Volunteering experience

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