Pet ownership vs. guardianship

Less well-known in Singapore is the concept of "responsible pet guardianship".

As opposed to "ownership" as advocated and known by most local animal-related groups.

Just to point out that if we were to contextualize "guardianship" in Singapore, that would mean legal/welfare authorities have more power and right to claim an animal out of the guardianship of the family, in the case where family is deemed or suspected to be unsuitable to be taking care of the animal. Yet, guardianship connotes transience, as in the case where a guardian takes care of his ward, as a surrogate parent -- the commitment level is shaky.

On the other hand, "ownership" bestows upon families/adoptive parents with a greater sense of responsibility. When you own a "property", you are, by law and ethically, expected to be RESPONSIBLE for it and its well-being. Yet, the very idea of "ownership" renders it difficult for relevant authorities to claim a suffering animal out of the hands of its owner.

We can expend the greatest pride and effort on debating "guardianship" vs. "ownership" but ultimately, there IS no real label. If you TRULY love and understand your animal, it doesn't matter whether it's "guardianship", "ownership" or what not. It matters no more what terms you use or prefer.

Where an animal life is concerned, we cannot be compelled to abide by terms that otherwise legitimize our stand on animals. It's a LIFE, not a toy, not a property, not your money.

It's a LIFE.

http://www.guardiancampaign.com/ResponsiblePetGuardianship.pdf

Have a blessed Christmas

Perhaps to reiterate, add to and expound on [the essences of] the message in the poster below, we would like to encourage all to take animal welfare in a constructive light by opening your heart to the realities of animals in captivity and in the wild. Commercial pictures of pets may paint to you all-too-rosy ideas and ideals of pets and the domestication of animals. Or they encourage -- sometimes, insiduously so -- the treatment of animals as mere commodities, a statement of fashion or a status symbol, or a fuzzy-furry entity likened to a cushiony pillow you hug in bed while you snooze.

Having pets is, no doubt, more, so much more, than the ideal we would all like to wholeheartedly and willingly embrace and bring with us as beautiful notions of companionship, warmth, friendship, happiness and contentment that we carry in life.

For most who read this blog, you can only be too aware of the true meaning to having a pet and commiting to one throughout all vagaries of life and living.

We hereby encourage all to take a strong stand against ignorance, negligence and disrespect for the dignity and quality of life often denied to animals, speak up against those who defile these principles and willingly encourage the careful treatment of all lives.

In this celebratory season of giving and sharing, animal societies and welfare groups across the world discourage the treatment of animals as Christmas gifts and gently remind all to keep in mind our animals who live the reality of threadbare existence and hand-to-mouth survival, to spare a thought for them and hopefully, lend a helping hand to needy ones and the ones who help them.

To our supporters, we thank you in earnest for being with us throughout this time and more importantly, for being with the animals in thought and action. It is people like yourselves who keep us going in this constant activism for an improvement in the lives of these animals, esp. our strays, in all degrees that will go a long way in respecting an animal as a living, sentient being and a part of this world, nature and our coexistences.

Sunnyboy

We learnt about 2 months ago that Sunnyboy has gone missing.

At times, we wish they were less friendly to humans.

You would notice that

during this festive season of giving and receiving, we are receiving more calls from people thinking of adopting a pet. And I say, thinking.

Some are genuine. Some are calling with the intention to get a 'gift'. I am always perplexed by the seeming ignorance from some people who called. Some do not even have an idea how big a certain breed can be. Some could not tell you why they even want a dog at this moment. Some thought that they can 'try out' the animal. What are they getting at? A return policy??

I think the festive season injects this urge of buying and giving in people who have no clue what a living, breathing, sentient animal needs for the rest of his/her life.

Pls share with your family and friends who are 'thinking' of getting a pet, to THINK and THINK AGAIN. It is such 'thinking' that churns out massive numbers of puppies from puppy farms and breeders, many who unfortunately end up in ignorant homes, neglected or abused, and many more do not get sold at all, and THINK - what happen to them?

Adopting is a preferred choice to buying. Yes. But a better way is to reduce unnecessary breeding by reducing ignorant demands - thereby cutting down the number of animals without homes, neglected/abused cases, and abandoned dogs that leads to greater numbers of strays (unsterilised) and uncontrolled breeding .... which ultimately culminates in the destruction of innocent lives by CULLING.

Death. It all starts so innocently, doesn't it?

By someone THINKING of getting a pet, without fully considering the entire path of an animal's life.

Please think again.

Well, some requests

of Bailey's shots, so here she is. My pal. :)

Mugshot

At East Coast beach

Ming Ming has gone for her final follow-up

last Sat. Stitches have been removed. She is recovering fine. Will update more with photos.

THANK YOU once again for all of you who have donated kindly towards her medical fees. I will be getting a copy of the final bill from Pet Clinic & AMK Vet soon. Will email/mail you a copy of the vet bill plus a statement of our own accounts.

Thank you so much.

Combo: Animal Cruelty + Vandalism

On behalf of grassroots resistance against the vandalism of animal lives and public property, we have put up the following poster.

Cruelty to animals is not inconsequential. Take action now, because each and every one of you is capable of creating more awareness and deterring such unacceptable tendency and behaviour.

The days of a dog and her saviour

The first time we saw Lucas in July,

he was chained up tightly to a pillar in a deserted part of a farm. He was part of a suspected illegal breeding business which we reported to the authorities. Soon, other caged dogs at that area were removed, but the 'breeder' left Lucas there, conveniently dumping him, without a care of how he was going to survive, without food, without water.


Abandoned and forgotten.

We noticed that he had difficulty standing, collapsing now and then. At teh vet, we discovered that his paws were badly infected and flies had laid eggs right under his nails, hatching into maggots that were causing him pain and discomfort. Dr B treated him, some of his nails had to be removed.

We boarded him at boarding kennel for awhile before deciding to move him over to Animal Lovers League where he would have the freedom beyond a 3x2 kennel, the freedom to run about and play, freedom to bask in the sun and frolick in the rain, freedom to sleep at his favourite spot. If we have not found him a good home, FREEDOM is the least we can offer him. After what he has gone through in his young life.


Lucas at the dog run of a boarding kennel.

I am glad to see him no longer in a kennel, but freely exploring the compounds of Animal Lovers League. He has immersed very well into the packs at ALL, after just 1 night in a kennel to familiarise himself and other dogs to him, the very next day, he was already out and about! He is still looking pudgy though, err...not sure if he would be losing some weight soon. :)


Looking pudgy..... see that tummy..


Fav pasttime - munching treats!


Lucas is getting along fine with the packs. Usually new dogs take a week or more before they are let free. Lucas is free the very next day he was boarded.


Good thing is Lucas has not developed a needy nature, unlike Shadow (one of our dogs who boarded at ALL and later was adopted). He will gaze at us when we're leaving, follow us as much as he can from across the fencing, and look on until we're gone. But I think he has adapted well. Now, a good home is all we ask for.



Boarding at ALL costs $130/month. If you would like to sponsor Lucas' boarding, pls email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg

We are actively looking for a good home for him. Lucas is a very affectionate, active fellow. He seeks human companionship thus he makes a wonderful family pet. Anyone who is keen can visit him at ALL and contact us for more info.

Going on our route today,

we were blessed with kind weather - with heavy rains BEFORE and AFTER we are done! :) Our dogs were wet through though.

First, our rottweiler mama is doing good, as usual she doesn't know how strong she is and happily jumps her full weight upon you and paws your hand for quick release of FOOD.

Her son is much better now. Just last week, he was warded urgently when we found him lying on the floor, unable to get up and vomiting.

Dr T inspected him and found a bladder so full that it must have been causing him great pain. He was unable to pee, unable to poo, unable to eat. Dr T suspected that he must been have whacked by someone with a hard object to his body, which greatly impacted and caused internal injury to his bladder. He is a very friendly and jolly fellow. Who would want to casue him hurt? A catheter had to be inserted to drain out his full bladder and relief him of the pain. He was hospitalised for a week. His vet bill is about $350+.

If you would like to help in this expense, pls email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg Thank you.


Rottie mama - suspected dumped into a mud pool few months back and rescued. Her son is suspected to have been whacked by someone. Unfortunately we have no evidence who it might be.


Next door, the black twins have decided to join Scruffy and gang. She and golden mommy are on heat again, but unfortunately we are still unable to reach these 2. And the young gal. They stay just beyond our reach.



Scruffy and young gal. Scruffy would come near and eat from my hand, but catching her for sterilisation is another matter altogether. Young gal never comes within a metre to me.


From Abbie's pack - it is interesting how similar their features and stance are. The same blood line.


Further now, the temple dogs are a delight to watch. The sand dune is their resting place. What a delight it will be if we can promise them a life of safety and peace, of no random culling. Sadly, I cannot promsie them that. Just last week, some of their pals have been caught and put down by the authorities. These below are still alive cos the temple man is a goodhearted man and helped to 'chase' them away when the authorities were surrounding them.





Warm sand in a cool weather .... comfort ....

One of the temple dogs is a so sweet gal with big round eyes. A darling.




Such sweet round eyes!


Further along, we visited Coca and Cola's sister and her family. She's a big. sturdy gal, one look and you will see the sibling similarities.

Pepsi (or Wang Wang as the farm lady calls her)

Over at Guppy and Discus' side, their mom is pregnant again. Not easy to get her, but we'll continue to try.

Pregnant mom running away

Guppy grooming Discus. Look at Discus' contented face, or is that tolerance...

Very interestingly, down the lane, there is another pair of boys - almost mirror images of Guppy & Discus. Look at their coat colours.

Doesn't he look like a mini Discus?

And this is where we found Lucas few months back, chained up to the pillar. I am just relieved that he is now safe and free at ALL.

The brave dog, the thoughtful dolphin,
The tech-savvy chimp using stones,
The elephant that mourns its dead
By gently caressing their bones.

Their low place in the Chain of Being
Is an example of our chauvinism;
A myriad biases stigmatise us
Let's not have one more -- speciesism.

Source: Catherine Lim, Humoresque, 251.

Remembering Ace

Does he look like a stray to you? Not to me either.

Ace was an unfortunate victim of pet abandonment more than 2 years ago. He turned up suddenly one day along our route. One of the many unseen, unknown ones out there. Found along places quite away from crowded housing, along routes where the owners could conveniently dumped their pets out from their cars and quickly speed away.

Sounds heartless? It is. For to subject domesticated pets to the full elements and dangers of the wild is as cruel as explicit animal abuse. For the animal is left in a highly distressed state of loss and fear, and at risk of car accidents or wrongly put down as strays. Some would die a slow, painful death of starvation, never being found. It is downright sad and cruel.

Ace is such a handsome fellow. Unfortunately, he was wary of us and 'disappeared' before we could get close enough to bring him to safety.

To prevent more cases of such senseless abandonment, of owners thinking that they could buy a pet one day, and dump them the next, let us aim for compulsory microchipping of ALL pets being sold from farms and petshops.

Compulsory microchipping was announced as one of the measures to be undertaken by AVA at their Responsible Pet Ownership roadshow in November 2005. However, it has not been implemented. You can consider writing into AVA to enquire on the status - http://www.ava.gov.sg/

Microchipping acts as a deterrent to irresponsible families who think that they can 'try out' a pet instead of fully committing to whatever might come along the way, from the very moment they bring an animal home. It is a push factor for families to consider thoroughly their decision to have a pet, and a deterrent against pet abandonment as the animal can easily be traced back to the owner.

An educated decision on sterilisation is also key in preventing unwanted pups from being born, and carelessly given away to friends and relatives who are not committed to their well-being. In most circumstances, breeding should NOT take place nor is there a need to.

Education is the only sustaining factor to raise our platform of awareness in future, not just in animal welfare but in all areas of uplifting mankind and the world we live in.

I believe we shall always have enough,

in fact, we shall have more than enough. For all our needs.

The support, and so much more important, the FAITH and TRUST in us that we have experienced so far, has been incredibly heartwarming and humbling at the same time.

It teaches me the power of a simple faith - of this beacon of hope that you first light within your own heart, before its illumination steadily ignite the beacons all around, till we have a circle of hearts in unison, gathered in strength to move ahead together.

To all of you who have lit up your beacon with us, THANK YOU doesn't say enough. Be greatly blessed for your kindness.



We are visiting Lucas this Sunday evening. Will share photos of him at ALL as well as his new found gal, a female retriever he's been hanging closely with. :) Keep Lucas in mind if you are ready for a boisterous, funny, ever faithful friend.

Is it worth it?

Been so bogged down by work for the past weeks that my eyes have veered off the focus of Project JK.

Now, the question posted to me in my heart, with a tinge of disappointment, is - IS IT WORTH IT?

Is all this work for the animals worth it? Is all this time, efforts, money spent on one animal after the other, worth it?

The things we have given up, most importantly our time with people who are precious to us. The worst is to let our personal relationships suffer in the name of animal welfare.

Is it all worth it?

What are we trying to achieve? And are we struggling in it, in ways not meant to be?

For me, my heart feels alive when I reach out to an animal in need. It feels effortless to speak on their behalf, to seek support on their behalf, to offer them a chance through the goodness of man's heart.

I thought I was called to do this. Cos I feel for the animals in need. I want to do what I can to give them a better life. I thought I could make a difference, and I hope I have, in the past few months.

But now, I question myself if there is danger in walking down this narrow path? The danger of a myopic vision in animals over people.

That had been my focal point many years back, the myopia of a priority of an animal over a human being. A vision that slowly kills my love for mankind in the face of senseless animal abuse and neglect. That hardens my heart and puts words in my mouth that devalue humanity.

I was angry at men. And their cruelty.

As I grow, wiser I hope, many signs point out to me my myopic view of life. Wisdom that I struggle with still cos my first reaction has been trained to bounced back to the animal. And fight the person. I find that I have no empathy for the human being BEHIND the animal.

When an animal is abused, I sensed the pain. It angers and grieves me. But I find that my heart was not capable of empathising with the human behind this act of abuse. I do not care a hoot what made him do it? I don't give a damn the psychological pathways leading to this eventual act.

But I am a fellow human being. How can I not care? When have I become so unfeeling of a fellow brother or sister?

How can I care only for an abused animal, however unwarranted it is, but not spare any thought to the person who committed that act? Can we say, in all honesty, the abuser feels NO pain deep within his heart?

Why have I shut myself to a fellow man? Why did I not try to understand WHY he did that cruel act? Did he inflict pain cos he himself is in pain?

It is not easy, I know that all too clearly, to try to understand the person behind an act of abuse. It is tough cos my heart pains for the innocent animal - and that pain is more obvious cos the abuse on the animal's body that I CAN SEE....that is more obvious than the pain in the abuser's heart that I CANNOT.

When a person hurts an animal, or even when an owner abandons his pet, can we try to comprehend what goes on in the mind of such a person? Perverted joy? Creepy sense of satisfaction? What about anger? Fear? Pain?? Sadness? What makes a human being, of intellect and emotions, imflict pain on a sentient being? What makes a person capable of abandoning his pet, knowing full well his pet would suffer the consequences?

These people are obviously NOT in a sane condition. Precisely cos they are unable to keep a control on their emotions. The emotions of fear, anger, pain, grief that overtake them and cause them to commit an erroneous act.

But these people, why do we find it so tough to empathise with them? To accept that they themselves are in pain? Cos we are angry at them, aren't we? Cos we know they have done something wrong, they deserved to be punished. We are judging them.

I always try to remind myself, please do not be so myopic, vacummed in my small bubble of a fight against unnecessary animal suffering. How many animals can I help - one by one - if all I do is REACT to an isolate case, and expend my energy to the point of exhaustion and neglect of loved ones?

I have been pondering lately. Just what are we driving at, where are we driving to? What I have been doing have not even touched the ROOT of the problem in animal welfare. I have been looking thru a pinhole and see only the animal, but missed the entire landscape of complex human needs that are crying out so loudly but I have been deaf cos I choose to hear only the cries of the animals in need.

So is it all worth it?

This sensing floats up cos I think I know, deep down, I have treaded down a very common path in animal welfare that in truth, does not help the animals in true reality. It is a misguided path of people fighting people. Of judgement and condemnation. It is winning isolated battles but losing the war.

How can we truly have a sustaining change in our world? I think it is only through touching the hearts of our fellow brothers and sisters.

The ROOT of the issue lies in the pain in the hearts of men. Resolution lies in eradicating this pain. I am not sure if I am courageous enough to walk that way, cos it seems to conflict with the pursuit of animal welfare, cos it seems to imply that forgiveness is better than judgement.

To forgive an animal abuser? To forgive an owner who abandons his pet? Not easy, I know. Works so against our gut reaction. Forgiveness doesn't make the act right. But forgiveness will touch a heart in pain, and give it the clarity to know what is right in future. For we cannot police over an offender for the rest of his life, but if we can change his heart, his actions remain right henceforth.

A line I heard: Save the people, and they will save the animals.

It is worth it only if we are helping our fellow human beings in the process.

I am still pondering.

To save or not to save

Seeing this emaciated dog gets me thinking again on the age-old debate: to save or not to save.

Many people would take a look at the picture and say: for the good of the dog, pls put him down. End his suffering.

On the other side of the fence, many people would take a look and say: now that we found him, pls save him. Give him a chance in life.

Who is right?

No one and everyone?

The power men holds in his hands has twarted the nature of life somewhat. The power to give life and more so, the power to take away life.

Euthansia has become a very convenient, fast, relatively cheap way to take away a life, mostly in the name of ending suffering. Sometimes for the agenda of saving costs. To let some lives go that would otherwise eat up a large chunk of funds.

The power of euthanasia in men's hands is dangerous. It becomes too convenient an option when faced with a tough situation treading thinly between life and death. It becomes too easy to snuff out a life.

It could eventually misguide our heart.

On the other hand, the very cry in us to save an animal sometimes is born out of a hidden sense of pride, a misguided need to feel a sense of accomplishment, to feed our own lack that we hope to draw from a case of 'from near-death to life'. Of 'wow, look what I did, I saved this dog's life!'

We must not look to ourselves if we really claim to have a heart for the animal in need. We have to shut off our emotions that may misguide us into soothing those emotions, rather than to come to a place where we make a decision, at times painful, but always for the ultimate GOOD of the animal.

It is the animal's pain that we must soothe.

For me, if the vet feels that there is a chance of survival, and if the animal shows a sign that he/she is willing to give life another chance, then we, in all capacity, should be that hope which the animal has been waiting for.

Now that he was eventually found.

A thin line of life

Posting on behalf of Phyllis and Chek Wee.

Pains me is an understatement. It is the days before he was found, the many hours of hunger he endured and finally near starvation. The loss of hope, waning day by day, minute by minute.

You can't even tell if he is a local stray or an abandoned home pet. I can just barely make out his golden brown fur from what's left on his back and tail.

Thing is strays are born street-wise and hardy. They would have been able to find food source and make it to survive. This could have been an abandoned/lost pet who was left to fend for himself in a wilderness he has no clue about. To come to this stage of starvation, his soul must have already died for hope in vain.

At least now he is in a safe place. He now has a glimmer of hope to cross this very thin line between life and death. He still has a chance of experiencing LIFE as it is meant to be. Let him have a taste of the GOODNESS in men's hearts.


MESSAGE:

This very emaciated dog was seen by Vincent and Phyllis near the SLE at Ponggol.

As Vincent puts it, it is a walking skeleton.

They couldn't just leave the dog to die so they picked up the dog.
It is now under the care of Dr Robin Au of Pet Clinic (Tel 62885565)

It is unlikely to survive but as least it receives comfort care.

If you would like to contribute to the Vet fees, please contact either
1) Phyllis at 91993221 or
2) Call the Clinic and says you would like to send a cheque (made out to Pet Clinic, 79 Brighton Crescent, Serangoon Gdn Way, S559218) to help this dog who is under Phyllis' account.

chek wee

cream dog

First, apologies for the bad-quality pictures below. Pictures were taken with a cellphone camera, hence the shakiness and graininess.

The cream-coloured dog in the picture is THE dog we're looking for. He has been spotted wandering around the Upp. B. Timah-Beauty World area. A little on a slim side but otherwise healthy. About a year old and presumably unsterilised.

We were walking one of our dogs, Puppyboy, outside Toh Yi Drive, Upp. B. Timah when the boy came bounding after us. He seemed to take to Puppyboy very well and before long the two were locked in a friendly spar right beside the busy traffic.

He followed us all the way home and napped a little by the gate. The gate which separated him and his newfound friend, Puppyboy.

So we fed him some food and when we returned from the pet shop with a leash to tie him to the gate for the rescue team to arrive, he was gone.

We suspect he should be still in the vicinity but we worry for his safety with most residents' 'natural' adverse reactions towards street dogs, the traffic and this being the monsoon season, where is he seeking shelter from?

If you've spotted the fellow, please do not hesitate to email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg or contact 9026-2733. A very friendly one for a street dog.

Let's just hope he's safe.

Just want to say

a heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been with us along our way. A 'thank you' arising from an email sent by a fellow dog-lover on 'random acts of kindness'. And so happened I was just speaking with a friend on the exact same topic of random acts of kindness.

The spirit of paying it forward. Actually I don't quite like the word 'paying', more like 'giving it forward'. As it is given you, give it unto others.

Random acts of kindness.

Maybe when you wake up tomorrow, look out for some little random kindness and love that you can spread around. Simple, very simple things in life that many of us may have forgotten how to do.

Maybe make a cup of coffee for your partner. Offer to help watch over your baby nephew from your tired mom. Say hi to your neighbour! (something many Singaporeans find alien...) And, when you get into that train/bus, instead of hoping that no old person or pregnant woman walks near you, try looking out for an old person or a pregnant woman you can give up your seat for!

Try NOT to be waiting for acts of kindness to befall you. Instead look out for acts of kindness that can come forth from you.

In this world of ours, even and maybe especially in the arena of animal welfare, when you look deep enough, long enough, it is never just about the animals. In the arena of nature conservation, it is never just about the trees, the air, the waters.

In every single breath of our life on earth, from what I have seen and lived, it is about the people we share our lives with.

Amidst the animals we care for, there are the people who helped us, who maybe hindered us, who encouraged us, whom we endeavoured to support. People we remember in good or bad. With each animal we meet along the way, there always seem to be a person linked to that episode.

I don't go about my journey with the animals just on my own. I won't go far if I do. My strength comes from the good people around me, people with good hearts who practise random acts of kindness that has brought us so far, that has brought a measure of joy to the lives we stepped out to help.

To think that in animal welfare and nature conservation, it is all just about the animals or just about the trees, is akin to looking at the beach and think that it is all about the sand. No. The beach is nothing without the sea, the sun, the sky, the breeze. All these gifts together form the wondrous experience of going to the beach. Just as all the people around us create this precious journey we have come to treasure, regardless of the unavoidable pangs of pain that ocassionally hits us in this walk drenched with both joy and grief. Life and death.

But so long as we walk on, always conscious in speaking the truth, of moving ahead with an open heart, of simply waking up with the consciousness of KINDNESS. To people, animals and nature.

Walk out the truth. In kindness. This in essence is what Project JK is all about. Just Kindness.

As we move along, we seek your support for LUCAS

We have moved Lucas to Animal Lovers' League (ALL) yesterday after considering his present needs and our main intention: to find him a good home.

http://www.animalloversleague.com/

- At ALL, Lucas will be able to roam free in the compound after a short familiarisation period in the kennel. ALL accords him a certain measure of freedom that normal boarding kennels may not. And being such an exuberant fellow, he'll welcome all the space and freedom he can get. Boarding at a kennel with no runs will only make him pudgier and more pent-up, which really does him no good.

- Being at ALL also offers Lucas more chances of being seen by families who visit ALL and the adjourning dog run each weekend. This will in turn raise his chances of finding a genuine home. We are confident that Lucas will soon have a responsible and loving family to call his own.

* Boarding at ALL for Lucas will cost $130/month. We hope to find him a home in the next 3 to 4 months. We hereby seek your support in sponsoring his boarding fees. Any amount is much appreciated, partial or for 1 or more months.


CHEQUE:
Please cross your cheque to "ANIMAL LOVERS LEAGUE". On the back of your cheque, please state "FOR LUCAS", your name, address, contacts (email or phone) clearly so that I can arrange with ALL to send you a receipt. Please send the cheque to: Block 412 Sembawang Drive #08-740 S750412.

BANK TRANSFER:
If bank transfer is more convenient for you, pls email projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg and we'll provide more details for transfer.

Official receipts will be sent for all donations.

Lucas should be running free in ALL compound by next weekend or so. By then, do feel free to drop by and visit him! If you know good potential adopters, let me know and we will arrange to see Lucas there.

On behalf of Lucas, and moving along, one dog at a time, THANK YOU.

Ming Ming is doing fine

Despite her apprehension and pensiveness at the vet on Wed, Ming Ming's operation went well. Henceforth, we shall let her regain her strength and health from lots of rest, care and supplements. She will have her next follow-up at Pet Clinic in 2 weeks time.

To date, we have managed to raise $1405 for Ming Ming's medical bills. The estimate breakdown of her bills are:

1. 1st consult at AMK Vet: $40+
2. 2nd consult, X-Ray and medication at Pet Clinic: $320+
3. 3rd consult and medication at Pet Clinic: $90+
3. Operation and medication at Pet Clinic: $980+
4. Follow up in mid-Dec: estimate $100+

* Thus, we are currently short of about $100+ to cover her next follow-up visit.

I always believe that we will always have enough for our needs, for our needy animals out there. Once again, we are making it through! I believe we will receive more donations to cover Ming Ming's next vet check.

For those of you who have contributed, we would like you to know that every little bit adds up! Do not underestimate the power of just $10 or $20. All this kindness add up to what we need for each case. Thank you so very much. I'll be passing you your official receipt as well as copies of the vet bills when I receive them.

Ming Ming is at the vet now,

awaiting her operation to be done. Her muzzle wound has dried up nicely, though that bump may remained for a longer time.

She looks pensive, solemn. Guess no dog ever enjoys a trip to the vet. I'll update more later.

Thanks to all who have been with her during this time in her life. You have made a difference. Thank you.

FOSTER/ADOPTER for Doby

Dear all

Scott was rescued with his siblings from a flooded drain when he was just 2 months old. Soon after, he was rehomed but unfortunately due to family issues, he was returned to us.

We managed to find a very kind and patient foster who has taken Scott in. With a change of home and change of name - Scott or Doby (his new name) is settling down well with his new foster. No longer a latch-key pup, Doby is steadily growing into a mature adult.

Doby is about 6 months now and looking for a good family who will have him as their own. Someone ready and committed to the happiness of a young, boisterous, intelligent, sometimes disobedient pup who will sooth all the headaches of puppyhood with his own unique brand of loyalty and love.

* Meanwhile, we are also looking for another foster who can help relieve our current foster for a period (minimum 3 months). If you can help foster Doby, please get in touch with us asap. Greatly appreciate.

projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg

the foster

In Singapore, we do not have any form of animal rehabilitation centre where there are dedicated professionals to rehabilitate an animal, be it nursing physical wounds or retraining a dog to be able to socialize normally.

But, it is a major fact that we have disparate fosterers who offer their homes and 24/7 commitment to animals in need of homes, in need of a leader to give them a second chance in life, to make them unlearn bad habits and assure them that they are not street animals to be impounded or taken away, to give them hope as worthy beings who have a stake in this world.

Our fosterers are heroes behind the scene. Ineluctably, a foster develops emotional bonds with the animals under their charge, as he or she integrates them to society and along the way, integrate them to their homes. The animal might have suspicions that the foster home is never his permanent abode but the relationship between foster and animal is undeniable.

As they learn new things about each other and reconcile with their differences, they grow into each other and nurture ties that I can only say are almost akin to those of a family.

For a foster to give her dog away when a good family comes along, it is often a rocky dilemma and an emotionally-charged occasion. It is difficult for anyone who has taken care of his or her dog to discount the beautiful relationship that dog and foster have built. To move on from the successful adoption, to return to a home where you no longer see Max or Sassy and get on with life as it is, is a reality hard to grapple with and a brutal one at that.

But this is the strength of the foster. To lend a hand to the homeless animal in need and see through it that the dog or cat or rabbit finds a good home. The fortitude of our noble fosters makes up the support network, the pillar of animal welfare.

To the fosters who unfailingly give our animals hope, we can only thank them.

Our K8 are doing good too

It had rained in the early noon and the dogs were lazing around in the cool wet air. Piko has a new toy today, err....doesn't it look like a toilet bobber?




She has another toy too - K's sandal.


Piko on the sandal while Mr Brown looked on.

Mr Brown himself is recovering well from his mane, his coat is filling in nicely. This guy has a perpetual worried look that's endearing.



Mr Brown's siesta

Fat Boy is well...still fat. Whenever the pack dashes on their chase, Fat Boy rushes along happily. Few minutes later, you see the pack return, cool and steady. Then comes our chubby fellow, ambling back, with the heaviest panting..haha! He needs boot camp.




Fat Boy


Fat Boy, Mr Brown & Piko grooming one another


Fat Boy's butt with Blackie in the background, on her guard duty again.


And as usual, our queen of the pack keeping her distance from me.

K8 has integrated well into the pack. You see him wisely giving in to the rest of the original pack, submitting himself gently to their inspections whenever they want to. He would offer his hind for sniffs of approval, tail wagging, gentle countenance. The pack has accepted him which is good. Cos when we first saw him, he was a fugitive. With a huge wound on his head, he had taken cover in the previous farm of this pack, but was chased out. We thought we had lost him too, till he reappeared, wound dried up but leaving an obvious scar. He is a bit wary of me, but I can tell that he has an easy nature. Soon, he'll come to me.