Dogs in a ditch

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!