Noah's Ark CARES

Private Tour - 25th February

2012-02-01T16:11:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends of Noah's Ark,

Noah's Ark is pleased to announce our first tour to kickstart the new year! Before you get confused, private tour date is for when visitors hire their own minivans or self drive into the sanctuary. On the other hand, public tour dates are done 3-4 times a year and we will hire tour coaches on that occasion. This visit will be on:

25 Feb 2012, Saturday, 2.30-5.30pm

Write to us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are interested to visit the sanctuary on this day with your own transport (either via hiring your own mini van or personal vehicle). Once we reach our maximum capacity, we regret that you will have to join us on the next time. There will also be a small donation of S$30 per person, where 100% of the proceeds will go into running of the wonderful sanctuary you are about to visit!

To register, please provide details:

Name:
Handphone number:
Email:

No. of pax you are registering for:

Amount paid:

Reference numbers: Cheque number/ibank transfer number

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "Feb 2012 Private Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts.

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

**Please note the following terms & conditions:

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have absolutely no fear of being surrounded by many dogs, some of which are quite large. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark! What are you waiting for? Hurry and book with us to avoid disappointment! :) See you there!

I can't wait to greet all of you!

I will be on the lookout for you!

One day with Bert

2011-12-22T16:18:00.004+08:00

This is a story left to be told, and in loving memory of the animal we will never forget. Having worked with so many over the past few years, each animal has a place in our hearts, and heart wrenching ones like these, will only push us on to pursue our causes even further.

Note: The writer finally took time off to write this blog post, so that when she grows older and looks back, these beautiful memoirs will make her smile no matter the tears shed.

Seems like it never rains but pours. Having been more active on cat cases and sterilization recently, this discovery was nonetheless shocking and heartbreaking. This story involves an extremely young kitten named Bert. The lifespan of this little kitten was only less than twenty-four hours, but still, we needed a name to remember him/her by. Unfortunately, we did not even know was Bert a boy or a girl, but still, he/she will be well remembered.

Dumpling Festival was fast approaching and E’s grandma was boiling dumplings on a charcoal stove just outside her flat. They have just taken the first lot of dumplings out from the pot, and the pot was left there to cool for a while before the water was poured away along the gutter just outside the corridor.

E’s auntie suddenly heard some soft sound, alike whimpering. She glanced up and down the corridor, but did not see anything or anyone. The sound seemed to get softer and softer, and she was sure it was not her ears playing tricks on her. She searched high and low, and finally, saw a small shadow moving under the fish tank outside the neighbour’s place.

E’s auntie walked towards the fish tank, and realized it was meowing. A kitten! What was it doing there? The stray cats at that block have all been sterilized with tipped ears. E's auntie did not know what to do, and hurriedly rushed into the flat to get E's help. E stretched her hand under the fish tank and carefully lifted the kitten out. He was already wet but luckily not badly scalded. The poor baby’s eyes were unopened, and he was crying nonstop. E immediately brought him into the house and dried him.

E and husband swiftly went to a pet shop nearby, and returned with kitten milk and feeding equipment. Bert was fed, kept warm, and fell asleep very shortly after. Though E knew very well that Bert’s survival rate was low, E still wanted to give him a chance to live.

It was actually a working day the following day and E was thinking hard about how to manage Bert as he needed regular feeding every few hours but she decided to deal with that later. E brought Bert home and kept him cozily tucked away in an A4 paper box with towels, a stuffed toy and a clock. She read online that the ticking of the clock is similar to the heartbeat of a mother cat, which would help the kitten settle in easily.

E’s dogs could sense Bert but they were not allowed to go near him at all. The eldest dog was seemingly aware of what was going on and he would jump up from his sleep whenever the kitten made any slight noise even though it was in the next room. When E woke up every two hours to feed the kitten, he followed suit but waited outside the room door obediently. In the wee hours of the night at about 4am, E's husband felt the dog’s cold nose constantly touching his arm as if trying to wake him up. E's husband immediately sensed something amiss and went over to Bert. There was no more heartbeat.

E was devastated though she had tried to mentally prepare herself for it. We all know how young kittens seldom make it, but it was a life lost after all. E wrapped Bert up and chose a safe spot to bury Bert, and made a little cross to remember Bert by. It gave us comfort that this cat passed on in the comfort of a home, warm and fed, not alone, cold and starving on the cold cement floor.

This could have probably been a case of irresponsible dumping due to household pets not being sterilized. A spayed pet is a healthy and happy pet, why allow your pets which you treat like your own children to go through unnecessary pregnancies? As much as many of us out there involve ourselves in helping stray animals on the streets, we need pet owners to take responsibilities for their pets too.

Don't forget to sterilize your pets today. You're not only helping them, but you would be helping society at large – to reduce the stray problem.

Noah’s Ark – A place with many happy animals!

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000+08:00

Noah’s Ark is really a great place to visit if you love animals. You get to see dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and even monkey and snakes all in one place. It’s like a mini zoo!
The dogs are basically free to roam the big piece of land that Noah’s Ark sits on. There is even a pond for these dogs to swim in as well.

Interactions with these friendly dogs are also really easy because they will just come up to you for a pat on their head or a rub on their back!
If you’re more of a cat person, there is a huge cattery with many cats waiting to be snuggled as well! :)It is really a great place to visit and after spending time with these animals, you’ll definitely leave the place feeling happier than before. I’m already thinking of going back to visit these lovely animals!!

-pictures and article contributed by Huiwen

You are my PoohPooh Bear!

2011-12-08T10:00:00.001+08:00

On 20 Jul 2011, NAC asked if I was willing to write about our recent adoption of a female dog. I agreed readily even though I do not know what to write. Afterall “she” was only with us for a couple of weeks, I had no idea what should I focus on writing.

Finally today I found the inspiration to write something, so I went to the Noah's Ark blog to have a look and below was part of the very first article I picked to read.

“This Chow Chow was abandoned by its owner. She is 10 yrs old and her name in Yuki. Her irresponsible owner opened the gates and let the dog out. When the dog was picked up by SPCA, the owner told someone to lie that he was out of town and to put the dog down. Fortunately we got wind of it in time and Yuki was bailed out from SPCA and is now living in a boarding facility, waiting for someone to love her again. After some tender loving care in her foster home, this is how she looks like today. The next 3 pictures show Yuki cleaned & groomed. According to the Vet, she is in perfect health and is now with a fosterer.”

Coincidentally the dog in this very first article I picked “How Could You?” is the one my husband and I just adopted through Ruth.

After moving into a “Kampong”, the first thing my husband and I did was to adopt two dogs, Trevor a Golden Retriever from SPCA and Fat Fat Mongrel from the landlord.

Together with Coco an English Cocker Spaniel we had with us since 2001, we magically reached the maximum number of dogs allowed within 1 week from moving into our new place

Never had we thought of adding one more since 3 is the limit.

Two weeks after we moved in, my in-laws came for the house warming and my husband casually described the type of dogs he liked to his sister.

My husband loves dogs with a grumpy face (a Neapolitan Mastiff being his favorite).
We actually went to SPCA for Athena (the Mastiff with SPCA in Jun 2011) but she had tick fever so she was not suitable for adoption so that’s how we got Trevor instead.

After hearing my husband’s description of the type of dogs he likes, my sister in-law went home and started searching the Internet.

A couple of weeks later, she sent us a mail with a link that’s when we saw Yuki for adoption.

We were both so excited and I contacted Ruth immediately. We invited Ruth to our place for a house visit within the next few days and Yuki came to our place for good within a week from we first saw the advertisement.

The first day Yuki ignored us, preferring to sleep alone in the living room so we let her be.

The next day we invited some friends over and a friend brought this.

Another day passed..I was in the study room doing my work when Yuki came to pay me a visit.

It only took her two days to get used to living with us and she climbed up this bed (with my permission) to be with me.

Life with Yuki is a joy!

We brought Yuki to the vet for a check up and that’s how she looked in the car. HAPPY!!!!!

One day I was at work and I received an MMS from my husband. This was what he sent.

Yuki is definitely a dog with a heart.

Despite being cruelly abandoned by her previous owner and having to go through the stress of moving from shelter to fosterers to eventually our home, just like most dogs, she still never stops loving.

She loves us humans in her own quiet way, following us in and out of the room, walking double steps to the gate to see us off, standing there looking at us with her tender loving eyes, lying in our room snoring softly enjoying the cold air..every now and then, she will try to get her crumply body lifted up, and walk briskly to us to ask for a little pat and a little sayang.

Yuki is so lovely that I don’t understand which part of her became a nuisance to the previous owner.

(For that matter, Trevor and Fat Fat too are so lovely that we often wonder why Trevor ended up in SPCA and Fat Fat confined to the back yard for 7 years)

It probably only takes a split second to buy, and definitely another split second to dump.
However by the time Yuki found us, or we found Yuki, it was a good two years after she was being cruelly abandoned.

I always believe in fate and fate has brought Yuki and us together.

Nothing was a pre-planned move..the house moving, the email from my sister in law, the adoption of the fourth dog and the surfing of an article to read on Noah Ark’s website. Yet everything that had happened pointed Yuki to us.

Oh yes, we did apply to AVA for a license for a fourth dog which they approved after visiting us.

Ruth told us she was almost going to give up searching for a permanent home for Yuki, a 12 years old Female Short Coat Chow Chow with just a slight joint problem which can be resolved by a simple jab once in two months costing only S$25.

Yuki is an old dog, that’s why she is not always the first choice for adoption.

Because of Yuki, my husband and I decided we would continue to adopt only older dogs.

We love them all the same; they are as cute as puppy if not even cuter, without the teething problem and the toilet training nightmare.

Yuki, you are my Pooh Pooh Bear.

Paws N Friends - 4th December, Sunday

2011-11-27T09:35:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone! :D

Come celebrate the Purrfect Xmas at the Paws n Friends event with us on the 4th of December, Sunday at Toa Payoh Town Park from 1pm-6pm.

There will be fun-filled acitivites, contests and worshops for both humans and their 4-legged friends. Noah's Ark will be there, hard at work like Santa's elves, in our booth so do come on down to show your support! Hope to see you guys there!

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/PawsNFriends

4th Annual “Better Owner, Better Dog” seminar

2011-11-20T15:20:00.002+08:00

Dear friends and supporters,

The 4th Annual “Better Owner, Better Dog” seminar is here again!

This year, Pets Magazine has kindly extended 4 seats to Noah's Ark CARES to give out to you! That's right, we'll be giving out 2 pairs of tickets for this event on a first come first served basis.

To get your paws on the tickets, kindly write in to noahsarkcares@gmail.com complete with your name, contact # and email, with the subject "TICKETS FOR BOBD SEMINAR". If you are successful, we'll be contacting you shortly.

Once the tickets are given out, we regret to say we will be closing this offer. Regardless, you can definitely participate by purchasing the tickets as per the poster. See you there!

Regards,
From all of us @ Noah's Ark CARES

Gluey: Unstuck and Saved

2011-11-14T22:10:00.000+08:00

Gluey went through a very traumatic experience to get his name. His rescuers are the longest serving volunteers from Noah’s Ark. These days, on the weekends when they visit Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary, they take the drive out to look for unsterilised and injured cats so they can be treated before being returned to where they were caught.

One day, as they were going about their usual round of trapping stray cats, they discovered Gluey near a drain. He just looked dirty from far and they didn’t even realise he was covered in glue. It was curiosity more than a realisation that he was a cat. All they actually saw was something black, that had bits of plastic and was moving!

They called out to it but it backed away. Still curious, they decided to use food to entice it neared to them. They would leave a trail of can food on the floor that would eventually lead them to the carrier set there by the rescuers. It was only when it got nearer that they realised it was a black cat!

Gluey covered in sticky rat trap glue

Probably being traumatised by his experience, that little black cat was extremely cautious. He ate whatever that was far from the carrier but refused to eat the food placed near the carrier. They knew that he was extremely hungry as he kept meowing for more food. So they just kept adding more food, bit by bit, to gain his trust. Eventually, his hunger overcame his fear and he walked into the carrier.

At that point, the rescuers still didn’t know his body was full of glue. They only found out when they took him out from the carrier at the Sanctuary. It then dawned upon everyone that Gluey had probably been caught in a glue trap for rats! Because he was so much bigger than a rat, he had managed to free himself. But as he ran around as a stray, plastic and other stuff stuck themselves to him!

I am unstuck and saved!

It took a lot of work, but a month later, Raymund managed to remove all the glue from him and he turned out to be a really beautiful kitten with a rather unique cute round face. Come visit Gluey. You can’t miss that face. Despite his ordeal, he is a friendly and affectionate cat.

**Story kindly contributed by rescuers Eric and Evelyn

AVA Roadshow

2011-11-08T15:34:00.004+08:00

Dear All,

It is that time of the year again for the AVA annual Road Show. This also means the yuletide season is almost upon us!

Date: 12 & 13 November 2011, Saturday and Sunday
Time: 11am to 8pm
Venue: Singapore Expo Hall 4B
Free admission for both owners and pets

Noah's Ark volunteers will be hard at work, manning our booth and doing their part to raise funds for the animals. Come lend your support by visiting our booth and purchasing our merchandise. We have t-shirts, polo shirts, luggage tags, memo pads and post-it notes for sale.

Moreover, our calendars (http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/10/2012-calendar-out-for-sale-now.html) will also be on sale too! If you have already bought one for yourself, please do not hesitate to buy some for your friends and family too! Everyone needs a calendar especially with 2012 just around the corner and this would make great Christmas presents. Stocks are running low, so get yours today!

Lastly, we have an ongoing food drive here: http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/11/food-donation-drive-november.html so do remember our little furry friends during this season of giving and sharing.

See you this weekend! For more details, please see www.petsforlife.com.sg.

Food donation drive - November

2011-11-04T21:40:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters of Noah's Ark,

Christmas is almost here and we're happy to announce that Noah's Ark CARES has partnered Pets' Station once again for yet another food donation drive. The event kicks off today, 1 Nov and ends on 30 November 2011. We are extremely thankful and privileged for their continuous support.

As we begin to make out our list of gifts for our family and loved ones, we hope the animals will be part of your list too. The animals do not ask for much, a hearty meal is enough to bring smiles across their faces.

Food is extremely important to the animals and it runs out faster than you can imagine. With 800 dogs, 400 cats, 5 horses, a hutch of rabbits and 2 monkeys … you can imagine the quantity of food needed each day to maintain a quality life for the animals.

For this drive, Pets' Station will be offering a total of 9 items that supporters can choose to purchase during this period. They are:

Pyramid Hill Lamb 400g

Pyramid Hill Chicken 400g

Sportmix Dog Hi-Pro 20KG

Sportmix Dog Adult 20KG

Sportmix Gourmet Cat Food 15kg

Friskies Ocean Fish 400g

Friskies Mackerel 400g

Friskies Sar/Squid 400g

Friskies Seafood Platter 400g

For every item purchased, Pets' Station will be donating the same item to Noah's Ark, one-for-one. More details can be found at their website at http://www.petsstation.com.sg/.

To make your food donation, there are 2 ways you can do it.

1. To do it online, please go to http://www.petsstation.com.sg/ to view the items available and select the food you want to donate accordingly.

2. You can also go to any of their nine outlets which are located at Causeway Point, Compass Point, Frankel Avenue, Holland Village, Jurong West, Tampines Central 1, Tiong Bahru, Serangoon Gardens and Serangoon North Ave.

The donated food will be stored at Pets Stations' warehouse and our volunteers will arrange to collect the food items and bring them to Noah's Ark.

What we need to feed 1,000 animals at the animal sanctuary:

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

This donation food drive is held only during this month. Do tell your friends about and help feed our animals. On behalf of the animals, we appreciate your continuing support and generosity!!

5th November, Satuday: Paw'er Walk

2011-10-29T12:45:00.005+08:00

Join us this coming weekend on the 5th of November, Saturday at East Coast Parkway: Angsana Green (Area E2) from 3pm-7pm. Why not participate in the Paw'er Walk with your dog too? For more information, details and how to register, kindly visit www.facebook.com/ReebokSG.

There will be goodie bags and fun-filled acitivites for both humans and their 4-legged friends. Noah's Ark will be there in our booth so do come on down to show your support! Hope to see you guys there!

2012 Calendar out for sale NOW!

2011-10-21T16:49:00.005+08:00

Dear Friends, Supporters and Well-Wishers,

Our 2012 Calendar is out now!

Buy a Noah's Ark CARES 2012 Calendar and help support the animals rescued by Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary and Noah’s Ark CARES.

In this issue, we celebrate the work our volunteers do, the animals we have saved that have found forever homes in either the sanctuary or with a family, plus our mantra, sterilisation and why it is absolutely necessary. In all, it represents the hard work, sweat and sometimes, tears of volunteers who are sensitive towards the cries of neglected and abandoned animals.

Please help the volunteers to be there for the animals in dire need by purchasing the calendars. Each calendar costs just S$10.00 and be assured that it will go a long way towards helping the animals. Kindly download the order form below (click for a larger image) and mail us your orders, together with your cheque payment.

If you wish to help us sell calendars - either amongst your friends, colleagues or in your shop, please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com and we'll make arrangements with you accordingly.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generousity and love. On behalf of the animals, thank you for helping the sanctuary stay on its feet!

Best regards,
From all of us @ Noah's Ark CARES

Places you can purchase the calendars from (in no order and updated as regularly as possible):

Pets Station (Causeway Point)
1 Woodlands Square #B1-42/43

Pets Station (Jurong Point)
1 Jurong West Central 2, #01-40

Showdawgs
506 Macpherson Road

PolyPet
Block 109 Clementi Street 11, #01-29

UPetgamart
Pasir Ris Farmway 1

Pet Lovers Centre (24 outlets)

Central – Bugis, Centrepoint, Holland Village, Liang Court, Raffles City Link, Shaw Centre, Valley Point, Plaza Singapura
North – NEX Mall, Toa Payoh Central, Junction 8, Hougang Mall, Big Mac Centre (AMK Ave 3), Serangoon Gdns, The Woodgrove, Thomson Plaza
East – Tampines Mall, Siglap Village, Parkway Parade, East Point Mall
West – Vivocity, Lot 1, Clementi Mall, IMM

Mount Pleasant Sunset
Blk 105 Clementi St 12 #01-18

Mount Pleasant Redhill
Blk 113 Bukit Merah View #01-520

Mount Pleasant Bedok
Blk 158 Bedok South Ave 3 #01-577

Sundream Pet Land
545 Orchard Road #02-24
Far East Shopping Centre

City Pet
33 Jalan Mas Puteh

Closure of a case: Ng brothers and their cats

2011-10-18T09:09:00.005+08:00

Did you manage to catch the 2 episodes of Renoaid that featured the Ng Brothers and their cats? If you missed it, don't worry as you can do some catch-up TV right here: http://video.xin.msn.com/browse/catch-up-tv/renovaid-3

For the old articles and the entire story, please read through these few links:
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-kindness-can-be-weakness.html
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/07/update-2-when-kindess-can-become.html
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/10/24-jun-14-jul-10-oct-ng-brothers-and.html

TNP has also covered this story here:

As this case draws to a close, we as volunteers have in fact been taught many valuable lessons and experiences for the past four months. We will certainly not have managed to successfully complete such a huge project without your support. Thank you, to each and every one of you, you've helped to make a difference in the Ng Brothers lives, as well as the cats that were rescued.

Charity Movie Premiere - Red Dog!

2011-10-14T09:07:00.007+08:00

Dear Friends, Supporters and Well-Wishers,

Have you booked your tickets yet?

You are specially invited to join us in this special movie screening of Red Dog organized by Noah’s Ark this coming October! You will be able to catch this 2 days before it opens officially in the cinemas, so book your tickets NOW.

Come and join us for this fun-filled night with laughter and tears, all the while helping out Noah's Ark CARES! What's more, you can also come and pick up our just released 2012 calendar! Perfect for that christmas or corporate gift.

All of the proceeds will go towards the maintaining of the 1000 animals that live in our sanctuary in Malaysia. Some of the funds will also be diverted towards PID, Project Industrial Dogs as we strive to make Singapore stray free. For more information on either, please visit our blog at www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com

Here's the trailer and poster below:

Movie synopsis

Adapted from the novel of the same name by award-winning author Louis De Bernières Red Dog is the true story of a charismatic kelpie who united a mining community in North West Australia in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Movie details:

Date: 18 October, Tuesday
Venue: GV Vivo City
Time: 7.15pm
Approx screen time: 92 mins
Ticket price: $50 (includes a complimentary combo set comprising popcorn and drink + goodie bag)
How to book: Please go to http://www.gv.com.sg/moviedetails/gv_moviedetails_0565.jsp and reserve your seats today! Once you select Vivocity in the drop down box, click on the time and choose your seat!

A special “Thank you” to the following sponsors who have made it possible.

1. Noah’s Ark CARES supporters - Ms. GL and Ms. YG
2. Exciting goodie bag items generously sponsored by the following:

Movie stills

The Ng Brothers and Their Cats – A New Beginning

2011-10-11T10:38:00.030+08:00

Many supporters and donors must be wondering, what happened to the Ng brothers and their cats? We are grateful for your patience and understanding, and with this final update, we are extremely pleased to present a happy ending for both the two and four leggeds.

For the old stories, please see:
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-kindness-can-be-weakness.html
http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2011/07/update-2-when-kindess-can-become.html

We managed to successfully trap all the adult cats with the kind help of Madam Law and Mohan, both veteran cat catchers. It was not that tricky in the beginning as we still could use cat traps and lure the cats into the traps with food but as the cats got lesser, we had to use nets instead as we were dealing with the smartest and most difficult few left!

All the adult cats are now safely boarding at a shelter, all sterilized, vaccinated and microchipped. We will like to thank Mount Pleasant Sunset and Whitley (Referral Clinic) for making concessions for special appointments and subsidized rates, enabling us to work on this case more efficiently. We have chosen to board the cats locally first instead of sending them up to our sanctuary in JB, Malaysia. This is because we recognize that the Ng brothers really love their cats and we will like them to be able to visit their cats as and when they want to first at the present moment. We might slowly move a few of their cats up to NANAS after some time but we have yet to decide on this matter as this will involve time, permits and extra costs.

A kitten adoption drive was also held on 10th and 11th September 2011 at The Pet Safari at Nex Mall and all the kittens managed to find loving homes after they have been nursed back to health by various fosterers who came forth to help out. Thank you to our dear fosterers and supporters, without you this would not have been possible either!

As for the Ng brothers’ house, Lady Luck must have been smiling on us. We were initially cracking our heads on how to afford the renovation plus furniture as it would have amounted close to ten thousand dollars for even basic revamping given the dire conditions of the house, but a timely referral from a supporter Mr Chan to Shan You Counselling Centre was our savior. Sylvia from Shan You recommended the Ng brothers’ case to RenovAID – a local social reality series aimed at helping disadvantaged families to improve their living environment and provides renovations accordingly to their needs. After some consideration, the RenovAID production crew (Diana and Heng Leong) decided that the Ng brothers really needed help. We were literally jumping for joy when RenovAID gave the go-ahead for this case!

A special thank you to Mr Chan, for your referral, for that was the most crucial step. To Sylvia, thank you for giving this case a chance. And finally, to Diana and Heng Leong, thank you for providing the brothers a new lease of life!

There were a couple of viewings for the RenovAID production crew and designer, and discussions held before the actual work started. The Ng brothers requested not to start on renovation work during the lunar seventh month and we respected their wishes. Actual renovation only commenced at the start of September after all their belongings and furniture were moved/removed and of course, no more cats in the house.

During the renovation, the brothers were housed in a budget hotel near where they originally stayed. As the time frame was pretty short from start till end of renovation, we unfortunately did not have enough time and manpower to go around the island collecting the furniture to be donated which we have previously asked some supporters to hold on to. Our sincere apologies for this once again and believed our volunteer has written to each of you explaining the situation some time back. Regardless, thank you for your generosity.

The Ng brothers could not believe their eyes when they went back to their flat after the renovation was completed and the place cleaned up. Everything was clean, spotless and brand new, a far cry from where they have been living in for the past many years. They kept thanking the TV crew non-stop and walked round the flat gratefully, feeling every wall and item as they walked past.

The two RenovAID episodes for the Ng brothers will be telecasted on Channel 5 at 9pm on 13th and 20th October respectively, and it will be a good real life experience to educate the public as well as garner more understanding that the problem does not lies with the animals alone, which people tend to push the blame totally to. You can view a short introductory video of the RenovAID series at: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150346282228887

The Ng brothers deserve to at least have a clean house to spend the rest of their lives in, be it whether their way of loving their cats were correct or otherwise. Once again, the importance of sterilization cannot be emphasized enough. As much as animal welfare activists try our best to persevere in our stray work and fight the stray issue out there through active sterilization, we need to remind pet owners not to let their pets multiply unnecessarily.

As this case draws to a close, we as volunteers have in fact been taught many valuable lessons and experiences for the past four months. We will certainly not have managed to successfully complete such a huge project without your support. Thank you, to each and every one of you, for you have helped to make a difference in the Ng brothers' lives, as well as the cats that were rescued.

Charity Movie Premiere - Red Dog!

2011-10-07T17:31:00.005+08:00

Dear Friends, Supporters and Well-Wishers,

You are specially invited to join us in this special movie screening of Red Dog organized by Noah’s Ark this coming October! You will be able to catch this 2 days before it opens officially in the cinemas, so book your tickets NOW.

Here's the trailer and poster below:

Fosterers/Adopters Needed for Two Neglected Dogs

2011-10-06T08:54:00.002+08:00

"Keep the love, end the neglect.” – This is SPCA’s slogan for World Animal Day 2011, which was celebrated worldwide just two days ago. Sad to say, be it locally or internationally, there are still many such unfortunate cases going on behind closed doors, and neglected pets left to suffer, in silence.

We are appealing for fosterers/adopters for these two boys, whose names the Owner's parents do not even know. Both playful, loving and estimated to be about 5-6 years old, the standard schnauzer was bought from a pet shop whereas the mini pinscher/chihuahua cross was picked up by the Owner (as informed by her dad). A girl in her twenties, as her life underwent different life stages, she irresponsibly neglected her faithful companions. Her dad who is getting on age and not in the pink of health is finding it increasingly difficult to take care and clean up after both of them, and her mum is terrified of dogs and maintains her distance from the two.

Before we start to judge and fault this family, let us lend a helping hand to the two neglected canines first. If you can help to foster/adopt either of them, kindly write in to noahsarkcares@gmail.com. We very much appreciate any help. Thank you.

World Animal Day – Discounted Stray Sterilization Rates

2011-10-03T16:09:00.003+08:00

Dear friends and supporters,

World Animal Day is celebrated on the 4th of October every year. In recognition of this important day, Island Veterinary Clinic (ivc.com.sg) has kindly offered us discounted rates for stray dog sterilization just for the month of October. Noah’s Ark CARES wishes to share this rate with fellow caregivers as we recognize the time and effort put into caring for this unfortunate lot of helpless and homeless animals and financial constraints one often face.

Kindly email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com should you wise to make use of this opportunity and we will advise you on the rates as well as the proper procedures to be followed. Please take note that this rate is only applicable to strays (not home pets) and the animals will have to be ear tipped and tattooed. The bills are to be fully paid for upon picking up of the dogs. Respective caregivers are also to arrange transportation of the dogs themselves.

Remember, sterilization is the key to stray population control and with combined efforts, we hope to be able to achieve a stray-free Singapore! :)

Noah's Ark Public Tour - October 2011

2011-09-22T11:31:00.002+08:00

TOUR IS FULL - THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING AND SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY! :)

Hello everyone!

The lovely animals can’t wait to see you in person - the doggies are eager to be hugged, the cats ever-ready to greet you with their ‘meows’, and of course Berry & Starbucks (our resident monkeys) will be reaching out to their treat of fruits from you. You will also get up close and personal with our 4 horses and a pony, they will not be shy to let you know that carrots and apples are their favourite! For the hutch of bunnies, they will trail you till you offer them chye sim and carrots (sparing amounts). Every visit is an unforgettable experience for all our visitors, we’ve been told!

We are pleased to inform you that our next public tour will be held on Saturday, 8th October. Hence, please register and reserve your seats early to avoid disappointment.

This tour is limited to 86 pax, so book your seats now! To register, please send an email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com, with the completed registration & payment details:

Passenger #1
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

Passenger #2
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

(so on and so forth)

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

Please note that seats will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment. It costs just S$60/pax and this includes transport to and fro plus a yummy dinner. Please inform us should you have special dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Itinerary for the day tour:

Please be at Boon Lay MRT Passenger Pick-Up Point at 1.30pm as attendance needs to be taken. Transport to and fro is from the Boon Lay Passenger Pick up point, i.e. Boon Lay MRT. It is at the same side as the interchange where many bicycles are parked.

2.00 pm - Depart Boon Lay for Noah's Ark
3.30 pm - Arrive at the Sanctuary
5.30 pm - Depart Noah's Ark for Dinner
6.00 pm - Time for dinner!
7.30pm - Depart for Singapore

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "October 2011 Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts:

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up (applies to Ibanking ONLY).

**Please note the following terms & conditions;

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Substitutes are acceptable, but only one change of name/person is allowed and it must occur 1 week before the departure date.
3) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have no fear of being surrounded by many dogs at one time. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark!

Yours truly,
Noah's Ark Volunteers
www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com
Look for us on facebook: Noah's Ark CARES (Official Group)

World Animal Day 2011 - 25th Sept

2011-09-18T16:15:00.003+08:00

Join us this weekend at East Coast Park to celebrate World Animal Day, along with the SPCA! For more information and details, kindly see: www.spca.org.sg/documents/WAD2011.pdf

Hope to see you there! :D

Visits to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS)

2011-09-11T19:35:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As you are aware, we have a private sanctuary in Pekan Nanas, Johor Bahru, and we have been organizing visits to the sanctuary since it was set up. We have been overwhelmed by phone and email requests to visit NANAS. To avoid any disappointments, we would like to take this opportunity to advise on visits to the sanctuary. Kindly note the following:

1. All visits (both public and private/self-drive) are to adhere to the dates specified on our blog. Notifications of the visits are sent out via email blasts. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please drop us an email at noahsarkcares@gmail.com

2. No walk-ins will be entertained as we are not opened for visits on all other weekends.

3. If you have a group of more than 25 pax, do write to us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com to make separate arrangements for a private visit. At least a 2-month advance notice is required.

Noah’s Ark CARES volunteers need to be present for all our scheduled visits – to bring the visitors around, to ensure that the doggies do not get too excited resulting in fights. This is all for the safety of the visitors. As all volunteers are working full-time, we need time to inform and gather manpower for each visit. Hence, we seek your kind understanding that we are unable to accommodate walk-ins.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our visiting dates are sometimes cancelled. The sanctuary faces many challenges each day: thunderstorms leading to flooding of the place and trees/structures collapsing; lightning causing the generator to malfunction; manpower challenges and etc. As it is a natural sanctuary, we are at the mercy of the weather.

Regardless, thank you for your continuous support with Noah’s Ark CARES over the years. Do watch out for the next update of our tour date and we look forward to seeing you at the next visit!

Should you have further queries, please feel free to email us. We will revert soonest possible.

Warmest regards,
From all of us @ Noah’s Ark CARES

Kitten adoption drive this weekend - 10th/11th September

2011-09-04T23:04:00.002+08:00

A family of 6 kittens are waiting to find good homes who will love and take care of them for the rest of their lives. We believe it's better to have a loving family as compared to having no family at all.

The kittens are 2+mths old, healthy and active, and were rescued from an elderly guardian who can no longer care for them. They are extremely affectionate and love to interact with fosterers. We will rehome the kittens to genuine cat lovers and adopters who have experience handling kittens and cats.

We will also request for home visits to follow up on the adoption. If you can open your heart and your home to these little ones, please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com.

Visit us at our adoption location to pick up a kitten today! For more information, kindly refer to the poster at the top of this post. Hope to see you there!

Noah's Ark in the News!

2011-08-31T09:52:00.000+08:00

Back in March, a story on Noah's Ark was done by Straits Times. We have put it here for your reading pleasure and it will always serve as a reminder for why we do what we do - volunteers and donors alike - without you, Noah's Ark will not be where it is today.

So, thank you for your encouragement and we hope that you'll continue to support Noah's Ark CARES and the 1,000 happy animals at the sanctuary.

Click on the respective image to read more.

2011-08-18T14:31:00.002+08:00

Noah's Ark is extremely pleased to be one of the recipients involved in this Purina awareness food drive. Send a bowl of love in just a few clicks - yes, it's that easy!

Instructions:

1. Like the Purina page here: http://www.facebook.com/PetsPlacePurina.
2. In the left hand column, there is a "Send a bowl of love", click on that and you'll be brought to a page. Follow the instructions to click donate! :D

Private Tour - 27th August, Saturday

2011-08-12T15:35:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends of Noah's Ark,

Noah's Ark is pleased to announce that due to popular request, we have started a series of private tour days for visitors. Before you get confused, private tour date is for when visitors hire their own minivans or self drive into the sanctuary. On the other hand, public tour dates are done 3-4 times a year and we will hire tour coaches on that occasion. Start marking your calendar for a series of private tours to Noah's Ark! The next visit will be on:

27 August 2011, Saturday, 2.30-5.30pm

Write to us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are interested to visit the sanctuary on this day with your own transport (either via hiring your own mini van or personal vehicle). Once we reach our maximum capacity, we regret that you will have to join us on the next time. There will also be a small donation of S$30 per person, where 100% of the proceeds will go into running of the wonderful sanctuary you are about to visit!

To register, please provide details:

Name:
Handphone number:
Email:

No. of pax you are registering for:

Amount paid:

Reference numbers: Cheque number/ibank transfer number

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "August 2011 Private Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts.

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

**Please note the following terms & conditions:

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have absolutely no fear of being surrounded by many dogs, some of which are quite large. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark! What are you waiting for? Hurry and book with us to avoid disappointment! :) See you there!

I can't wait to greet all of you!

I will be on the lookout for you!

National Dog Walk 2011 - 21st August

2011-08-01T09:13:00.005+08:00

Event: National Dog Walk 2011
Date: 21 August, Sunday
Location: Angsana Green, East Coast Park (nearest carpark E2)

The Singapore Kennel Club will once again be organising the NDW 2011 and Noah's Ark CARES is extremely happy to have been invited to participate in the event. The objective of this event is to raise national awareness on the responsibilities of dog ownership in a fun way through interaction and participation.

Starting at 10am, canine events such as the jumper and agility trials along with performances will take place throughout the day. You can even take part in some of the fun events such as the Fastest Doggy Dash or the Furthest Ball Catcher! Flag off for the walk will be at 4pm.

We will have a booth at the event, so do drop by to visit us. Mark the date in your calendar and we hope to see both you and your dogs there!

Pre-register on-line now to get your free goodie bag! Entrance fee is $15 on-line and $20 on-site. While stocks last!
*Free goodie bag is only limited to the first 200 pre-registered entries received.

More details can be found at www.nationaldogwalk.sg

Responsible Pet Ownership Art Competition

2011-07-28T10:00:00.000+08:00

Stand a chance to win cash prizes and the opportunity to showcase your artwork in AVA's calendar! AVA is holding an art competition to promote responsible pet ownership. All you have to do is to submit your entry by 5 Sept 2011.

Visit http://petsforlife.com.sg/ for more details on forms, artworks accepted and other details!
Good luck! :)

Thank you Wishbone!

2011-07-23T17:07:00.000+08:00

A total of 747 Tag+Like+Comment+Share's have been collected throughout the Wishbone campaign, which means a $1494 worth of Wishbone Pet Foods will be donated to Noah's Ark CARES (Official Group) on the behalf of the public, friends and supporters.

Wishbone believes in creating wish-granting healthy meals that promises the tastiest in an unforgettably fun way and we believe that all dogs and cats deserve premium gourmet meals that are filled with love, even the abandoned homeless dogs & cats. Thank you for granting our wishes!

Their products are absolutely yummy and I'm sure our 800 dogs and 400 cats at Noah's Ark will get to lay their paws on it very soon! Even our volunteers couldn't help but take a photo with T-bone, the official mascot!

Noah's Ark would like to thank the public, friends and supporters for being willing models for this campaign. Most importantly, a big thank you to WISHBONE!
Feed Responsibly with the Great Taste and Natural Goodness of Wishbone!

Do you know that by choosing to feed Wishbone's range of natural pet foods, you too are pledging yourself as a responsible pet owner! This is because unlike many commercial pet foods loaded with slaughterhouse offal and grains, hormones, artificial preservatives and flavours that contribute to common pet skin and gastrointestinal conditions, Wishbone pet foods are free from these harmful ingredients.

Wishbone's Australian-made natural recipes will help you promote long-term good health, reduce pet allergies and also allow you to feed less with our high quality ingredients. Live the difference with Wishbone's natural pet foods today.

You can visit Wishbone at their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wishbone-Pet-Foods/108275885873955?ref=ts

Wishbone, the Taste Pets Wish for!
Wishbone Products
Experience Wishbone's complete range of natural pet foods at www.wishbonepet.com

UPDATE: When kindness can become a weakness

2011-07-14T13:52:00.023+08:00

It has been more than about half a month since we first publicized this case, and we are grateful for the numerous friends and supporters who wrote in to offer assistance and advice. This story received some media coverage too, with The New Paper and U-Weekly both running an article on the Ng brothers and their cats, and The Online Citizen sharing it on their page. Noah’s Ark is grateful towards these few organizations in their bid to help spread the word.

We visited the brothers about thrice a week for the past 2 weeks, and through constant interaction, Young Ng has started to open up to us slowly. Young Ng is exactly seventy this year, with Old Ng being one year older. Their parents used to own a provision shop under the block but when the shop was taken back by the government, they were offered priority to get this current flat at about $30,000. That was a good thirty plus years ago and the brothers slowly paid for the flat with their CPF contributions.

Both of them used to work in PUB – Old Ng in human resource and Young Ng a technician assistant. Young Ng retired in year 2003 and he tried looking for another job thereafter but was unsuccessful. The brothers lived on their CPF withdrawals until about two years ago. Both of them have had operations within the last couple of years and being older folks with no medical insurance, the medical bills ate into their meager savings. Since then, they have been surviving on the GST offset packages plus a three hundred dollars monthly payout from an investment plan which old Ng took up many years back when he was still working. If not for this investment plan, they might not even have food on their table now.

To add insult to injury, they once paid a contractor close to two thousand dollars to replace the windows in the house but the contractor absconded with the money! Young Ng pursued the matter and was advised he needed to pay an additional five hundred dollars to track the contractor down so he had no choice but to drop the case unwillingly. We tried asking more like whom he sought help from and such but he was unable to furnish us with the details and he can only vaguely remember the incident from a few years ago though it was a painful lesson learnt.

Because of the monthly payout from the investment plan and the four room flat as an asset, they have never attempted to apply for social welfare help before, neither did they know how to. Their parents and siblings have all passed on, and when we asked about their relatives or friends, young Ng just softly answered “no more” in Mandarin. We refrained from probing more, as from the looks of it, it seems that they kept to themselves but at least they still have each other for now.

Young Ng also told us, their mother was a cat lover and they have always had cats in their house. The brothers had a previous batch of about eleven cats which they had to send for boarding close to a decade back. They have constantly up kept their cats monthly fees at the boarding place and with only two cats left there now, the boarding place is kind enough to have stopped asking them to pay. Young Ng still visits the cats once in a while when his knee allows him.

During our trips to their place, we brought in some necessary items for them like sleeping bags, an additional fan, a reclining chair, straw mats and most importantly, cat litter trays and cat food. The chair is for Young Ng, who sleeps with his head rested on the dining table in the living room because of the cats. The cats fight at times during the night and he can stop them immediately if so to avoid disturbing the neighbours.

The cat litter trays helps a great deal in absorbing the smell of the cat discharge, and the cats are slowly learning to use them, even the kittens. However, we realized there are more cats than initially counted. We have already taken out 10 kittens and 2 more will be removed soon. Unfortunately, there were a few other kittens who did not survive. Four kittens have already been kindly adopted and we are looking for fosterers/adopters for the rest of them. The adult cats are up for adoption too. If you have the space for one or two more feline members in your heart and house, contact us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com .

As for the adult cats, we have already taken out 17 of them. All the above have been sterilized, microchipped and vaccinated. Some of them were treated for various medical conditions. They are being boarded together now and the rest of the cats still in the house will join them shortly after their vet checkups. The cats are actually quite skittish and they hide in many different areas of the house. We estimate there are still about 15-20 cats left, which brings the total number of adult cats up to about 35 - 40!

Minor cleaning has already been done by a small group and we thank many who have volunteered to help with the cleaning. A list of furniture has also been collated but we can only bring anything new/additional in after the renovation. We are in the midst of finalizing the renovation plan with the contractors and hope to be able to start work soon. A few non-profit organizations have actually taken the initiative to link up with us and offer assistance to the brothers and we are glad to update everyone that everything is progressing well.

We will update again in due course when more works have been done and we are sincerely thankful to each and every one of you out there who contributed money, time, effort and items, or even shared this story, for every bit of help helps. ☺

Noah's Ark Public Tour - July 2011

2011-07-08T12:06:00.003+08:00

TOUR FULL - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IF YOU MISSED OUT, DO JOIN US FOR THE NEXT ONE!

Hello everyone!

Before I start, I want to thank everyone who came for our previous tour! The animals were elated that they were showered with much love and attention. The dogs were hugged, scratched and patted, the cats were cuddled and the horses enjoyed their fill of apples and carrots. The rabbits hopped with joy and the guinea pigs squeaked with excitement at the sight of goodies like chye sim, apples, and carrots our visitors brought. Even Starbuck, our darling monkey, could not wait to pick his treats from your hands! Can you imagine that up close and personal experience with all the animals at the sanctuary?

We are pleased to inform you that our next public tour will be held on Saturday, 30th July. Please register and reserve your seats early to avoid disappointment.

To register, please send an email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com, with the registration & payment details:

Passenger #1
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

Passenger #2
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

(so on and so forth)

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

Please note that seats will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment. It costs just S$60/pax and this includes transport to and fro plus a yummy dinner. Please inform us should you have special dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Itinerary for the day tour:

Please be at Boon Lay MRT Passenger Pick-Up Point at 1.30pm as attendance needs to be taken. Transport to and fro is from the Boon Lay Passenger Pick up point, i.e. Boon Lay MRT. It is at the same side as the interchange where many bicycles are parked.

2.00 pm - Depart Boon Lay for Noah's Ark
3.30 pm - Arrive at the Sanctuary
5.30 pm - Depart Noah's Ark for Dinner
6.00 pm - Time for dinner!
7.30pm - Depart for Singapore

This tour is limited to 43 pax, so book your seats now!

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "July 2011 Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts:

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up (applies to Ibanking ONLY).

**Please note the following terms & conditions;

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Substitutes are acceptable, but only one change of name/person is allowed and it must occur 1 week before the departure date.
3) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have no fear of being surrounded by many dogs at one time. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark!

Yours truly,
Noah's Ark Volunteers
www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com
Look for us on facebook: Noah's Ark CARES (Official Group)

Food donation drive July

2011-07-01T12:53:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters of Noah's Ark,

After last year's successful donation drives, Noah's Ark CARES is privileged to partner with Pets' Station once again for our food donation drive. The event kicks off today, 1 July and ends on 31 July 2011. We are absolutely ecstatic and grateful for their continuous support.

Canine Gourmet Beef/Veal 680g

Canine Gourmet Chicken/Turkey 680g

Sportmix Ori Cat food 15kg (33lbs)

Sportmix Lame/Rice 18.18kg

Sportmix High Energy Mini Chunk 20kg

Friskies Ocean Fish 400g

Friskies Mackerel 400g

Friskies Sar/Squid 400g

Friskies Seafood Platter 400g

For every item purchased, Pets' Station will be donating the same item to Noah's Ark, one-for-one. More details can be found at their website at www.petsstation.com.sg.

To make your food donation, there are 2 ways you can do it.

1. To do it online, please go http://www.petsstation.com.sg/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=180&Itemid=66&vmcchk=1&Itemid=87 and to view the items available and select the food you want to donate accordingly.

This donation food drive is held only during this month. Do tell your friends about and help feed our animals. On behalf of the animals, we appreciate your continuing support and generosity!!

When kindness can be a weakness

2011-06-24T11:35:00.031+08:00

How many of us are actually guilty of endlessly chasing after materialistic wants in the modern society, just because our basic needs are so easily fulfilled nowadays that we take it for granted? Cannot decide on which new handbag to buy online or busy looking through the itineraries of different travel agencies for a planned holiday to USA? Though Singapore is a fast developing country there will be always a group of disadvantaged and needy citizens somewhere struggling to make ends meet everyday.

A stray feeder friend, E, called one afternoon a few days back and asked for help to sterilize some cats in a HDB flat. A HDB complaint had already been made and apparently, there has been a population explosion and the flat owners are unable to cope with it. I hurriedly scribbled down some details and arranged a home visit with E and another volunteer to check out the situation.

Upon reaching the door of the flat there were no shoes at the doorstep. We initially thought they wanted to create the impression that no one is at home, so that the HDB officers will go away when no one answered the door. E knocked and called for some time before the flat owners finally opened the door. We were taken aback as a pungent stench of feces and urine hit us right in the face. Upon walking in, a mother cat with two kittens from separate litters lifted her head up and stared blankly at me. Her younger kitten was just a few days old with eyes unopened lying down on some old and soiled newspapers.

The two elderly brothers who greeted us seemed worried and somewhat wary. E told them we are here to help with the cats and they heaved a sigh of relief. They are nearing their seventies and live together in this flat bought many years ago. Though the flat has been fully paid for and they at least have a roof over their heads, their financial status and living conditions were worrying. Only one of the brothers was mobile and the other had difficulty walking. The healthier brother made a living by collecting and selling cardboard boxes, but earnings were meager.

The dimly lit house had windows which were old and rusty and the stained and soiled walls badly need a fresh coat of paint. The floor laminate had come off in some areas, believed to be caused by the constant soaking of cat urine. The house was unkempt, unhygienic and dirty.

On an old metal trolley and a rusty bread tray there were empty cat kibble packets and wet food cans on them. We later asked the brothers about their expenses for the cats. They spend close to $50 weekly which means $200 monthly. With only one sole breadwinner and with so many mouths to meet, how did they land themselves in such a dire situation?

This was their story. It all started with only three stray cats they took pity on. Unfortunately, the cats were not sterilized and the population started to grow. The brothers got increasingly helpless and did not know who to approach for help. They were unable to upkeep the cats and also could not manage basic cleanliness of the flat given their health conditions. The complaint from the neighbours came along with a HDB warning and they finally decided to bring the cats to SPCA for rehoming but upon learning that the cats might be put to sleep, they could not bear to do so. As luck will have it, the brothers bumped into E’s friend at SPCA and this was how E got to learn about them.

Many would question: Why take in pets when you can’t even feed yourselves? Are you doing the cats more harm than good? Some might even ask, why do such hoarders deserve our help even?

We as volunteers have also raised such questions among ourselves, but we could evidently see how selflessly the brothers provided for these cats and loved them. Even though the brothers could barely make ends meet, they refused to just simply abandon the kittens when others might have taken this easier route. The brothers ended up buying more and more food to feed the cats and this only weighed them further down financially. Some of us have picked up newborn kittens ourselves before – do the people who leave them in cardboard boxes at void decks think that the kittens with eyes still unopened can survive by themselves? Won’t sterilization be a more humane and kinder way out?

There were cats in every room, accompanied by dried up patches of cat pee and excrement strewn all over the place. We did a brief count and the total number of cats came up to about 25 – 30, including 13 kittens. Thankfully, some of the cats did not look extremely emaciated or sickly, but there were a few of the other cats needing medical attention. One extremely wary mother cat seemed to be have a bad fungal skin infection and had worsened her own condition by constantly scratching herself.

We then asked the brothers where they slept and they pointed to an old and worn out mattress. Sadly, we saw some cat poo on the mattress too. They will just dust and sweep everything off before they rest for the night.

This is going to be a much bigger project than was initially expected, but nevertheless, Noah’s Ark will not leave the needy brothers in the lurch. We have separated out the tasks to be done with the key issues being sterilization of the cats, cleaning of the flat and liaising with HDB.

We are appealing to all our friends and supporters to help out in whatever way you can, to turn the lives of these two brothers around so that they can live out their twilight years in comfort. As we were talking to the brothers, we saw one of them sweating and realized that the only fan in the flat was spoilt. A volunteer has kindly bought a fan for them but there’s definitely much more to be done.

Would you like to chip in to help these cats with their sterilization and vet bills? Are you a skilled contractor/worker to help revamp the flat like do painting and/or cleaning? Do you have some old but still usable furniture to donate? Or will you like to at least buy them a new mattress?

What we can do for the brothers lies largely on the amount of funds we can raise. To contribute in any way big or small, please write in to noahsarkcares@gmail.com. For furniture or bulky item/s donation, we will like to seek your kind understanding that we might need a bit of time to arrange transport for picking up of the necessary item/s. Do drop us a note to link up with us. We thank you in advance for transforming the lives of the brothers and the cats.

And remember, sometimes, the animals become victims of our love for them. Sterilization is key and only take in pets when you can provide for them for life.

RIP Roberto the Rabbit

2011-06-17T11:47:00.002+08:00

We have heard and seen so much about stray cats and dogs, yet on the flip side, pet owners have no qualms about throwing out their small pet animals into the wilderness.

About 3 months ago, our volunteer received a call for help with a rabbit that was roaming Little Guilin park. It was approaching dusk so J, the lady who reported the case to us was concerned over the safety of this little one. In fact, she assured our volunteer that she will stay and watch over the rabbit till we arrive. Once the volunteers arrived, they got on their fours to get close to the rabbit. The rabbit was frightened by the crowd initially but calmed down after a while, like he knows that help is here. With the help of 2 other passers-by, the volunteer managed to pluck the rabbit to safety. A few residents who exercise at the park regularly commented that the rabbit was seen hopping around for the past few days and they all feared for him as there are monkeys residing in the area and the rabbit seemed like obvious prey for them. He was later named Roberto as he looked calm and quite a gentleman with his white coat and pleasant disposition.

Roberto was brought back to the volunteer's home, and very quickly, a warm comfortable area was set up for him to spend the night. He seemed inquisitive but upon closer inspection, he had an eye infection and there was pus in one of them. That was probably why Roberto was "thrown out" of the house but in fact, a simple vet visit with medication could have treated the infection. Roberto nibbled on some hay and comfortably settled in for the night.

The next morning, Roberto was found to have serious diarrhea and he was very weak. A rabbit suffering from serious diarrhea is equivalent to having non-stop bleeding for a dog/cat, and it is life threatening to the animal. The volunteer immediately called House Rabbit Society Singapore (HRSS) for help to secure an appointment with a vet to attend to Roberto. However, the little one did not make it to the vet visit - Roberto passed on during the mid morning of 25 March 2011.

The government has been advocating "Responsible Pet Ownership" amongst the public year after year, yet such irresponsible behavior continue to prevail in our society. Is abandonment a simple solution to our pet problems? If Roberto and many other abandoned animals could speak, they would have endless tales to tell you about their plight. His owner solved the pet problem but gave Roberto a whole new world of problems which includes starvation and predators.

Spare a thought for your pet - he/she may just be a pet to you, but to him/her, you are the world! By abandoning your animal companion, you are clearly throwing away the trust a helpless and voiceless one has for you, and maybe even sending your loyal pet out to his/her death. A little life was lost to tell this story.

Please help us spread the word about "Responsible Pet Ownership". If your pet is not well, seek medical advice from a vet. If he/she has behavioural problems, look for professionals who can help uncover the root of the problem. In short, never give up on your pet.

Damsel in Distress

2011-06-09T16:07:00.005+08:00

How does one define a stray? Simply explained, they are animals that do not have homes and/or that are not owned. The streets should not be their home, but still, not every animal is that lucky to have a permanent and cozy place to reside in. Some people find them a pest, though most of the time, the animals do not disturb them at all. We are unable to even understand why, but nonetheless, we take heart that there are still kind-hearted people caring for the strays out there.

Princess, as named by her rescuer, was spotted by J a few months back, loitering in her estate. She did not know where Princess came from, whether was she previously owned or abandoned or did Princess "relocate" herself from another estate. Slightly different from the local cats one normally sees – Princess is much furrier and looks a tad like a Persian cross. Regardless, J took it upon herself to caring for Princess and feeding her daily.

One week or so later, J noticed Princess' left eye becoming red and slightly swollen, and she hurriedly brought Princess to the vet. The vet prescribed some basic eye drops and medication, but Princess’ condition did not improve. It took a turn for the worse and by the end of the week, there was blood clotting and pus forming in the eye. J re-visited the vet with Princess again who subsequently referred her to Mount Pleasant to see an eye specialist.

Princess was admitted early this week with blood tests done on her and she was found to be running a temperature. But other than this, her kidney and liver are doing fine, she is FIV and FeLV free, just that her white blood count is rather high which is a cause for concern. An x-ray was done and Princess was also suspected to be having infection of the uterus which might be another reason for her fever. However, she is quite weak at present and surgery can only be scheduled when she gets a bit stronger, given that she is not eating much now and from what J told us, she has been losing weight.

Princess’ left eyeball has been badly ruptured and there is unfortunately no way to salvage it except for surgical removal. Her entire eyeball will be taken out as well as the eye flushed, plus she will be sterilized at the same time and her uterus removed.

There can be many reasons for her injury of which some of the more common ones are a cat fight or an accidental poke/scratch. We certainly hope this is not a case of abuse though, but we can’t tell for sure. Strays are sadly subjected to abuse at the whims and fancies of such attackers, and this is one regrettable aspect our society still has to improve in.

J’s family initially did consider putting Princess down as they did not want her to survive with just one eye and also the veterinary fees might be too costly. Dr Teo, who was the vet on duty, advised however that Princess was in really good condition for a stray, and there was little reason why she shouldn’t be given a second chance. That was when J hurriedly contacted Noah's Ark for help and advice.

J has kindly paid for the deposit when Princess was admitted, but with the various tests done plus the surgeries and aftercare, we are kindly seeking donations for Princess as well as a fosterer and/or an adopter. Princess will be up for adoption as soon as she has recovered. From there, only simple cleaning of the eye is needed for two weeks after the eye surgery.

Should you be able to help in any way, please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

LOST ANIMALS.

2011-06-04T12:13:00.005+08:00

LOST ANIMALS. PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEM.
(click on respective image to enlarge)

Update as of 14th June 2011: We are pleased to inform that Roxy is now home safely. =)

But unfortunately, Pui Pui is still lost. Please help to keep a lookout for him.

Is your dog afraid of thunder and lightning?

2011-05-23T10:00:00.000+08:00

How to calm a scared dog during a heavy thunderstorm

Many of you would have noticed that even way before the rain and thunder comes, your dog has probably already started behaving frantically; that’s assuming that your dog has a fear of rain and storms. While calming a frightened dog during a thunderstorm can be a challenge, a few simple steps that address health, training and behavior can make a significant difference.

Picture taken from Corbis

A healthy dog is a happy dog!

A dog’s diet is the first factor in its ability to face challenging circumstances. The better the nutrition, the better the prospect of a calm dog. A healthy dog that is blessed with a thriving immune system is more mentally and physically equipped to handle surprises and adverse events.

Dog Behavior and Heredity

One contributing factor in thunderstorm phobia is a dog’s sense of hearing. It is far more acute than a human’s and what might sound merely loud to a person can be painful to a dog’s sensitive ears. If the sound hurts, a clap of thunder can rattle even the most calm, cool and collected dog.
Some dog breeds are born with a more anxious demeanor than others, but this does not necessarily translate to thunderstorm phobia. When the extraordinary hearing of a dog is involved, any dog can react with fear to sharp, explosive sounds.

Calming the Fearful Dog

While some dogs may react favorably to cuddling and cooing by their human, it may be far more effective to transform the moment into a totally different experience.
Diverting your dog’s attention from his fear with a rousing game of tug-a-war or a round of hide-and-seek with his favorite toy or delectable treat can change a dog's outlook. Distract your dog. Dogs follow their leader. If their leader isn’t concerned with the rumblings in the heavens, then it’s less likely he will be.

Relying on a dog's training to redirect his focus helps. A well-trained dog that responds with trust to its owner's commands is more likely to respond favorably to that owner's lead in times of adversity, like during a storm. For more details on training, see http://www.apawz.com.sg/ our training partner's website, for more details!

If a dog must be left home alone, it can be a challenge to keep the shivering fear of a thunderstorm at bay. Filling the house with gentle music or the drone of a TV gives the anxious dog something other than the storm to listen to. And every dog needs a “hide-out” of its own - a blanket-filled open crate, a cozy place behind the couch, or a comfy bed under a desk can all serve as the dog’s very own sanctuary. It’s his own private place to stash his toys, take a nap, and feel safe.

Dogs Need Their Humans

Just like humans, dogs can have very real fears that require very real attention. There is one important thing to remember in easing a dog’s fear of storms. If the thunder is rolling and the lightning is sizzling; patient, loving attention counts most.

What to do when you lose your pet?

2011-05-19T10:00:00.000+08:00

It’s the one thing pet owners fear. That huge sense of loss that feels like we are being swallowed up by a huge empty dark hole. It is the most horrible feeling in the world, like the sky just caved in on us and we can’t breathe. All the emotions come rushing up. Morbid thoughts haunt us.

‘Where is Lucky? Will she be ok? Will she get knocked down by a car? What if she is caught by exotic meat eaters? What if she gets put down?’

Picture taken from Corbis

So what can you do if you lose your pet? Whether he or she shot out the gate or off the leash or was stolen, here are a few tips on what you can do.

1. Call the SPCA (tel 62875355 ext 9) and the AVA (tel 1800-4761600) to report that your dog is lost so if they should find it, they should not put it to sleep, as if it were a stray dog or cat. Call once a day at least.

Information you should include:
- Microchip number / AVA license number
- Description of dog: size, colour, age, name, temperament, medical needs etc
- Your contact number to call in case they find your pet
- Where and when you lost your dog

2. Find a photo with a close resemblance and prepare a LOST DOG/CAT personal ad with the above description. Put up the ads at the areas around the area. Prepare one for the newspaper as well if needed.

3. Call close friends and neighbours to help you look in the area where he or she got lost. Walk or drive through the area several times daily. Widen your search area.

4. Most importantly, DON’T GIVE UP! Many pet owners and their pets have been reunited after many months.

Precautions to take if you receive a call

• Be careful when placing lost notices: Give enough of a description so your pet can be recognized, but hold back information about any special marks or quality that will allow you to confirm whether they actually have your pet.

• When you get a call from someone saying they've found your pet, take some precautions. Do not provide any information – ask the caller for a description of the animal. Do not answer their questions about your pet's description. Ask them to describe your pet in detail. If a person has your pet and is sincere, they will be eager to describe him or her and return them to you without asking for anything in return.

• If your pet was wearing a collar and I.D. tag, ask about it without giving any details. If the caller asks for information, wants to meet you at a suspicious place or immediately asks for money for the animal's return, be wary. It may be time for you to call the police.

Prevention is Better than Cure

• Make sure the area where your pet roams is secure. Make sure the gate is closed after people come and go.

• Leave your pet with a reliable and responsible person or sitter if you will be gone for a long period of time.

• Note down and keep in an accessible place your pet’s license and microchip number.

• Help your pet wear a collar with a tag. Write your phone number on the tag, and take a good clear identifiable photo of your pet. A pet has a better chance of being returned if she wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address and telephone number.

•Consider microchipping your pet. It lets authorities like SPCA, AVA and even the vets know that your pet is not a stray. Microchips have been used to identify lost animals and reunite them with their owners.

Please note that if your pet is microchipped, it still requires you to register your contact details with PetCall http://www.petcall.org/ If you do not register your details with PetCall, even if a vet or an authority scans the microchip, they will not have your contact details and you still cant be traced.

Data at PetCall is confidential. The Vet or the authorities will contact PetCall who will then contact you. Your contact details will not be revealed to anyone.

Volunteering experience

2011-05-15T14:27:00.008+08:00

I first learnt of Noah's Ark when my sister came back from her visit and told me stories about how overwhelming it was to be pounced on by over-enthusiastic dogs. This piqued my interest and I decided to sign on the next public tour. After that, I was instantly hooked!

To me, every visit to the sanctuary is stress relieving, just patting the dogs and seeing their antics will cheer just about anyone up. It was a place where no one judged, where it can just be the dogs and me interacting. Being able to see dogs running happily made me feel as liberated and free as them. I only started volunteering last year as I felt strongly about wanting to help out. Running a sanctuary with so many animals (horses, bunnies, cats and guinea pigs too!) to care for is definitely not easy, both in terms of money and manpower.

While the sanctuary showed a place where dogs can roam freely and where food is not an issue, Project Industrial Dogs depicts a different story. The birth of a new litter of puppies is greeted with sadness as no one knows how long they can survive. Often, they do not survive as they haven't learnt to be street smart. In addition, there is always the concern of overcrowding and this could result in culling by the authorities. Those that survive puppyhood often go hungry due to lack of a constant food source, and often fight for territory as a resykt. It is a harsh life they lead. The only conclusion reached is that sterilization is the most humane way to control the industrial dog population.

In the short time I have volunteered, I hope I have made as much of a difference in their lives as they've done to mine, and I hope to continue helping out in any way I can.

The work that goes behind running the sanctuary and Project Industrial Dogs requires tons of dedication, commitment and perseverance. Having more volunteers would certainly help too. If you feel for the stories on our blog, and would like to help out, do email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com!

*Contributed by LR

*Photos by ML

First Visit to Noah's Ark

2011-05-11T12:48:00.002+08:00

I looked forward to the trip to Noah’s Ark – it was 2 firsts for me. It was the first time I was driving to Malaysia and first visit to Noah’s Ark. I have seen the pictures in on the sanctuary’s website and the dogs look like great company to start my weekend. A small troop of us (5) had a bumpy ride to the sanctuary searching for a rather elusive sign for freshwater fishing place. After driving around for a while, I was over the moon to see the sign for “NANAS”.

Upon reaching, I was greeted by the volunteers and a very friendly traffic marshal – a black mongrel mix with soulful brown eyes. I was quite sad to see that the tips of his ears looked raw and bitten. Since the dogs are free to roam about within sanctuary set in a forrest clearing, there are lots of flies and sand flies that could burrow into the skin of the animals. When we entered the sanctuary through a reception area and were immediately greeted by more residents – dashund, terrier mix, shih tzus. The bigger ones are housed in the outer compound.

One of the volunteers, took us along with other visitors through the main gate to the
sanctuary. Everyone was excited to see us and was eager to make friends, tails wagging and tongues out. Welcome to dogtown! For the uninitiated, the big dogs will offer bear hugs and sloppy licks. These are the ones that you know, love their human companions. There are some that will shy away and run away to hide. But there are plenty of human friendly ones.

Our hosts consisting of a saint bernand, a husky, a german shepherd and assorted local breeds,
followed us to the first station where the retired race horses are kept. We fed the horses with apples that we bought. Contrary to the adage - “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away” – we were told that too much apples are not good for the horses. It was best to limit to 2 apples per horse. It was fun and reminded me of the patting zoo. The horses were beautiful and I was glad that they were saved from usual fate of being made into pet food when their racing days are over.

We moved on to dog haven where most of the resident dogs are housed. We were greeted by the barks even before we enter the compound. There are at least 20 dog runs with fences and shelters built to house packs of dogs. The packs of dogs were segregated as some of them came from a common litter or they were not assimilated to the greater dog society yet. Dogs are pack animals by nature and they are most happy and at ease when living in a pack where the hierarchy is clearly defined. The definition of pack could also mean a human family. There are a large group of 50-100 dogs roaming freely in the compound with a big hut in the middle that provided shelter and relieve from the sweltering heat. Dog bowls filled with kibbles and pails of water was left at convenient spots for the dogs. Some of the friendlier ones would come to you for belly scratches. I could tell most of the animals were at ease and contented, signs of good care.

Then we went to the “cat condo” where the cats are segregated from the dogs. They were kept in a nice, cool house with double doors to prevent dogs from getting in and cats from getting out. I didn’t think they will get out. If they were to play spa music in the background, I would have thought I was in spa retreat. There were a fox terrier and another doggie pal in the cat condo. I was told they could get along very well with the cats and cats didn’t seem to mind them at all. The cats are a friendly lot. Some of them will try to sit in your lap like a dog and ask to be scratched behind the ears. It had just started to rain and I was relieved that we got to the cat condo before we got too wet. The sound of the rain made the whole experience even more surreal.

Our last stop was the rabbit and guinea pigs hutch. It was not hard to see why this was a favourite station with young children. The rabbits are a docile lot and blessed with white fluffy fur – what’s not to like? There was a curious guinea pig that I was particularly drawn to – it fed among the rabbits and was not afraid at all. The rest of his guinea friends were petrified by us and refused to come out to feed on the chye sim no matter how long we coaxed. The little fellow continued to nibble on the vegetable treats despite being squashed between 2 rabbits 5 times his size. It was hilarious to watch him. Perhaps he is trying to eat his way to match the size of the rabbits!

It was almost the end of our 2 hour tour of NANAS. We paid a visit to Berry, a monkey who just had his remaining leg amputated. It may seems cruel to let him live on but I believe he is given a fighting chance. True, he may seems a little awkward with just using his arms to move around. True, he is not able to roam freely as he was meant to be. No doubt, he won’t be able to survive in the wild. But he is still able to enjoy a quality life among his human companions who were ready with kind words and his favourite treats. He still has a fighting spirit in him that was not taken away with loss of his legs. As with other animal amputees, (I have seen a few 3 legged dogs) they were given a chance to live with their disability. They got along with the pack like any other 4 legged ones. It was almost as if no one notice, not even themselves, that they only had 3 legs. That is why NANAS is an animal sanctuary where all are welcome and accommodated. I was glad that I made the trip.

The Gift of Life

2011-05-07T10:00:00.000+08:00

It’s another year and your birthday rolls around again. Here’s an honest question. Are you tired of receiving presents that well, you don’t really want?

We have all gone through that. We are really grateful for the well wishes and thoughtfulness of our friends, but you have to admit, sometimes people just buy the more bizarre things.

Ever wondered if there’s a better and more meaningful way to spend money? How about a birthday gift that will save lives?

Come share your birthday gifts with us.

It’s an idea that came from a long tradition. In the past, children would pack up their old birthday presents and donate them to the children’s homes that would welcome these gifts. That way, the children are taught the values of sharing, giving and not hoarding.

So, when it’s your birthday, tell your friends about us. Spread the love. Tell your friends to make a donation to Noah’s Ark Cares on your behalf instead of buying you a gift. Do a good deed and earn karma points.

In return, you will have done something meaningful and benefited the thousand over animals at Noah’s Ark. You save your friends the hassle of running around trying to find an appropriate gift or buying something bizarre.

So, save your friends the trouble and do a good deed. Come share your birthday with us. Then it’s truly time to sit down and enjoy a blessed and meaningful birthday party with your friends, free of expectations and unwanted surprises.

Give the gift of life.

Fundamentals of Basic Grooming for Pet Owners

2011-05-03T10:00:00.001+08:00

Very often, groomers get clients who visit the groomers with a matted pet or all tangled up, and the poor dog will end up spending hours standing on the grooming table, all stressed out by the de-tangling comb, continuous brushing and tugging to remove the tangles.

As a pet owner, one should have the knowledge of basic grooming to avoid putting your dogs to unnecessary stress at the groomer's.

Today, we will demonstrate to you, the basic methods of brushing, combing, and dematting, as well as nail clipping and filing, in doggy terms its mani-pedicure.

Brushing is very important especially for long coated breeds like the Maltese, Shih Tzus, Poodles, Schnauzers and Shetland Sheepdogs.

A very common mistake pet owners make when it comes to self-grooming is by going through the motion of brushing the dog from head to tail, head to tail, and thinking that as long as the dog is soft and fluffy at the end of it, it's a job done and finished!

What they do not know is that, by only brushing the surface of the coat, one is not paying enough attention to the layer of fur close to the skin. When the coat is not dried thoroughly after a wash, the shampoo or conditioner residue tend to clump the inner coat together, and over the next few days, the fur will start to tangle up. If left unnoticed, more fur catches on after a few showers, and eventually more fur gets tangled and matted.

When brushing a long coated dog, always remember to brush them upwards, against the direction of the fur's growth, and then slowly brushing the fur down, layer by layer. This way, fur near the skin gets brushed out and thus preventing tangles.

Finish up with a flat metal comb, run through the various parts of the body to ensure the comb does not get caught at any point. When the comb is jamed at some point, it simply means there's another tangle to work on.

Slowly brush out the tangle in all angles, best if you have a detangling spray on hand to help you. Mist a bit of detangle onto the tangle, and start combing out.

If time permits, the nail clipping part

Many owners make the common mistake of clipping their dog's nails too short and end up traumatizing the dog at their first attempt. Such a shocking experience will result in the dog losing confidence in its own owner when it comes to nail clipping, and will find their best ways and means to wriggle themselves out of it, some even develop aggression resulting in bites whenever anyone attempts to even touch their paw.

Never try to be over-confident during your first attempts at nail clipping. Treat the nail like an onion, we peel it off layer by layer. Likewise with the nail, hold the nail clipper in such a way, that you do not snip off a whole portion of the nail. Rather, work your nail clipper around the outer layer of the nail, clipping out small bits at each time.

When your dog has learnt that the nail clipping session is not so traumatizing, move on to clipping a little bit more on your future attempts.

A good guide is to place your nail clipper at a 45 degrees angle, taking reference from the paw pad. Apply a bit of pressure on the nail so that the quick, or nerve will retract a bit, as such, you are able to remove more of the nail..

Picture credited to pawluxury.blogspot

If you already are the owner of a traumatized dog, a good tip is to use a nail file, or an electric nail grinder instead. The grinder can take off more of the nail than clipping with the nail clipper, and chances of the dog bleeding are low.

Funds for Vaccines for the Animals

2011-04-29T10:00:00.001+08:00

Anyone walking into the Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary knows instantly the animals are happy. You can see their wagging tails. You can hear their happy barks. You can literally see the happy smiles. You can see they are fed, watered, sheltered and happy. They are free from diseases and a life of sickness, cold and misery off the streets.

An enormous amount of love and care is given to ensure that the animals are happy and healthy. Apart from food and water, like any pet kept in your home, the animals in Noah’s Ark receive an adequate amount of medical care. They are given regular vaccinations and immunisations against diseases like heartworm, ringworm, tick fever etc.

When the animals come into the Sanctuary, many are unwell. They are sick and have never received medical care in their lives. Many are also injured. For example, the 130 animals we saved from the floods two years ago all had canine distemper. It is a fatal disease that is airborne. The animals had to be vaccinated, quarantined and the animals in the other enclosures have to be relocated to ensure that the disease is contained. Many of the animals discarded have cancer and infections.

Prices have risen and we need funds for vaccines. The funds collected will go directly towards buying vaccines for the animals. If you are sending a cheque, please write vaccines at the back of the cheque or sms u to let us know.

Picture credited to Corbis

It takes $30 to sponsor vaccines for one animal for one year.

Please help us save them. We thank you on behalf of the animals.

Training Prince

2011-04-25T10:00:00.000+08:00

It was in September when we first gathered to start our training sessions. Jazz and Adrian from APAW (http://athleticpawsllywood.shutterfly.com/) had generously offered to offer some guidance some of our volunteers in the aspect of dog training. Our first step was to train our own dogs and vice versa before we could start training and mangaging our other dogs in Noah's Ark. It was also an opportunity for both the dog and owner to forge a stronger bond and learn more about each other.

We were taught the clicker training method which is one of the positive types of training. Every week, we brought yummy food to reward our dogs accordingly. The more rewarding a dog finds a particular reinforcer (in our case, food), the easier the dog was to train. The exercises were mentally challenging for both the dogs ourselves. Moreover, we were constantly reminded by Jazz and Adrian that we needed to reinforce the techniques taught to the dog. Whatever we learnt in class together was to be practiced at home in order to ensure the idea stuck (with both the dogs and the owners).

Initially in the first few weeks, Prince seemed to be more interested in his surroundings than me, his owner. There were times I felt extremely perplexed and frustrated, trying fervently in order to get Prince's attention as he was very easily distracted. Adrian and Jazz constantly reminded me to be patient, as positive reinforcers usually took a longer time to garner results.

After a month and a half, there was a breakthrough where Prince and I completed the required exercises in one clean sweep! At that moment, I was so proud of Prince and myself having come so far. This was however, only the beginning. In the future when the time comes, our skills will be put to the test when we need to train our rescued/fostered dogs, in order to help enforce some basic rules so that they will have a better chance at finding a home.

Personally speaking, both Prince and I benefitted from the training. He's defintely more obedient and less domineering, and I've become more patient in dealing with him. It shows that training does work! Still, I believe there's still alot to be worked out between us as our pairing isn't as solid as Jazz and Shadow's yet! Till we reach that stage, we both need to keep practicing so that our training will not go to waste.

Our Graduation Picture!

Dedicated to people in rescue

2011-04-21T10:00:00.000+08:00

written by Jeanne Illische

I wasn’t a pup when I came to your home
I’d been dumped on the road, left to roam.
Don’t remember the people except the pain
They left me do to die in the cold and the rain.

You were driving along the highway, it was late at night
When you saw the faintest glimmer of light
You took a chance and turned around
Got out of the van and knelt to the ground

My quivering body felt the gentlest of hands
I knew I need not make any more demands
In your heart, and your home, there will always room
For those who would face certain doom

You healed my body and you healed my heart
You gave me what I needed, a fresh start
When I cried at night, you were always there
With soft words,a kiss and a hug to share.

When I misbehaved and would cower with guilt
You only showered me love …up to the hilt
You loved and cared for me in sickness and in health
Our love for each other was more precious than wealth.

Even when you were tired and had a bad day
You would always come home to me and say
“I missed you baby, I am glad to be back.”
Then you gave me a kiss, a hug to share.

We’d have a nice dinner,then go and out to play
There was so much love I wanted to stay.
But my eyes,they faded and my heart grew weak
As my time grew closer you could not speak.

You held me tight, tears flowing from your eyes
We both had to say our sad good byes
The release from pain we knew must end
No more time on this Earth would we spend
Running in the fields, playing ball
Sitting quietly together at the end of it all.

But our time together is not through
Because I’ll be there waiting for you
At the edge of the Rainbow Bridge I’ll stand
Until I once again see those gentle hands.

I’ll run to you with tail held high
We will never again have to say good bye
My love at death, it does not end
Because you are, indeed, dog’s best friend.

Johor Bahru Cat Rescue

2011-04-17T10:00:00.000+08:00

Mak Ja is a frail elderly lady who has spent many years helping unwanted, maimed and hungry cats and kittens in her neighbourhood in Johor Bahru.

In March 2007, Raymund and the Noah’s Ark team heard about Mak Ja and her rescue efforts. Upon visiting her small house, it became clear that she and her animals needed urgent help.

Cramped together in the dimly lit house were a large number of stacked cages of varying shapes and sizes housing over 65 cats and kittens. Amongst the cages were many rats and cockroaches scurrying about in an endless search for food.

With little money to adequately feed or provide medical care for all these animals that she had rescued from the streets, Mak Ja was in a desperate situation. The only help she was received was from one kind neighbour who helped keep the cages clean. Mak Ja was fighting a losing battle. The neighbours complained about the racket of nightly cat calling, the stench, the rats and the sheer numbers of cats on her property.

Having no resources to pay for medical care and sterilisation, many of the cats and kittens needed medical aid and a number of females were heavily pregnant or had very recently given birth.

Raymund patiently persuaded Mak Ja to accept the help and support of Noah’s Ark. That same evening, a handful of kittens requiring urgent medical attention were taken back to Noah’s Ark for treatment. In the days that followed, the Noah’s Ark team transported all the cats and kittens back to Noah’s Ark for check-ups, medical treatment and sterilisation. The total number of animals taken back to Noah’s Ark was 32 cats, 7 heavily pregnant cats, 26 kittens and 1 emaciated puppy.

A large number of the cats remain in the care of Noah’s Ark to live out their lives within the sanctuary in a tranquil and peaceful environment. Many of the kittens have high chances of being rehomed. A small handful of cats returned to live with Mak Ja in her garden once they were sterilized and vaccinated.

The Noah’s Ark team also helped Mak Ja clean up her premises and reduce the rat and cockroach population.

We do not doubt that Mak Ja will continue to walk the streets of her neighbourhood to look for unwanted animals and take them home to care for them. This time though, she does it knowing that she has the support of a dedicated animal welfare team who will work with her to treat and sterilise animals she has rescued. The Noah’s Ark team will also continue with regular visitations to counsel Mak Ja and to help her control the numbers of animals she is rescuing and caring for on her premises.

It is a well known fact that the stray population in Malaysia is huge and out of control. The only way forward is to reduce the numbers by sterilizing them. Through working with, supporting and educating animal-loving members of the community like Mak Ja, the goal of stray free communities and eventually a stray free nation can slowly but surely be reached.

The Virtue of Older Dogs

2011-04-13T10:00:00.002+08:00

We are often called upon to rescue older dogs, and many a time we find ourselves with a fair number of “Senior Citizens”. Many people tell us they are not interested in them because they are too old. It is not surprising that shelters consider these animals virtually unadoptable if they are over five years old. We find these attitudes senseless and unacceptable. There are many virtues in older dogs. Having been through a fair bit, they are typically calm, gentle and easy-going.

Many older dogs have at least half of their lives ahead of them if they receive proper care. These can be very special, loving and productive years, if human companions wish to make them so. We have been privileged to have cared and loved so many of them although others deemed them invalid.

It is apparent most people want puppies and puppies are easy to adopt. In many cases, people do not realize what they are getting into when they get a puppy. When they realise how much work and attention a puppy requires, many wish they had adopted an older dog that isn’t as energetic and comparatively easy to care for.

If you could adopt one of them, you would be giving an older dog a second chance at the life he or she deserves. Please remember they are in need of homes through no fault of their own. It is certainly not their fault that they have gotten older. It happens to all of us. You may be surprised how little age matters when you see some of these great dogs.

In fact, if we didn’t tell you how old some of them are, you would probably have a hard time guessing. These dogs are the ones who really need special people to come forward.

If you are financially stable and ready to adopt a dog, please give these older dogs a second chance, a place in your heart and home.

Badger is sponsored!

2011-04-10T10:00:00.000+08:00

I first visited Noah's Ark five years ago when I first started getting acquainted with dogs. Being a Noah's Ark virgin, I must admit being overwhelmed by the sheer number of dogs in the beautiful gardens.

During my next visits, I fell in love with a tri-coloured sweetie, Badger, who would go around in the most calm and dignified manner for pats. I would have liked to adopt him, however, I had a green-eyed dog at home, so I opted for sponsorship.

I hope this encourages more people to adopt/sponsor the animals!

Join Us in Wishbone's Tag.Like.Comment.Share

2011-04-02T10:00:00.001+08:00

Join Us in Wishbone's
Tag . Like . Comment . Share
For a Mighty Good Cause
To Help The Homeless Dogs & Cats!
----- 27 Mar'11 - 27 Jun'11 -----

Wishbone believes in creating wish-granting healthy meals that promises the tastiest in an unforgettably fun way and we believe that all dogs and cats deserve premium gourmet meals that are filled with love, even the abandoned homeless dogs & cats. That is why we need your help to grant their wishes.

How you can help? Simply..

1. Take a photo with our Wishbone Mascot, T-Bone
Take a photo with Wishbone's Mascot, T-Bone

2. Tag yourself on the photo that will be posted onto our Wishbone's Fan Page

3. 'Like' the Photo

4. Write a comment

5. Share with your friends

And Wishbone will donate $2 worth of Wishbone Pet Foods to Noah's Ark CARES on your behalf!

Help us reach our goals in getting 1,000 tag+like+comment+share and do your part to grant the wishes of the homeless dogs and cats with ♥!

T-bone will be making his appearance islandwide.
Check out the locations at Wishbone's Facebook Fanpage* Now!
*Search for "Wishbone Pet Foods" on Facebook or click HERE.

P.S. Wishbone pet foods samples will be given out while T-bone makes his paw prints islandwide. Follow us on Facebook to catch where he is going!

Organized by Wishbone Pet Foods, Receiving Partner Noah's Ark CARES
__________________________________________________

Wishbone Facebook Logo

Feed Responsibly with the Great Taste and Natural Goodness of Wishbone!

Do you know that by choosing to feed Wishbone's range of natural pet foods, you too are pledging yourself as a responsible pet owner! This is because unlike many commercial pet foods loaded with slaughterhouse offal and grains, hormones, artificial preservatives and flavours that contribute to common pet skin and gastrointestinal conditions, Wishbone pet foods are free from these harmful ingredients.

Wishbone's Australian-made natural recipes will help you promote long-term good health, reduce pet allergies and also allow you to feed less with our high quality ingredients. Live the difference with Wishbone's natural pet foods today.

Wishbone, the Taste Pets Wish for!
Wishbone Products
Experience Wishbone's complete range of natural pet foods at
www.wishbonepet.com

Helping Cats by Su Mei Lenden-Hitchcock

2011-03-28T10:00:00.001+08:00

I have always loved cats, so much so that my last two boyfriends said I was borderline obsessive and were sure I would become one of those old ladies wandering the streets feeding cats in the alleys. They were wrong about the age though. I’m only 20 and have already begun the process of becoming a “cat lady”. And like many “cat ladies”, I go that little bit further, from just feeding to neutering.

I started catching cats for sterilization in light of the recent spate of cat murders and abuse cases. I didn’t want to bring more cats into the world just to see them being preyed upon by some sadistic person. It is a tragedy, in a sense, that we have to end lives prematurely in the womb or before they are even conceived, so as to protect them from the harsher lives they would have faced in this cruel world.

Spaying of our local cats is important. By stopping the cats from reproducing, we in turn stop the problems that come with their increased numbers. Fewer cats mean fewer fights for food, ensuring that these animals will live healthier lives with enough to eat. Cats that are full are also less likely to scavenge though our refuse bins, overturning them and spilling rubbish everywhere. This will in turn help prevent the spread of pests.

The long term benefits of spaying/neutering out-weigh the initial inconveniences by a large margin. I therefore find it hard to believe why people would still resort to outright culling and removal when these 2 methods are both inhumane and ineffective.

In the midst of it all, I learnt 2 important lessons;

1) To catch cats, you need fast hands and a sturdy carrier. Doggie carrier bags won’t do. Especially if your captive cat doesn’t want to cooperate and has fast, sharp claws.

2) This job is a lot harder than I realized. And it isn’t in terms of the physical work but the choices you have to make. According to a cleaner in the vicinity, one of the cats had already given birth; and I had already caught her. I had to make a decision whether or not to sterilize the cat and have the kittens starve to death, or let her go without the guarantee that I would be able to catch her or her kittens in the future and so, allow the reproduction to carry on. Thankfully, it was another cat that had the kittens, not the two little girls I had just caught. But the point is, the power to choose who lives or dies is in our hands, even if it is indirectly. And having to make that choice is terrible as it weighs on your conscience. And I can sincerely say, to all in this field who have to make these choices- you have my utmost respect.

Special thanks to Nicholas Lee, whose help I couldn’t have done without. To Natasha Suraidi, who helped take the cats to and from the vet. To volunteers for their time and advice. And of course to Noah’s Ark CARES for making all this possible!

Last reminder! NA Public Visit 26th March, Saturday.

2011-03-22T14:13:00.004+08:00

Status: LAST REMINDER! FULL.

Have you registered yet? Haven't decided whether you and your friends are joining us? Hesitate no more! Take a read at some of our visitors' experiences and we're sure you would want to visit too :) See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/search/label/NA%20Experiences.

We are pleased to inform you that our next public tour will be held on Saturday, 26th March. Please register and reserve your seats early to avoid disappointment.

To register, please send an email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com, with the registration & payment details:

Passenger #1
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

Passenger #2
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

(so on and so forth)

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

Please note that seats will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment. It costs just S$60/pax and this includes transport to and fro plus a yummy dinner. Please inform us should you have special dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Itinerary for the day tour:

Please be at Boon Lay MRT Passenger Pick-Up Point at 1.30pm as attendance needs to be taken. Transport to and fro is from the Boon Lay Passenger Pick up point, i.e. Boon Lay MRT. It is at the same side as the interchange where many bicycles are parked.

2.00 pm - Depart Boon Lay for Noah's Ark
3.30 pm - Arrive at the Sanctuary
5.30 pm - Depart Noah's Ark for Dinner
6.00 pm - Time for dinner!
7.30pm - Depart for Singapore

This tour is limited to 86 pax, so book your seats now!

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "October 2010 Tour".
- Show quoted text -

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts:

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up (applies to Ibanking ONLY).

**Please note the following terms & conditions;

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Substitutes are acceptable, but only one change of name/person is allowed and it must occur 1 week before the departure date.
3) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have no fear of being surrounded by many dogs at one time. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

Yours truly,
Noah's Ark volunteers

www.noahsarkcares.com
www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com

Mindy needs a family to love her

2011-03-16T14:04:00.002+08:00

My husband discovered 2 fat little pups (abt 2-3 mths old) when he was walking along Sembawang Park. By the time he got home to tell me, the pups had disappeared. After 3 days of searching, my daughter and myself managed to rescue one pup but the second was no where in sight. At this point, Mindy's been to the vet and has had all the required shots. Her baby fur fell out and she didn't look too pretty for awhile but she is absolutely lovely now. See for yourself :)

A couple of points to take note:

* Mindy is a home dog, she is not confident on walks and loud sounds like a motorcycles or large trucks scare her.
* Mindy loves a good cuddle and will do her best to get on our laps.
* Mindy is a good guard dog who will bark at anything different.
* Mindy will even alert me when it rains.
* Mindy hates bathtime, I don't know why but she will struggle and whine.
* Mindy will poo on her walks or over the drain at home.
* Mindy has NOT been Sterilized or Micro Chipped yet.
* Mindy is a quick learner.

We can't keep her as we are here on a project and have only a month or so left in Singapore. Also, my husband is OK with rescuing dogs but he does not like the idea of a pet at home. We emailed other animal organisations seeking help since December but had no luck thus far. We desperately need to find someone to take her or as a last resort we will send her to the SPCA but I heard that they put dogs to sleep within 24hrs and we do not want that.

My daughter and I will truly miss her but we know that Mindy is not ours to keep. Please contact me at cynthia.tilaka@gmail.com if you are able to care for Mindy or know of a friend who would like to adopt her for life.

Regards,
Cynthia Tilaka

Noah's Ark Public Tour - March 2011

2011-03-10T19:32:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone!

Before I start, I want to thank everyone who came for our previous tour! The animals were elated that they were showered with much love and attention. The dogs were hugged, scratched and patted, the cats were cuddled and the horses enjoyed their fill of apples and carrots. The rabbits hopped with joy and the guinea pigs squeaked with excitement at the sight of goodies like chye sim, apples, and carrots our visitors brought. Even Starbuck, our darling monkey, could not wait to pick his treats from your hands! Can you imagine that up close and personal experience with all the animals at the sanctuary?

We are pleased to inform you that our next public tour will be held on Saturday, 26th March. Please register and reserve your seats early to avoid disappointment.

To register, please send an email to noahsarkcares@gmail.com, with the registration & payment details:

Passenger #1
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

Passenger #2
Full name (as in passport):
Passport number:
Passport expiry date:
Date of birth (DDMMYY):
Nationality:
Gender:
Mobile number:

(so on and so forth)

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

Please note that seats will only be confirmed upon receipt of payment. It costs just S$60/pax and this includes transport to and fro plus a yummy dinner. Please inform us should you have special dietary requirements. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Itinerary for the day tour:

Please be at Boon Lay MRT Passenger Pick-Up Point at 1.30pm as attendance needs to be taken. Transport to and fro is from the Boon Lay Passenger Pick up point, i.e. Boon Lay MRT. It is at the same side as the interchange where many bicycles are parked.

2.00 pm - Depart Boon Lay for Noah's Ark
3.30 pm - Arrive at the Sanctuary
5.30 pm - Depart Noah's Ark for Dinner
6.00 pm - Time for dinner!
7.30pm - Depart for Singapore

This tour is limited to 86 pax, so book your seats now!

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "March 2011 Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts:

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up (applies to Ibanking ONLY).

**Please note the following terms & conditions;

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Substitutes are acceptable, but only one change of name/person is allowed and it must occur 1 week before the departure date.
3) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have no fear of being surrounded by many dogs at one time. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark!

Yours truly,
Noah's Ark volunteers

www.noahsarkcares.com
www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com

Visit to NANAS

2011-03-06T10:00:00.001+08:00

The long-awaited day was finally here. Being an avid animal lover, it was hard to contain my excitement at the thought of the dogs and the other different animals I’d meet at NANAS. The barks of the dogs greeted my ears as I stepped out of the van, and it was like food to the famished. I smiled in delight and walked towards the main gate in anticipation. The first glance of NANAS was as I expected and more! Seated in the heart of quietness, the tranquil paradise was a sight to behold. With its wood-like architecture, the place beckoned us to take a closer look at its occupants. The dogs greeted us with enthusiasm and many barks. Many rushed over, clamoring for a pat or simply just a touch of affection. Hands were washed, licked, washed again and then licked again. Thereafter, the sink did not have any patrons till the end of the trip. =)

As we embarked on a tour of NANAS, we had little canine bodyguards following behind us, ensuring that we would not get lost. Our volunteer tour guide, Sharon, was excellent, showing us the different parts of this animal haven while keeping up an animated chatter. We were provided some entertainment en-route when two dogs - Sharuma and Princess, put up a dramatic ‘fight’. I’m sure there were smirks on their faces as our faces changed from one of horror to one of amusement. We paid a visit to a monkey going by the moniker of Starbuck at our first stop, carefully observing his little hands and feet. It is not often that one gets such an intimate encounter with a monkey. He first showed his strength as he shook his cage in welcome, but calmed down after awhile to stretch out his fingers and gripped mine in a sign of friendship. All barriers between man (or girl) and animal were broken in that instant, as he stared into my eyes.

Accompanied by the dogs Mozart and Princess as well as our other guides, we then made our way to the horses’ stable where we met the big friendly giants. Contrary to their sizes, the towering creatures were gentle in nature and did not even harm Sharuma when she teased them mercilessly by entering their stable and refusing to budge. After many carrots, apples and much drool, we reluctantly said our goodbyes in our bid to visit the other animals at the sanctuary.

Moving on to the canine apartments, we saw many dogs housed in the different cages. Amidst their welcome barks of excitement, we tried our best to pat a hello to each and every single dog around. Tilby put up another show by showing us the versatility of water – for drinking and as a fountain! He happily kicked and splashed the water out of the drinking bucket and then waited for the amused reaction from us. He definitely got what he wanted. Many dogs eyed us while safely hiding underneath a wooden kampong-like house, I figured that these dogs must be rather wary of humans and wondered just how much of a traumatic experience they must have experienced in their life. As much as I wanted to reach out to them to show them that not all humans are callous and unfeeling, I knew that it was in their best interest that I stayed away for now.

On the way to the Cat Sanctuary, we passed by a huge pond with lotus and other fauna floating in it. Tilby, Mozart, Princess, and Sharuma all jumped in and went for a good swim! It was such an amazing sight to watch – the dogs frolicking in the water while everyone else whipped out their cameras to snap a photo of the unforgettable moment! The dogs had the time of their lives and we, had the time of ours, laughing at their silly antics and trying to dodge them as they came out of the water to shake themselves dry.

When we finally arrived at the cat sanctuary, we were greeted by numerous cats that just came up to us and rubbed against our legs. I immediately felt at home, with them and plunked myself in the middle of the sanctuary to bask in the adoration of the cats. Although dogs have always been my thing, I must admit that the cats won me over almost at once with their endearing purrs and leg rubs. As I sat in the cat sanctuary, no fewer than five cats took turns to lie on my lap and snuggle in my arms. All previous thought about cats being very arrogant vanished and I started to see a different side of our feline friends. One particular little cat sat in between my legs and simply looked up at me, as though to say, ‘why did you take so long to get here?’. I looked back at it quietly, and my only reaction - a shrug of my shoulders and more pats.

Seated in the heart of tranquility and contentment, I could have stayed at the NANAS for an indefinite period of time. The peace and happiness that come with being around animals is to me simply indescribable. What amazed me was the fact that so many animals could live in the same area so harmoniously, and with humans as well. The passion and love I saw for these animals, from the volunteers and workers at NANAS, left me wondering how else I could show my love for Mack - my cheeky big mongrel, and what else I can now do for the other animals who do not have the good fortune of being cared for and loved.

This trip has reminded me once again that just like us humans, who are living creatures, with feelings and the need to be loved and respected, animals are definitely no different…

*Article and pictures contributed by Shelford

Food Donation Drive - March 2011

2011-03-01T10:11:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters of Noah's Ark,

After last year's successful donation drives, Noah's Ark CARES is privileged to partner with Pets' Station once again for our food donation drive. The first drive kicks off today, 01 March and ends on 31 March 2011. We are extremely happy and grateful for their continuous support.

Noah's Ark animals definitely have something to rejoice about as more yummy food coming their way! The food runs out faster than you can imagine at the sanctuary.

For this drive, Pets' Station is offering a total of 9 items from their SportMix and Feline Gourmet (canned food) range that supporters can choose to purchase during this period. They are:

• Sportmix Ori Cat food 33lbs - S$49.00

• Sportmix High Energy mini chunks 44lbs - S$55.00

• Sportmix Dog Adult 44lbs - S$50.00

• Sportmix Dog Hi-Pro 44lbs - $50.00

• Feline Gourmet (5 different flavors - canned food) - $ 38.40 (per ctn of 24 cans)

For every item purchased, Pets' Station will be donating the same item to Noah's Ark, one-for-one. More details can be found at their website at http://www.petsstation.com.

To make your food donation, there are 2 ways you can do it.

1. To do it online, please go to http://petsstation.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=180&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1 to view the items available and select the food you want to donate accordingly.

2. You would have to go to any of their nine outlets which are located at Causeway Point, Compass Point, Frankel Avenue, Holland Village, Jurong West, Tampines Central 1, Tiong Bahru, Serangoon Gardens and Serangoon North Ave.

This donation food drive is held only during this month. Do tell your friends about and help feed our animals. On behalf of the animals, we appreciate your continuing support and generosity!!

Update - Berry the little monkey

2011-02-23T13:20:00.007+08:00

Supporters and friends have written in asking about Berry and we are indeed touched by the care and concern for our unique new resident. We do have an update – but it is with a heavy heart that we have to inform Berry had to have his other leg amputated as well. Unfortunately, Berry developed a viral infection on his remaining leg, and left with no choice, we had to do so in order to save him.

At this point of time, we are certain many will ask, why not put poor Berry down and end his suffering? A legless monkey? We were faced with a tough decision, but our utmost priority was – will Barry still have a quality life if we choose to keep him? To take a practical approach apart from the monetary issues always plaguing animal rescue work, rescuers need to be clear-headed enough at that very moment to analyze the situation from all angles, to determine whether the animal will be able to cope with his disability, or are they just prolonging his life for selfish reasons? On top of all these considerations, if we eventually choose to keep him, we will have to be responsible for him for the rest of his life and take charge to provide him with the best that we can.

Those who have fostered animals before do know it is not easy letting go of them even if the animal has only been with you for a short while. Emotions often overrule the head over logical thinking – and this is only human nature. I have personally fostered a disabled cat before, and though there were more people advising me to put her down rather than to keep her, I went against all odds to take care of her and the feline baby was eventually adopted. She's one of the lucky few to find a home as there are so many more strays out there.

Berry is a primate and they are generally lively, clever and very successful at adapting to different environmental opportunities. He has strong hands that can grasp well and as such, Raymund has customized his new cage with more bars for him to swing around happily.

Although Berry has lost his two lower limbs, he is still mobile and coping well and not just seated in a corner wasting away. He is slowly learning to adapt and move around with his two hands. Berry's favourite treats are hibiscus flowers, grapes, longans, bananas and vegetables (so bring some when you visit!). Alike a child, Berry actually loves the Wang Wang milk biscuit but as it is processed food we are careful not to let him have too much of it. Do remember to pop by Berry's cage to say hello when you come to visit!

From this whole experience, we can see for ourselves how animals, being resilient creatures, make up for their disability in amazing ways we never thought possible. Humans do have lots to learn from them, especially their unyielding and never-give-up attitude. ☺

** Pictures courtesy of runwitme.blogspot.com

First visit to NANAS

2011-02-18T10:00:00.001+08:00

2nd October 2010 was my first visit to NANAS. Having read about NANAS in the papers many years ago, their selfless work as well as refreshing concept of an animal sanctuary left a lasting impression on me. Hence, I was really excited when I finally got the chance to visit NANAS on one of the public tours.

The visitors making their way into NANAS

When I first entered NANAS and saw the vast space that the animals call their home, I could just imagine hundreds of dogs, running to their hearts’ content without a care in the world. This was not far from the truth as I came to discover later. The dogs were lying around, running, snoozing, sniffing and doing their own thing. Seeing how contented the dogs looked, I really began to appreciate the work NANAS is doing. Just looking at how happy the dogs were really made my day.

Lazing around on a fine Saturday afternoon

I got to pat and play around with a couple of dogs; all of them looked really pleased to be having visitors and warmed up to us really quickly. I was wondering before the trip how friendly and accepting would the animals be to visitors, it did not take long for them to prove my doubts wrong.

Dogs checking out their visitors

Enjoying a good pat

In the rabbit enclosure

Rabbits lazing around

I joined the public tour expecting a fun time with the animals and I got more than I expected. At NANAS, one is able to see the bond humans and animals can have. The way the dogs behaved towards the volunteers and full time staff was one out of love and trust. One could also see the genuine care and love that the volunteers and staff at NANAS have for the animals as well. The way both visitors and the animals warmed up to each other is also testament to the bond between humans and animals.

Also, I came to have an enormous respect for founder Mr Wee as well as all the volunteers and staff of NANAS. Taking care and housing these animals is definitely no easy task, especially since it is an uphill battle that they are facing. To be giving their time and resources for the sake of these animals is something that really deserves our respect and support. Do consider volunteering or/and donating to their cause as your contribution would go a long way in maintaining this sanctuary that the animals call their home.

If you are an animal lover, NANAS is definitely a place that you should visit. Come and see for yourself how the animals live and of course, play with them. NANAS is not only a ‘sanctuary’ for the animals, it is one for everyone as well. A visit to NANAS is a really good break from hectic city life in Singapore. I found myself reluctant to leave when the tour was concluding. I will definitely be looking out for the next public tour!

Good job NANAS, staff and volunteers!

**Article and pictures contributed by Samuel Lee.

Private tour 26 Feb 2011

2011-02-08T12:36:00.008+08:00

Dear Friends of Noah's Ark,

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all of you! Here's wishing you a prosperous rabbit year ahead!

Noah's Ark is pleased to announce that due to popular request, we have started a series of private tour days for visitors. Before you get confused, private tour date is for when visitors hire their own minivans or self drive into the sanctuary. On the other hand, public tour dates are done 3-4 times a year and we will hire tour coaches on that occasion. Start marking your calendar for a series of private tours to Noah's Ark! The next visit will be on:

26 February 2011, Saturday, 2.30-5.30pm

Write to us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are interested to visit the sanctuary on this day with your own transport (either via hiring your own mini van or personal vehicle). Once we reach our maximum capacity, we regret that you will have to join us on the next time. There will also be a small donation of S$30 per person, where 100% of the proceeds will go into running of the wonderful sanctuary you are about to visit!

To register, please provide details:

Name:
Handphone number:
Email:

No. of pax you are registering for:

Amount paid:

Reference numbers: Cheque number/ibank transfer number

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "February 2011 Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts.

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up.

**Please note the following terms & conditions:

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have absolutely no fear of being surrounded by many dogs, some of which are quite large. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark! What are you waiting for? Hurry and book with us to avoid disappointment! :) See you there!

I can't wait to greet all of you!

I will be on the lookout for you!

What do you do when you find a dog?

2011-02-04T10:00:00.000+08:00

Dog lovers live in dread of seeing and finding another lost or abandoned dog. Another dog on the streets with pleading eyes, ribs showing, hiding from you in fear yet hungry and needing help. From the Noah’s Ark volunteers who sacrifice sleep to rescue dogs, here are some tips on what you can do to help:

1. Be ready to rescue. If you know in your heart that you're a rescuer, why not equip yourself to do the best possible job? Preferably you would have had observed the dog roaming around a localised area for period of time.

Here are some things you will need:
- Phone numbers of local shelter and rescue and a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic
- Cat / dog carrier or cardboard box; collars and strong leashes for dogs; heavy blanket; water bowls and water; strong-smelling foods, such as canned tuna or dried liver; and an animal first-aid kit.

2. Safety First – Yours and the Animal. A strange, frightened and possibly sick or injured animal can behave unpredictably. Any movement from you may cause the animal to run, hide or attack.

3. Restrain the animal. Surround the area so that it cannot disappear or hide. If on the road, divert traffic around him if he appears to be injured and is still on the road.

4. Be calm and gentle. Speak calmly to reassure the animal. Make sure she can see you at all times as you approach. Use food to attract the animal’s attention. If necessary, do this over a period of time.

Some things to think through

• Where will you take the dog? Can you keep the dog? Call a local animal rescue with a no-kill policy and ask for assistance on where the animal can be kept and what is needed.

• Stay hopeful - don't assume you automatically have a stray. Give the animal and the owner a chance. It could be a pet that has been lost for a while and the owner may still be looking for it.

• Be realistic. Once you have taken the initiative, time and trouble to rescue an animal, it does not mean that a home, temporary or permanent can be found for it immediately. The animal rescue would also need help with expenses for the animal if it is injured.

• Show compassion. If you're unsure if you should help an animal you see on the streets, here are two questions: What if you got lost and could not ask for help? What if it was your pet?

Steps you need to take to help the pet find its owner.
• Take the dog / cat to the vet and ask them to scan to see if it has a microchip. This is a free service.

• If it has a microchip, the vet will contact the company where the microchip originates from and the owner will soon be reunited with his / her dog

• Sometimes the dog / cat has a microchip but its owners did not register their contact details with PetCall http://www.petcall.org/ This would mean that the owners cannot be traced, despite the dog / cat having a microchip. So please ensure you register your contact details with http://www.petcall.org/

• If it does not have a microchip nor a name tag, then these are the steps you have to take;

1. Inform SPCA – tell them where and when you found the dog / cat and give them a detailed description of the animal

2. Inform AVA

3. Place an advertisement in the Straits Times & Chinese papers – you are entitled to TWO FREE advertisements. Your advertisement should be clear and specific – where was the dog / cat found, when, description (colour, male / female), wearing a collar etc

4. Take a picture of the dog / cat and put up posters around the vicinity where it was found. Hopefully its owners will see the poster and contact you.

Hopefully after having done all this, the owner can be traced and the dog / cat will be reunited with them.

If after two weeks, no one comes forth to claim the dog / cat, then perhaps it was abandoned. Then the onus would be on you to help the dog find a new home, where it will be well loved and cared for, and hopefully not be abandoned again.

Sisterly Love - Chu Chu & Mei Mei

2011-02-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

Remember Mei Mei? See http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2008/07/mei-mei-lovely-lady.html for a quick refresher.

Chu Chu and Mei Mei came from different backgrounds. One was raised as a puppy in a good home. The other was a hungry stray rescued from Tuas Industrial Area. After Mei Mei came into Chu Chu's life, there was no more loneliness. They play, eat and sleep together and are the best of friends. They even go to Sentosa for swims - although one swims and the other doesnt. Nevertheless, they are inseparable. Everyday in their life, is constantly filled with fun, love and happiness. What more could a dog ask for? :D

*Video and writeup contributed by Suan Eng.

My Journey – Learning basic dog training skills By Mary Chye

2011-01-27T10:00:00.001+08:00

When a fellow volunteer asked if I would be interested to learn how to train dogs, little did I know I would be gaining more then just a skill. In the process of learning, I gained new understanding on how to handle dogs, experienced the joy in seeing dogs growing up and getting adopted out as well as gaining new friends from Noah’s Ark.

The purpose of getting a group of volunteers to acquire the knowledge was to equip us with the ability to train new dogs to become accustomed to basic commands to sit, lie down and walk with the owner. The training would also help the dog to learn how to focus on the person it is being with. We believe that this would improve the adoptability of any dog. Throughout the training sessions, we have seen 2 puppies and 1 adult dog being adopted. We would like to think that the training helped the dogs be more sociable and comfortable with new people and thus allowed them to be more easily adopted out.

In my journey of learning, I got to know three dogs who were later adopted. This story takes us through some parts of the journey of Bubbles, a black and brown mongrel. Bubbles was rescued near King Albert Park with his brother, a brown mongrel named Squeaky under a tree. Adrian, one of the trainers from APawz told me that Bubbles is an intelligent little fellow and to my amazement, he was so right.

Bubbles

Whoever said that pedigrees are better then mongrels or mutts obviously have never experienced first hand being with one. The intelligence and energy in each of these little bodies are amazing. Perhaps it is the survival instincts having been living on the streets for a while but each one of the dogs I have gotten to know have not stopped amazing me.

Bubbles would observe what the trainer does and what the desired behavior is. Within a few attempts, he could perform the task beautifully. Of course, it helped that Bubbles is very food oriented and that puppies pick skills up faster in general.

Since Bubbles and Squeaky did not stay with us, two of us were tasked to alternate the dogs in each lesson so that the dogs do not get too attached to one of us. This is also to help facilitate the adoption process so that the puppy is accustomed to more then 1 handler and he can blend into a new family faster.

What fascinated me as well was how fast a puppy would grow. With each week of lesson, both of them would grow enough to make us gasp in amazement. I still remember carrying Bubbles around the house during the first few weeks. By the next month, carrying him became harder and harder.

When the news of both Bubbles & Squeaky being adopted came to my ears, I was both happy and sad. Happy that they have a new family but sad that I was not able to see both of them again so imagine the joy I felt when a fellow volunteer said that the new owners have agreed to let both of them come back for training and the new owner for Squeaky was even going to join us!

A few months into the training, Noah’s Ark held a Tea Party at Nyee Phoe Flower Garden. Bubbles, being the star student of the class, was nominated to go on stage to give a mini presentation on the skills he has acquired and since I have been the handler mostly, I was asked to be the one to give him the commands on stage.

On the day itself, I feared that Bubbles would not focus being in a foreign environment, amongst so many other dogs and new faces as well as food! Come on… even I was drawn to the food and the dogs got treats like durian muffins! Getting to the venue early, I brought him onto the stage many times, going through the general steps of sitting, lying down and heel work. I kept telling Bubbles that he would get his normal treats till he completed his performance and then I will get him the durian muffins that he was so attracted to.

Being the puppy that he is, he wanted to run everywhere, play with everyone and eat everything in sight! I kept bringing him for walks till it was time for us to go onto the stage. My fear came true slightly at that moment as we had to walk past the durian muffins table. One whiff of the aroma and Bubbles started towards the table! Luckily, I managed to get him onto the stage and he performed like a star!

As soon as he was off the stage, I went to get his muffin and he gobbled it up without hesitation. What I didn’t expect was that once he started munching on one muffin, he had to have more! As we walked around the tables, Bubbles vacuumed every scrap of food he could find. If I had a camera at that moment, I would have taken a picture of him, durian cream all over his muzzle! He looked so funny and I couldn’t help but laugh at how greedy he was! I guess he must have known he did a good job on stage and is getting his rewards!

Now that the training is well over, I will not have much opportunity to meet Bubbles. I do miss him at times but I am also glad that he has a permanent home now. He helped me to learn how to be a better trainer and taught me that mongrels are intelligent dogs with big hearts full of love and huge vacuum cleaner appetite!

Onwards with our quest to get more dogs adopted!

My experience at Noah's Ark

2011-01-22T13:00:00.000+08:00

I first heard about Noah’s Ark through http://furry-photos.com a few months ago, but I didn’t manage to convince my parents to go for that month’s tour because my mum thought $60 was a little steep. Then recently, Nicholas posted an entry about his visit to Noah’s Ark to shoot for the 2011 calendar, and this time, I managed to convince my mum to go because the tour fell on the same day as her birthday. She said that since it was her birthday, it should be fun to do something special and give to charity as well.

So the journey to Noah’s Ark on Oct 2 was smooth, with good weather and little delays. Upon entering the sanctuary, I was impressed by how clean and well-kept the place was. Knowing that there are 800 dogs in the compound, I expected the dogs to smell. And I was very surprised that none of them really did. My parents and I had a lot of fun playing, petting, talking, and taking photographs with the dogs and cats. In fact, I’ve never seen so many dogs in one place.

I felt a little guilty because I didn’t have time to give all of them a good hug before we left – there were just too many of them!

After the visiting session, we headed on to Restoran Tian Lai for some indulgent dinner. Knowing that Noah’s Ark was a non-profit organisation, I didn’t expect the provided dinner to be so grand. I would have been content with a simple meal, but instead, we had a 7-dish meal which ended the trip nicely.

It’s great that Noah’s Ark organises these visiting trips. Not only does it give animal lovers a chance to have a great day out with the animals, but it also raises awareness of how much public help – in funds or donations – that animal rescue efforts need. After this virgin trip there, I’ve been promoting Noah’s Ark tour to my friends through facebook and word of mouth, because I think that it’s really a small sum to spare to have an awesome experience, good food, and ultimately, help animals in return!

Thank you for your efforts in helping these animals, Noah’s Ark!

*Article and pictures contributed by Mavis Ang

Dogs in a ditch

2011-01-15T10:00:00.003+08:00

Just a few weekends ago, a pair of female puppies was recently caught running amok outside NANAS. One of them was quite thin and had a large open wound on her tiny body. The volunteers who spotted her immediately sprang into action and were determined to catch her as she was clearly hurt. At that time, her sister was also with her, but unfortunately, she ignored the treats that were offered and ran out of the volunteer's reach. She was very adorable, with her pointed ears and huge eyes. Despite her short legs, she was certainly a fast runner and our volunteer (who was a marathoner) was also unable to catch up with her!

Instead, they turned around and concentrated their efforts on the injured puppy. When volunteers gave chase, the injured puppy panicked and ran right into a pipe that was located in the ditch outside NANAS. The water was disgusting, muddy and full of mosquitoes but the volunteers ignored it all as the plight of the puppy was on everyone's minds. Well, it was definitely not fun to be stuck in the ditch, trying to catch a puppy scared out of its wits. Everyone was trying their best to corner the puppy and towels were being thrown from one person to the other whenever the puppy ran in their direction. After much coaxing and having gained some trust, she was finally gathered up and bundled into a towel. Whilst hurrying towards the main lodge, the puppy was so frightened that she nipped one of the volunteers!

Once the puppy was brought into the clinic, all eyes were on her. The volunteers then proceeded to assist Raymund to clean her wounds. For most of them, it was their first time in the clinic whilst an operation was going on. It was a terrible sight as she had an open wound that was home to all sorts of bugs and disgusting creatures. The moment Raymund took the frontline spray and doused her whole body, it became a jumping flea circus. It seemed that the fleas got into every nook and cranny of her frail little body and as a result of the medication, it forced the infestation out. The volunteers were horrified and extremely sorry for the poor little puppy who had to live with the discomfort.

After assessing her injuries, Raymund said that she was likely scalded by hot oil as part of her fur was totally gone. After which, he gave her 2 jabs and sedated her for 30 minute in order to clean the wound. After dressing her wounds and ears were cleaned, she was placed into a cage to rest after an eventful day. Before driving back to Singapore, the volunteers decided to name her Scarlet.

*Latest update: Raymund has informed us he has managed to catch Scarlet’s sister. She fell face first down into the same muddy ditch and was immediately immobilized by the mud. What a sight! She has been named Charley and the pair have been recovering well within the sanctuary. Be sure to come by and say hi on your next visit!

Thank you for supporting our Kinako charity preview!

2011-01-12T10:00:00.000+08:00

Dear friends of Noah's Ark,

Thank you for supporting Noah's Ark Cares in our third movie charity premiere. To all our kind sponsors and supporters who made this fund raising 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.

Lucky Dip Giveaways

Goodie bag

We hope you had enjoyed the movie and a terrific night out whilst meeting new friends and speaking 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. 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.

Our president giving a speech

Thank you for joining us once again, for this special charity premiere. We look forward to seeing you soon at our future events! Stay tuned to our blog for more stories, events and updates.

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!

Best regards,
From all of us at Noah's Ark CARES

Monkey Business at Noah's Ark

2011-01-04T10:00:00.000+08:00

Those who have visited NANAS before will know that the canine species rule prominently, followed by our feline pals and then the rest of the other creatures. We do have one lonely pig tail macaque Alice aka Starbucks swinging around all by herself in her cage ever since our previous adult monkey and her only companion Ah Noy passed on in early 2010.

Raymund was travelling back to NANAS from Muar with a volunteer one afternoon when he saw a troop of monkeys crossing the road. There was a baby monkey trailing behind his mother and he was running to catch up but alas he was not fast enough and a car hit him. Raymund immediately stopped the car and alighted to take a look.

There it was, lying in the middle of the road, a long tail macaque. The car hit his little body and possibly rolled over his tail. Raymund approached the motionless body and was silently watching him for a while wondering what should be done. Suddenly, the monkey reached up and grabbed his hand! The first thought that came across Raymund’s mind was, “Please don’t bite me!” Instead, the monkey’s tiny fingers held on firmly to Raymund’s hand, as if pleading with Raymund to save his life.

The volunteer had to stop all oncoming traffic while Raymund tended to the injured monkey. He placed the monkey into a carrier and headed straight to a vet he has been constantly working with – Dr Koh. Dr Koh immediately performed emergency surgery on the monkey, as it had multiple wounds such as a broken right leg and a wounded tail.

Raymund was with Dr Koh throughout the surgery, assisting him during the two hour long operation. The monkey had lacerations all over his small body which Dr Koh managed to clean and stitch up. His long tail was furless and raw but it was not much of a cause for worry as it ought to heal over time. The most seriously injured part was his right leg, whereby Dr Koh had to insert a metal rod so that he can continue to use his leg but strictly only for standing and walking.

Raymund affectionately named him Berry and he is estimated to be only about six months old. He was brought back to NANAS and placed in a small cage in the clinic to recuperate. Berry is being fed medicine daily and Raymund has been able to gain his trust. Initially whenever anyone approached, Berry would give out loud shrieks: akin to what wild macaques in the wild would normally do as a warning signal to their fellow companions. When Berry sees Raymund nowadays, he just looks at Raymund longingly – we suspect it is because he wants more food!

At the point of rescue, Raymund was faced with two alternatives – to put him down immediately to end his suffering, or to treat him and let him lead a decent life. As with all rescue cases, time, effort and funds are required to treat and nurse an injured animal back to health, along with making plans for him/her after recovery.

Update on Berry:
Regrettably, Berry had to have his leg amputated after a week or so after the initial surgery as it was suffering from gangrene and the metal insertion was not helping. A part of his tail was also infected and had to be removed. Despite his disability, Berry is affectionate, playful and cheeky. Whenever Raymund feeds him something he does not really fancy, he will put both arms up into the air, looking as if he is surrendering to Raymund! :P

Unfortunately, Berry cannot be released back to the wild due to his disability. Also, his troop will no longer accept him as he is now different. We eventually do hope to put him together with Starbucks but that will be after he has fully recovered. In the meantime, we plan to give him a larger cage to move around first. For now, Berry needs a bigger space to get used to having an amputated limb.

We are looking at raising funds to build a similar enclosure that Starbucks has, but this would be for Berry. We hope that you can help us sponsor the materials needed. In the event Berry can live happily together with Starbucks in future, we can certainly put the new enclosure to good usage for other rescued animals.

Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com should you be able to help in any way, big or small. Thank you for your continuous support thus far and we will update with more news on Berry in time to come.

Charity Sneak Preview of "Kinako: Police Dog Dream"

2010-12-27T10:22:00.007+08:00

This year, Noah's Ark CARES is pleased to announce its third-year-running Movie Screening. The show that will grace the screen this year would be "Kinako: Police Dog Dream" and you, yes you, are invited to join us for a special screening on the 4th of January 2011 (Tuesday). For a short synopsis, continue reading on!

Movie Synopsis

A Japanese movie which was inspired by the true story of a dog who failed her police dog test 5 times in a row, the film stars 18-year-old model/actress Kaho as Kyoko, an aspiring police dog trainer who wants to follow in her late father’s footsteps. She instantly feels a connection with newborn puppy Kinako, who was initially bred to be a good police dog but ended up being the runt of the litter and the least athletic of all her brothers and sisters. In spite of this, Kyoko is taken with her new training partner and spends her time trying to get the uncoordinated Kinako to make even one jump. Over time, Kyoko begins to have doubts about whether Kinako will ever make it as a police dog and considers letting her lead a different type of life.

Watch the trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx90a6_M5ow (in Chinese/Japanese, full trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex3s2IOpL9Q (English subtitles, 40 second snippet)

Movie details:

Date: 4 Jan, Tuesday
Venue: GV Vivo City
Time: 7pm
Approx screen time: 113 mins
Ticket price: $50 (includes a complimentary combo set comprising popcorn and drink + goodie bag)
How to book: Please go to http://www.gv.com.sg/moviedetails/gv_moviedetails_0479.jsp and reserve your seats today! Once you select Vivocity in the drop down box, click on the time and choose your seat!

A special thank you to the following sponsors who have made it possible.

1. Golden Village
2. Hall sponsorship: GL
3. Popcorn/drink combo: YG
4. Goodie bag items generously sponsored by the following:

100% of the proceeds will go towards the maintaining of the 1000 animals that live in our sanctuary in Malaysia. Some of the funds will also be diverted towards PID, Project Industrial Dogs as we strive to make Singapore stray free. For more information on either, please visit our blog at www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.com

Here we present some of the cases we have come across this past 2010. These are just a few of the animals which will benefit from your support. All of them are now residing comfortably at Noah's Ark, not needing to worry about their food or having a roof over their heads. They even have large fields and a pond to call their own!

Bruno http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2010/06/brunos-plight.html , http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2010/07/na-rescue-update-bruno.html
Bruno suffered from a badly infected ear that had maggots in it due to the wound being untreated. He was an Industrial dog, and Industrial dogs suffer from such dangers because they fight over territory and food. However, Bruno has since moved to Noah's Ark and is happily living there.

Marmite http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.com/2010/11/marmite.html
Marmite was abandoned right in front of our sanctuary. She was emaciated and extremely fearful of humans, resulting in aggressive behaviour. Today, she has gradually learned to trust humans and is now of a healthy weight.

(Note: We are still looking for a family to adopt on the M'sian end her but we are unsure of the adoption chances.)

Scarlet, full story to be released in early 2011.
Scarlet was rescued just a few weeks ago with a huge, gaping wound to her small body. She was just a puppy. Her sister, Charley was also rescued because she was found immobilized by mud. We are unsure of their origins as they were discovered scampering about in the field in front of our sanctuary.

Berry, full story to be released in early 2011.
Struck down by a car, Berry was an injured monkey lying by the side of the road, waiting to die till Raymund found him. It grabbed Raymund's hand as if imploring Raymund to save his life. Part of his tail and his leg had to be amputated due to gangrene, but Berry is slowly recovering and learning how to move about despite his disability.

These are just a few of the many stories that we have. You can browse through our blog articles and read all about our rescue work and the sanctuary. If you've not visited us, you should! As for those who have visited, we look forward to seeing you again at our tour, scheduled for March 2011.

Once again, thank you for your continous support and generosity. No words will ever be enough, but one thing is for sure: without each and everyone of you, Noah's Ark will not be here where it is today.

A dog's Christmas prayer

2010-12-21T10:00:00.002+08:00

Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town

every shelter is full, we are lost, but not found,

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,

we hope every minute that someone will care,

They’ll come to adopt us and give us a call,

“Come here, Max and Sparkie – come and fetch your new ball!!”

But now we sit here and think of the days

we were treated so fondly – we had cute baby ways,

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew,

now we are no longer young and we’re no longer new.

So out of the back door we were thrown like trash,

they reacted so quickly – why were they so rash?

We “jump on the children” ; “ don’t come when they call”;

we “bark when they leave us”, climb all over the wall.

We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,

now we suffer the consequences of the error THEY made.

If only they trained us, if only we knew..

we would have done what they asked us and worshipped them too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse – let to roam –

now we’re tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us here and kiss us goodbye…

“Maybe someone else will give you a try”.

So now here we are all confused and alone..

in a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,

with so many to care for, they can’t stay for a chat.

They move to the next kennel, giving all of us cheer..

we know they wonder how long we will be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads..

of a home filled with love, and our very own cozy beds..

Then we wake to see sad eyes brimming with tears –

our friends filled with emptiness, worry and fear.

If you can’t adopt us and no room at the inn,

could you help with the food bills and fill our bin?

We count on your kindness, each day of the year –

can you give hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat..

and help us get something special to eat..

The shelter that cares for us want us to live

and more of us will, if more people will give.

- Author unknown
Article found at Petplace.com

Message from the President

2010-12-18T08:54:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends, Supporters, Members and Volunteers of Noah’s Ark CARES,

With 2011 beckoning, there is much to reflect for all of us at NANAS. The past year has marked several changes for the Ark even whilst we steadfastly continue not to lose focus of why Noah’s Ark CARES and the sanctuary exists. We are ever grateful and thankful of your unstinting commitment and support by those who believe in us.

Thus it is only very appropriate that we mark the end of 2010 with a huge thank you from all of us at NANAS to all of you.

However, the sad reality facing us and other animal welfare groups is the increase in number of animal cruelty cases. The more notable ones being the appalling conditions of puppy mill dogs to the most recent incident of rabbits being sat upon.

Sadly, growing affluence has not equated to greater humane treatment of our companion animals. Ironically, it appears that the reverse is closer to the truth. This is because growing affluence has made it easier for more people to “acquire” a pet . Unfortunately, there has not been a proportional increase in awareness of what responsible pet ownership entails. Too often a “pet” is seen as a possession that has been purchased and therefore an asset to dispose of or treat as one pleases.

Thus Noah’s Ark CARES remains strongly committed and supportive of continued efforts by AVA, SPCA and the animal welfare groups who advocate Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) education. Ignorance of RPO is as much to blame as complete indifference for the less than humane treatment accorded to our companion animals.

The Committee has decided to endorse and publicise RPO and will dedicate 2011 to actively promote RPO with more talks and active sterilization programmes.

I believe with the sanctuary as the “largest single animal owner” – (1,000 animals) – we are hard coding RPO in the projects we run and the running of our sanctuary. We practice active sterilization for all our animal residents at the sanctuary as we do not wish to have unwanted litters. Likewise by “owning” our animals at the sanctuary we have covenanted with them that we are bound to give them a loving home, provide them with adequate food, shelter and medical care for them to live out their natural lives. Understandably, such responsibilities do not come cheap and there is a huge price tag to it all.

So please try to understand when we are unable to help every animal in need that is brought to our attention – it is definitely not because we lack the compassion or desire to help. But simply due to the more practical considerations of how can we afford to take care of yet another animal.

It is and will always continue to be a struggle annually to make ends meet. As such, we are extremely grateful and appreciative of the successful outcomes of our various fund raising events.

So with the festive season drawing near, may we appeal to you that you too will consider giving our animals a reason to celebrate Christmas. As such, if you have still stockings to fill and gifts to get, please do consider purchasing some of Noah’s Ark merchandise. We have more than 1,000 2011 calendars as stocking fillers!! Check out our Christmas merchandise post on the 9th of December.

Thank you in advance for your generosity to our animals as your help has allowed us and will continue to allow us to be responsible pet owners.

So from all of us at NANAS - may we kindly take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry X’mas and a Happy New Year.

Yours faithfully,

Chew Gek Hiang (Miss)
President
Noah’s Ark Cares

Would you be able to give us a home?

2010-12-13T12:29:00.008+08:00

As Christmas rolls around,

The number of strays still abound.

With the spirit of love and giving in the air,

Would you have some to share?

We are the lucky few,

4 legged companions who will stick to you like glue.

We promise we'll be loving and loyal companions.

Save us from roaming the streets in hopeless oblivion.

If you have space in your home,

and a heart thats as big as a dome,

in you our lives we entrust,

we hope you'll consider one of us.

(written by aj)

SEPTEMBER

Gender : Male

Age : Born September 2009

Breed : Mongrel

HDB Approved : No

Sterilized : No (cannot be)

Background : Rescued from streets

Adoption Fee : $120 (covers 2 vaccinations and microchipping)

A confident dog. Need to avoid getting deeply cut/ scratched.

SCHUBERT

Gender : Male

Age : Born September 2009

Breed : Mongrel

HDB Approved : No

Sterilized : No (cannot be)

Background : Rescued from streets

Adoption Fee : $120 (covers 2 vaccinations and microchipping)

Takes longer to warm up to people. Need to avoid getting deeply cut/ scratched.

YUKI

Gender : Female

Age : 11 – 12 years old

Breed : Smooth coat chow chow

HDB Approved : No

Sterilized : No (due to age)

Background : Abandoned, redeemed from SPCA

Adoption Fee : $120 (covers 1 vaccination and microchipping)

A gentle old lady who is in perfect health. Loves her long walks.

TAFFY

Gender : Female

Age : 2 years old

Breed : Mongrel

HDB Approved : No

Sterilized : Yes

Background : Rescued from irresponsible owner

Adoption Fee : $220 (covers vaccination, sterilization and microchipping)

A young and playful. Pretty-looking girl.

Interested parties to write in to noahsarkcares@gmail.com, including but not limited to an introduction of yourself and your family, and experience in keeping dog/s. Anyone below the age of 21 years old who is interested, please get your parents to write in instead, but don't forget to convince them first (:

Christmas time, oh christmas sales!

2010-12-09T12:13:00.012+08:00

Dear friends, readers and supporters,

Many are unaware that Noah's Ark has merchandise available for sale until they meet us at roadshows. Just a quick note, selling merchandise is part of our fund raising effort to raise money to fulfill our mission of providing a safe and secure home for our animal friends so that they can live out their life in dignity. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of merchandise goes to the upkeep of the many animals at our sanctuary.

Christmas is a time of giving and sharing. Why not do your Christmas shopping with us this year? Purchase some Noah’s Ark merchandise for your friends & family, and in the process help give abandoned and unwanted animals a second chance in life.

1) Blank greeting cards (pack of 5, random designs, 14 designs to collect in total!)
Cost: One pack for $10, Two packs for $18

2) Tshirts

Noah's Ark Puppy Tee
Colour of Tee: White
Material: Cotton
Sizes: (LIMITED SIZES LEFT)
Adults: S
Kids: 28, 30 and 34
Cost: $15 (adults), $10 (kids)

Front of Tshirt
Back of Tshirt
4 Animals Tee
Colour of Tee: Orange/White/Red/Yellow
Material: Dri Fit
Sizes: (LIMITED SIZES LEFT)
Adults: XS (white only)
Kids: 28 and 30
Cost: $15 (adults), $10 (kids)

BLACK TEE, ALL SOLD OUT!

3) Noah’s Ark Calendar - $10 each

Fantastic Christmas presents, especially for those gift exchanges and secret santas! Everyone needs a calendar for their office desk. Brighten it up with our happy animals as you flip through the months! There are boxes for you to write appointments and special dates in. Not many left, so do hurry.

4) Noah’s Ark Note Book
Cost: 1 for $5, 2 for $8

Cover page of the notebook - Let your imagination run free!

Blank coloured pages inside - Orange, Blue, Yellow, Green. Somehow, this arrangement does look like the Windows logo?

5) Noah’s Ark Post-Its
- One for $2, Two for $3

6) Notepad - $3 each
Inside pages are lined and yellow in colour.

7) Romancing History & Art - $40

One Book: “Romancing History & Art”, written by Lai Choi Kuen, featuring a collection of unique jewellery designed by Choi, will be launched at Tea. The jewellery pieces were created using antique Chinese miniature works of art.

We have some stock of these books that have been kindly donated by the author. At $40 per book, 100% of the proceeds will go towards Noah's Ark.

Please email us a list of items you would like to purchase and we'll check and arrange with the stock accordingly. All payment details are provided at the top of the column on the right. No words can thank you enough for contributing to and supporting our cause.

On behalf of the 800 dogs, 300 cats, 5 horses and many other animals at Noah's Ark, we thank you for your generosity and kindness.

Have a smashing Christmas!

Abandonment

2010-12-03T10:00:00.000+08:00

Our founder Raymund was on his way back to the sanctuary one afternoon when he saw a shopping bag with movement just outside the main road to NANAS. His initial thought was that it might be rats, but he sensed something was amiss when he saw two black and tan grown dogs, one male and one female, lurking around not far away from there. He has never seen those two dogs before and wondered where they came from.

Raymund’s curiosity got the better of him and he sent his workers to check out what was inside the bag. To their astonishment, they found four puppies inside! The workers actually saw the two grown dogs too when they were reaching the place where the bag was, but the two dogs ran off before the workers could grab hold of them. Upon seeing the puppies, the workers realized that the two dogs were most likely their parents, and that the entire family was dumped heartlessly just at the side of a busy road, cast out like trash.

The four puppies were all black and tan, with three barely 5-week old puppies from the same litter and another 3 month old puppy together in the same shopping bag. As expected, the three 5-week old puppies were all female. It is not uncommon to hear of people keeping only the males in a litter and getting rid of the females, as they do not want to spend money on sterilization or some of them do not even know what sterilization is. However, the bigger puppy was a male. Where did he come from and why was he dumped together with them? We will never know.

How could someone bear to put them in a shopping bag, and what's more, under the hot sun? Did the culprit assume that someone would pick them up? What if Raymund had not gone back to the sanctuary that fateful afternoon and missed them, wouldn’t the heat or suffocation have killed them? Even if they managed to escape from the bag, they would probably become roadkill. They are a litter of living things, but definitely not litter.

Hence, Raymund and his workers cleaned them up, and the bigger puppy was kept aside to be given a check-up. The three female puppies were fed milk and they slept soundly immediately after mealtime. The little sweeties were dreaming during their sleep, whining and twitching their limbs as though they were playing or running! Small as they were, they were smart enough not to pee in their basket. They sleepily crawled out and did their business on the newspaper before stumbling back into the basket again.

The girls are a pretty lot, but so is the boy. The boy has a sweet face and a docked tail, high chance of him being an owned pet. His big ears make him look extremely adorable! Who in the world, could bear to throw them away?

Just less than two weeks later, there was yet another female dog, dumped right at the doorstep of NANAS. What have become of pet owners nowadays? Coincidentally, she is black and tan too. She is estimated to be about seven years old, and already sterilized. She is too sweet to be true, docile, gentle and friendly even to strangers, which makes our hearts ache even more.

We are appealing for milk powder for the puppies, to ensure they grow up strong and healthy, in the hopes that they can get adopted down the road. We are also looking for sponsors to support their stay at the sanctuary as well as the black and tan female dog – will you like to make the difference in their lives? Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you:

1. Have milk powder to spare. We will arrange to pick it up from you. Please leave us your name, contact number and amount of milk powder you have so we can arrange for appropriate transport.

2. Can sponsor one, two or even three of such dogs. Our bank details are located on the right hand column of the blog. If you can contribute in any way, please let us know! We’ll be glad to hear from you.

Marmite

2010-11-23T14:38:00.018+08:00

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!

Charity Dim Sum Tea - 27 Nov 2010

2010-11-18T10:00:00.003+08:00

One Book & Five beneficiaries Charity Dim Sum Tea

Date: 27 Nov 2010
Time: 1500 - 1700hrs
Venue: Peach Garden @ OCBC 33rd Floor
Ticket: S$80/head

Join us for an afternoon of charitable causes over delightful dim sum and tea/coffee at the top of OCBC Centre.

One Book: “Romancing History & Art”, written by Lai Choi Kuen, featuring a collection of unique jewellery designed by Choi, will be launched at Tea. The jewellery pieces were created using antique Chinese miniature works of art.

Your S$80 ticket to tea comes with one copy of the book courtesy of JIA House of Fine Chinese Art and a 20% dining discount voucher courtesy of Peach Garden (T&C on voucher applies). You will also be treated to a mini jewelry show.

And when you pay S$80, you will be pleased to know that S$60 will go into a pot of fund to be allocated equally to five beneficiaries, where Noah's Ark is extremely privileged to be a recipient.

At the Tea we look to raise further funds with:

An auction of jewellery pieces designed by Choi, with all proceeds generated going towards the beneficiaries in equal share. For a copy of the catalogue, please download it from here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/h963sa;
A donation of 20% of sale proceeds from over-the-counter sale of jewellery designed by Choi;
Sale of books, with all proceeds going towards the beneficiaries of your choice.

We look forward to seeing you at Tea!

Regards,

Noah's Ark CARES

Woof for a Cause 27 Nov 2010

2010-11-13T10:00:00.004+08:00

It’s a dog walk with a difference! Come with your family, friends, and of course, your dog, for a day of fun, games, and a good cause. Take part in a leisurely walk at the West Coast Park, mingle with other dog lovers and their pets, collect exclusive premiums from Royal Canin, all while doing your part for charity!

Date : 27 November 2010, Saturday
Venue : West Coast Park, Grand Lawn
Time : 4 to 7 pm
Price : $25 per dog (includes one goodie bag per dog)
*All proceeds from the event will be contributed to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) and the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Sign Up Now!
Places are available on a first-come-first-served basis only. You can sign up by sending the completed form above together with your cheque payment, OR email the details on the form to clubpets.events@gmail.com with “Woof for A Cause” in the subject line, and we will contact you with the confirmation and payment details.

Closing date for registration: 24 November 2010.

Be the first 30 to sign up and receive a $20 product voucher from Royal Canin!

Responsible Pet Ownership Roadshow 13 & 14 Nov 2010

2010-11-08T10:00:00.008+08:00

Dear All,

It is that time of the year again, the AVA annual Road Show. This year, it has been named Responsible Pet Ownership Road Show 2010.

Date: 13 & 14 November 2010, Saturday and Sunday
Time: 11 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Venue: Singapore Expo Hall 4B
Free admission for both owners and pets

Under this year's theme of "Care for your Pet", highlights include special talks and demonstrations on pet care, training, pet health and much more.

Noah's Ark volunteers will be hard at work, manning our booth and doing their part to raise funds for the animals. Come lend your support by visiting our booth and purchasing our merchandise. We have t-shirts, polo shirts, luggage tags, memo pads and post-it notes for sale.

Moreover, our 2011 calendars will be on sale too! If you have already bought one for yourself, please do not hesitate to buy some for your friends and family too! Everyone needs a calendar especially with 2010 just around the corner and this would make great Christmas presents. Alternatively, you can purchase through an online order form. Stocks are running low, so get yours today!

Private tour 20 Nov 2010

2010-10-30T10:00:00.010+08:00

Dear Friends of Noah's Ark,

Noah's Ark is pleased to announce that due to popular request, we have started a series of private tour days for visitors. Before you get confused, private tour date is for when visitors hire minivans or self drive into the sanctuary. On the other hand, public tour dates are done 3 times a year and we will hire tour coaches on that occasion. Start marking your calendar for a series of private tours to Noah's Ark! The next visit will be on:

20 November 2010, Saturday, 2.30-5.30pm

Write to us if you are interested to visit the sanctuary on this day with your own transport (either via mini bus or own vehicle). Once we reach our maximum capacity, we regret that you will have to join us on the next time. There are limited places available as we will also be expecting visits from other private organisations/schools. There will be a small donation of S$30 per person, where 100% of the proceeds will go into running of the wonderful sanctuary you are about to visit!

To register, please provide details:

Name:
Handphone number:
Email:

No. of pax you are registering for:

Modes of payment:

1. Cheque. Please issue your cheque to "Noah's Ark CARES" and send it to 42 Cairnhill Road, #02-01, S (229661). Please write on the back of the cheque "November 2010 Tour".

2. Alternatively you can do an ATM transfer or Internet Banking to our any of our 2 Bank accounts:

For transfer to OCBC BANK:

Bank: OCBC Bank (OCBCSGSG)
Acct No: 501-827745-001
Acct Name: Noah's Ark Companion Animal Rescue & Edn Society
Branch: OCBC Head Office
Branch Code: 501
Bank Code: 7339

For transfer to DBS BANK:

Bank: DBS
Account type: DBS CURRENT
Acct number: 012-900823-0
Acct name: Noah's Ark CARES
Branch Code: 012
Bank Code: 7171

** After the successful TT, kindly email us the following details for our accounting purposes:

Name:
Bank:
Date:
Ref:
Amount:

PLEASE NOTE:
Incomplete details will NOT BE ENTERTAINED. Do take the extra 5mins to double check ALL DETAILS here have been filled up (applies to Ibanking ONLY).

**Please note the following terms & conditions;

1) There will be no refund if you do not show up on that day. The money will be taken as a donation to the animals of Noah's Ark. Thank you.
2) Children below 5 years old are not advised to visit unless they have no fear of being surrounded by many dogs at one time. Parents/Guardians will have to be responsible for their children/ward at the sanctuary.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Noah's Ark!
What are you waiting for? Hurry and book with us to avoid disappointment! :) See you there!

I can't wait to greet all of you!

I will be on the lookout for you!

The Naked Truth 30 Oct 2010

2010-10-26T10:00:00.001+08:00

The Naked Truth is an educational seminar for pet owners. There will be a series of speakers discussing various topics on pet ownership and nutrition.

Date: 30 Oct 2010, Saturday
Time: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Ticket price: $18 with free goodie bag worth $30!

To register, please email juleana@addictionfoods.com with the subject title "The Naked Truth" together with your Name, Contact No., Address, Email Address, No. of Pax, Breed of Pet(s)
OR call Juleana at 62738981 between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cycle & Carriage - Irish Red Setters

2010-10-21T10:00:00.000+08:00

Hello hello!

My name is Cycle and and I am an Irish Red Setter.

I came to Noah's Ark 8 years ago in the big shift from Singapore to Pekan Nanas. I have a sister and her name is Carriage.

Word has it that a wealthy man paid a deposit for us to be imported from Australia. However, he was too busy to take care of us and left us at the pet shop to be rehomed.

Both of us were puppies then and were kept in the pet shop where we had many other puppy friends to play with. Eventually, our puppy friends went to their new owners one by one and we were left behind. Soon, we outgrew our cages.

The Pet shop owner was unable to rehome us into a landed property. Finally, he contacted Noah's Ark where Uncle Raymund agreed to take us in and gave us the free rein to run around the property.

As the former owner was spotted driving a Mercedes Benz, we were hence named Cycle & Carriage.

I am a boy and the bigger one. I like to play rough and tumble with the other boys and dive into the lily pond to chase each other.

Carriage, who look exactly the same is a sweet and demure gal who enjoys hanging outside the clinic, waiting for pat from anyone who passes by.

Once, she was given a whole chicken liver treat which she refused to eat. The volunteer who fed her has to break the treat into smaller pieces for her to relish.

Well, she's a prissy missy mah, gotta maintain an image right?? :D

Paws and Licks,
Cycle

Better Owner, Better Dog

2010-10-17T10:00:00.000+08:00

The Better Owner, Better Dog seminar is back this year in its third year running! Organised by Pets Magazine, the Better Owner, Better Dog seminar is the largest scale dog care seminar of its kind in Singapore. Dog owners, both new and experienced, can all learn something new from this seminar with a local panel of 5 speakers giving valuable and practical insights and answering questions covering pet health, diet, training, alternative therapies, grooming and bonding. There will also be new faces and new approaches to the topics as most of the speakers are contributing for the first time in this seminar.

Theory Session Saturday, 23 October 2010, 1 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
- 5 speaker panel with new speakers
-Gain insights on pet health, diet, alternative therapies, training, bonding and grooming
-Learn and ask from the experts
-Share experiences with fellow dog owners

The Asian Civilisation Museum, Tickets from $12-$24 per person.
Includes a 2 tea breaks and goodies for attendees worth more than $100!

Practical Session Sunday, 24 October 2010, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (1 hour/class)
Introduction to dog obedience and the proper approach to dog training

Fort Gate, Fort Canning Park, Tickets at $10 per dog with owner.
Includes refreshments and opportunity for a free vet health check and bio-resonance food intolerance check for your dog

*Note: The Practical Session cannot be booked without the Theory Session

Sign up now!
Book your places online at http://petsmagazine.com.sg/
OR SMS your Name, Email, No. of Tickets, Theory OR Theory&Practical to 82666782 now
(e.g. of SMS format: John Tan, john@email.com, 3, Theory&Practical)

Grab your copy of Noah's Ark 2011 Calendars before they are sold out!

2010-10-10T10:00:00.003+08:00

Dear Friends and Supporters of Noah's Ark,

Thank you very much for your continuous support. Noah's Ark 2010 calendars are ready and have been selling out very fast!

You may buy your copy from the following locations or for bulk order, you can fill in an order form and mail to us together with your cheque payment for processing.Alternatively, should you prefer to do an ATM or internet fund transfer, please see our bank details on the right sidebar. Do email us your transaction code to enable us to follow up and keep track of your orders.

Our calendars are excellent gifts for Christmas gift exchange, or for an animal-loving friend or even to family & friends who would like to understand more about what Noah's Ark CARES does and our mission ahead.

Go grab your copy whilst stocks last!

Online Pet Stores
www.lacaninecoupes.com

www.pawfamily.sg

www.thewaterdish.com.sg

Vets
Allpets & Aqualife
219 Jalan Kayu
Tel: 6250 8333

Mount Pleasant Veterinary Centre
232 Whitley Road
Tel: 6250 8333

Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic
105 Clementi St 12 #01-08
Tel: 6776 8858

Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre (Redhill)
Blk 113 Bukit Merah View #01-520
Tel: 6271 1132

Namly Animal Clinic
74 Namly Place
Tel: 6469 4744

Dog Groomers
Dog Care Grooming Centre
232 Whitley Road
tel: 6252 2326

Pet Shops
Annie's Pet Corner
Blk 221 Boon Lay Place
#02-112 Boon Lay Shopping Centre
Tel: 6265 8510

Annie's Pet Corner
Blk 85A, Toa Payoh Lor 4 #01-308
Tel: 6352 8100

City Pets
33 Jalan Mas Puteh
Tel: 6776 5338

Loving Pets
158 East Coast Road
Tel: 6346 1286

Paradise Pet Shop
232 Whitley Road
Tel: 6256 2500

Pets' Station - Causeway Point
1 Woodlands Square #B1-09
Tel: 6891 3547

Pets' Station - Holland Village
25A Lorong Liput
Tel: 6468 8838

Pets' Station - Jurong Point
1 Jurong West central 2 #B1-62
Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Tel: 6791 9989

Pets' Station - Tampines ONE
10 Tampines Central 1 #05-02/03 Tampines 1
Tel: 6260 8280

Pets Love
374 River Valley Road
Tel: 67383 6011

Sundream Pet Land
545 Orchard Road
#02-024 Far East Shopping Cntre
Tel: 6224 9944

U Petgamart
11 Pasir Ris Farmway 1
Tel: 6583 7858

On behalf of the animals at Noah's Ark, we thank you for your support and generosity :)