Marmite

It was a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, great weather for our last public tour of the year. The visitors milled around to pat and feed the animals and the animals were happily enjoying all the human companionship.

Over near the rabbit hutch, one volunteer was just explaining to some visitors that our infamous Max, is in fact not a pure-bred Rottweiler but a Rottweiler cross. He was a big and friendly boy for those who know him and few could tell he is in fact a cross. Due to the temperament of certain breeds, we are selective when it comes to allowing passage for certain dogs. This is because we need the dogs to co-exist harmoniously in the sanctuary and not fight over food or living areas.

Max, one of our most famous residents in the sanctuary

Shortly after however, a volunteer informed Raymund that someone was at the door to surrender a Rottweiler! Alas. The headcount at NANAS has been steadily rising, and due to the rise in costs, the mouths we have to feed border on overwhelming. But how could we bring ourselves to turn this dog away and thus seal her fate?

Raymund stepped out to take a look, and you could instantly see the dismay and sadness on his face. She was, skins and bones, to the extreme. The gaze in her eyes spoke of a lifeless and unhappy soul. Her head looked out of proportions as compared to her stick-thin body (we could see her ribs protruding!), and she was estimated to be barely a year old. The father and son pair who surrendered her said she was given to them by someone else, but they themselves did not know how to take care of her. This is certainly irresponsible pet ownership, but on the flipside, we are glad that they did not choose to abandon her on the streets.


Raymund accepted the leash with a heavy heart, and Marmite looked up uncertainly at him. He walked her slowly through the first gate of the sanctuary into the car porch, and even though the journey was a short one, she stumbled a couple of times. Tottering about on unstable legs, she barely had any strength to walk. She wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her and growled ferociously if anyone dared to approach too closely.



Unable to move too close to offer some form of comfort, Raymund fed Marmite some food from a distance away, which she gobbled down almost instantly. As predicted, Marmite was possessive of her food, given her past encounters. As the volunteers left the sanctuary with the visitors for dinner, the workers took over and brought Marmite into the sanctuary. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, Marmite went to sleep with a full and nourished stomach. We will never know, but sometimes, we are better off not knowing.


Oh, many of you must be wondering, why the name "Marmite". Like the savory spread available in supermarkets, Raymund named her so, as she is dark in colour, distinctive and powerful exactly like the spread. :) Additionally, she really needs all the nutrients Marmite has, to regain her health and put on sufficient weight.


Will you be kind enough to sponsor Marmite’s stay at the sanctuary? With the growing number of such cases and the saturation of welfare organizations, we need all the help we can get.

A quick update on Marmite:

Volunteers were up at the sanctuary last weekend for the private tour and were pleasantly surprised to see Marmite putting on weight within such a short span of time! She had a humongous appetite, and was very attached to the worker who was in charge of her area. She would obediently follow him around, and he could pat her freely. Just like her name implies, we are heartened to know she's back on her feet! She has received her vaccinations, been dewormed and tested negative for heartworm and tick fever. A clean bill of health has been given to her and she will be sterilized shortly.



We are looking for a suitable family from the Malaysian side who can give Marmite a good home. She is more suited to be the only dog in the family. If you have the space and heart for poor Marmite, please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com. Thank you!