholic news, in the hope that someone would come forth with more information on him. If you know Mr Tan, please do send us an email. Thank you.


Our movie screening of Hachiko resembles Mr Tan's story in many ways - where the loyal dogs await their Master's return. Day after day, they sit by that gate, eagerly staring outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of their Master coming home to them.


Mickey(left) & Dan(right) waiting for Mr Tan's return



Noah’s Ark will be using ALL proceeds from the sale of Hachiko's movie tickets - See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2009/12/charity-premiere-hachiko.html - to help Mr Tan's three dogs, ensuring they will be happy, comfortable and remain together as one family. The monies raised will be used to pay their medical bills, the exportation and transportation to Noah's Ark and their upkeep at the Sanctuary.

Their story has touched our hearts deeply and we hope to do our best for Mr Tan's best friends.

Beneficiary of Animal Merchandise :)

Noah's Ark CARES Supporters