Visited our boys,

Junior, Ginne, Mama Rock and Bruno for one last time on Saturday. I like my time there with our dogs, and oftentimes I wish to stay longer. To just relax and watch them enjoy their time out of the enclosure, running free, jumping into the pool, sniffing the grass, greeting the dogs over the other fences (though not always friendly greetings!).

We let Mama Rock out free and she assured us of her steadiness and cool attitude in the face of warning barks from other resident dogs. She will stand her ground for a moment and then walk away. I am personally certain that she can be let free without any concern.

She was tentative around the pool area, but once she got over the first wet paw, she totally sprawled herself in the water. Lovely to watch.






We're not that sure about Bruno's temperament yet so we had him on leash as we led him around the area and also into the pool.



Our tapioca pack of boys all came out for their free runs and swim. Star, as usual, headed right for the pool. Ben followed. Jamie, Jordan, Tiger, Tommy are not quite water babies. Jonah is the funniest dude. He would head right for the pool and jump right in, always underestimating the depth of the water and his stature - so every time he would jump into the water, paddle to the edge and come out all coughing and gagging from water rushing up his nostrils I guess!


The boys back into the enclosure after their free time. Ginne watching from beyond their fence.



Tommy is now living away from the boys in the inner kennels, mainly cos his enclosure is now taken up by Mama Rock and Bruno. Thus, we hope to quickly socialise Mama Rock and Bruno into the outer packs and Tommy can return to his enclosure soon.

For now, while we are there, we'll take him out for his run and to get some sun and wind on his face. He is a very good boy on his own. How much we had hoped that he would stop picking fights, but unfortunately he still does, and for that, he cannot free roam.

After his run around the pool, we placed him in this small area (while we let the other dogs out) which was put up for one old crippled dog to get some outdoors beyond the kennel hours. Tommy will watch the scenes from the fenced up area and when it was time, we walked him back to his kennel.



This tapioca pack of boys have gone through a lot in their days on the streets. Constantly hit by sticks from the foreign workers, hit by fast vehicles, dumped into dirty pools of water....and of cos, the constant threat of being caught and culled, despite being already sterilised.

Since they were rescued off the streets and relocated to the shelter last year, the boys had got into ocassional fights likely due to the close proximity now among 6 male dogs in an enclosure. Thus, the priority for each visit is to let them out for free runs.

All of them have a good long life ahead. And it is not my wish for them to spend their whole life behind the fence of the enclosure. Even more not so when each of them are so human-friendly and affectionate and smart.

Jamie and Jonah are so sweet. Star is fiesty and fun. Ben is a big baby boy, affectionate sometimes to the point of being clingy, but that's just him. Tiger is quite a coward beneath those 35kg of fats. Jordan is full of life. Tommy has a sad doggy look about him that makes you kind of wants to find the best family for him.


Click for larger view

* Thus, it is our hope that you keep them in mind when you're ready to adopt a local breed.

* It is also our current appeal for donations towards their regular upkeep and boarding fees (we are behind by a few months due to a delay/temporary pause by a few sponsors). They have all recently received their vaccinations.

We also appreciate your support towards the boarding fees of Mama Rock and Bruno, and the constant needs of dog food, tick/flea repellents, kennel sprays, supplements for the many strays/farm dogs out there.

Every dollar counts. Kindly email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg for more details. Thank you.

Taking some final moments

here in the wee hours of the morning, to share with all of you our experiences of the past week, before I fly off again in not too many hours from now.

I had the privilege to meet Colly in this return trip. A handsome young Husky who is so full of life and joy, ever glad to meet a human-friend, and ever eager to check out a canine pal (though not all of them are equally pleased to see him, since he could be over eager in his greetings).

My first meeting with him was a brief one as Y took him out of his kennel for a walk. I only got to know him better when we took him for his vax and microchip. After spending a few hours with him, Colly proved himself a very amiable fellow, easy-going and pleased to come to you for pats and hugs. A little nippy when he gets excited but otherwise a very good boy who understands basic commands.


On his way to the vet.

Thus, we reckon he must have been owned and trained by his previous human before he was rescued from the farm, where he was kept 24/7 in a dirty cage with no proper shelter. A Husky in our climate, without proper shelter in the heat of the day. Totally unacceptable.

While at the clinic, he impressed the vets so much that Dr O contacted a family who came right down to meet him, with their female local breed, who didn't quite like him at first sight, especially not when he got too up close with her. However, the family likes him and a second meeting was arranged for yesterday, where the 2 dogs met up at the shelter's dog run.

A romp and a chase and some playing in the rain. Colly was so thrilled by the rain that he stepped into the only stream of water he could find (which is a narrow drain filled with rain) and waddled about, stopping now and then to lift up his head, with mouth wide open, to catch the raindrops falling into his mouth! Classic. I love that sight. :)

Happily wet!

The 2 seemed to be getting on better and things look favourable as the family decided to take Colly home. As of this morning when we visited, Colly has settled down well, having constantly been on the move checking out his new home and ocassionally getting into little scuffles with the resident dog when he tried to get too close. We're sure they two will sort out their mutual feelings and level of intended intimacy with each other, and come to an agreeable living arrangement. Our best hope is they become good mates for life!

For now, we are very thankful for his new family who is willing to put in time and effort to help Colly adjust to his new pack and environment, and is forgiving of any of his misbehaviour while he learns his ways with his new humans and new canine pal. He'll be looking forward to many long walks and runs and swims. Thank you M and family!

Blood test

for Doby turned out to be normal, as likely expected by us.

His is a pretty straightforward case of too much pent-up energy in a street-smart local dog's body, that simply needs to be released and redirected by long walks/runs/play to stimulate body and brain which cannot be provided by his current caregivers due to family commitments and priorities which we fully understand.

Thus, the best thing now for both family and Doby is to find him an immediate foster home/adopter. Someone who is familiar with local breeds and is patient yet firm in re-conditioning Doby to an amicable human-dog family life.

Being as smart as he is, we are pretty certain Doby will make an impression on his coming new family. So, keep him in mind. Email projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg for more info.

A very satisfying day

for me personally as I get to meet Doby again after quite a while. It was an early morning meeting with him, amidst some tension and fear from the family as there had been unfortunate instances of biting before and recently as it seemed that Doby's temperament was a bit unpredictable.

So naturally, the family was concerned about us handling him as they had our welfare in mind, having suffered some bites from their very own pet of about 4 years.

The Doby I met today was young, vivacious, alert, full of energy. Raring to go.



The family's fear rubbed off a teeny bit on me as I find myself being more cautious in the beginning with him. However, after a few minutes of fast walk, with him pulling (more out of eagerness than lack of manners), and asking him to wait if he pulled too strongly, praising him when he walked well - he was looking just like any other perfectly normal, young local dog. It is a pretty normal case of pent-up energy with other social misinterpretations that sort of relegated him as being an 'aggressive dog'. From my time with him today, I would not agree. Though I would not invalidate the caregivers' feedback and shared observations about Doby, as they had firsthand experiences of his seeming unpredictability and have been putting in effort for the past years in having him go for obedience training and adjusting their lifestyle to try and fit him into their family structure.

Doby was eager on his walk. His pulling and lunging at other dogs and edginess at the vet clinic I can understand. He was good in the car, alertly scrutinizing the moving scenes and lying down when he was tired. At one time, on his way back home, he was getting more comfortable with me to lie close with his body against my leg. Earlier on, he would keep his distance.

Did a blood test on him to rule out possibility of hyperthyroidism (where dogs may show signs of hyperactivity, nervousness, irritability), as advised by A, which is not that common as also he doesn't display other symptoms related to that condition but we got him the blood test to completely rule that out for peace of mind, and a confirmation that it is simply a case of lack of walks, social activities and pent-up energy. Also had his vax up to date. We'll get the blood test results on Monday.

Meanwhile, as his current caregiver cannot handle him anymore due to family commitments and a general sense of fear in the family that does not work out well both ways for humans and dog and a young baby, it is best for both parties that we find a new foster/home for Doby as soon as possible.

He is a good, loyal boy who simply needs a family who's familiar with local breeds/big dogs and is able to give him long walks everyday and lots of social interaction to boost his confidence and downplay his over-eager lunge-greetings to other animals,. A family who is calm and assertive to show him that his human is his pack leader, and he can trust his pack leader's steadiness and calm regularity. A family who is gentle and patient to give him time to relearn his place in his pack and be reassured that he does not need to be on high alert all the times, that he can relax and be a happy family friend.



In my personal opinion, Doby will offer his new family many good memories of the simple, honest, steadfast human-dog relationship.

Email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg for more info. Thank you.

Hitting animal as serious as hitting a human

Mon, Jun 16, 2008
The New Paper

If you hit someone on the road and flee from the scene of the accident, you will get into trouble with the law.

But what if you knock down an animal? Well, don't think you can just drive off.

Be it a person or an animal, the same law applies.

Under the Road Traffic Act, if you are involved in an accident where a person or an animal is injured, you have to stop your vehicle and help the victims.

If not, you can face a fine up to $3,000 or be jailed up to a year. For a subsequent conviction, you can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to two years.

Lawyer Luke Lee told The New Paper: 'Animals are protected under the same law as humans.'
And those who injure an animal in a hit-and-run case face the same penalties if the law is violated, he added.

Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said: 'Most people, unfortunately, do not think that such cases are important just because (the victim) is an animal.

Student Andrew Teo's dog was one such victim. On 4 Jun, the 23-year-old took his 2-year-old miniature schnauzer, Vodka, for their usual evening walk. At 9.45pm, they were about to cross Choa Chu Kang Crescent when a white van sped towards them.

Mr Teo said he was standing on the pavement while Vodka, who was on a leash, was already on the road.

On seeing the van, Mr Teo tried to pull the dog back, but Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road.

It was hit by the van and blood oozed from its right ear and nostrils.

Mr Teo saw the van had stopped a few metres away and two men came out. Mr Teo said that when they saw him, they quickly got back into the van and allegedly drove off. But he managed to take down its licence plate number.

Three passers-by, two of whom are Mr Teo's neighbours, helped him move Vodka onto the pavement.
He said: 'By that time, I knew Vodka was dead. His body was intact, but you could feel that his skull had been crushed.'

Mr Teo took the dog to its vet to get a death certificate and then went to a police station to make a report.

A police spokesman confirmed Mr Teo's report and said they are investigating the accident, which happened between Block 662 and Block 691A at Choa Chu Kang Crescent.The road has no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, but Mr Teo and other residents said that it has low traffic even during the day.

The vet's medical report declared Vodka dead on arrival. It suffered severe trauma to the head and chest.

Mr Teo is upset that the van occupants did not stop to help and feels they must take responsibility and be punished accordingly.

AWARENESS NEEDED

Motorist William Neo, 28, was unaware that the penalty for hit-and-run cases is the same for both humans and animals.The project coordinator feels that motorists need to be better educated on road rules.

He said: 'Most people would probably think hitting an animal is much less serious than hitting a person.

'Informing motorists of the consequences would make them think twice about driving off after hitting an animal.'

The SPCA said that when pets are injured in road accidents, the owners should alert the SPCA and try to move the animals to the side of the road.

But those with little experience in handling animals should not try to pick them up. They should wait for SPCA staff members to arrive, while alerting motorists to slow down and drive cautiously - the traffic police will generally assist in this area.

Source: AsiaOne Motoring http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/Story/A1Story20080616-71108.html

Today's activities

started off with a homely lunch with A and pals, P and J, and their 3 goldie girls. The weather was kind with a breezy light rain as we dine under the outdoor shelter, the rain stopping just in time as we finished the mains to walk the girls around for a bit.

After a good interaction with fellow dog lovers, we set off to meet Mr G for whom we've recently sterilised his young female dog and 2 female cats. A very kindly and welcoming family, albeit still stubborn in the belief that sterilisation is 'cruel' to the animal. Thus the current situation of more than a handful of cats at his farm which we are steadily convincing him towards the benefits and finality of sterilisation. To ease his mind once and for all from any worries of yet another impregnation. The next batch of cats for sterilisation should be set for next week.

Then off to visit Ben and bros, Junior, Ginne, Mama Rock and Bruno. Gave all of them a treat of steamed chicken, cleaned out their enclosure, cleaned their ears, fixed the roof abit and took Mama Rock out to explore the outer areas on leash to give us better control against any unexpected reactions from the other residents.

Mama Rock displayed all the calmness of a mature dog. No sense of threat from her to the older residents, the only moments she stopped was to sniff and be sniffed, before moving onto other interesting scents on the grass. To the common eye, she seems a good candidate to be let free very soon. We have yet to see how Bruno will react to the outside crowd. We hold onto the hope that both of them integrate well with the outer packs so that they can roam more freely and also for Tommy to re-emerge from the inner kennel and back into his enclosure. We plan to try the integration again next weekend. Have hope!

Meeting the boys again

Back in town

for a few weeks, with a heart excited to meet the boys tomorrow for a couple of hours.

6 boys in an enclosure could be getting a bit too close for comfort. Thus, whenever we visit, we strive to let each of them have a free roam in the bigger area. To run off any excess energy, stretch those long legs, cool off in the pool. A fast free dash to feel the wind in their face.

Can't wait to see Mama Rock and son together, finally, in their enclosure. No longer confined 24/7 to a small dirty cage or tied up for extended periods with no proper shelter. I'm sure mother and son are catching up on so much lost time of play and simple togetherness.

Wanting to meet Cho Cho again also after these few months. And see how the wonders of home fostering has transformed her.

For those who are unaware, I have been away and out of action for the past 5 months. JK work has been handled mostly single-handedly by K with great help from J, Y, S, A, T and others who've given their time and effort along the way. Thus, we have not been able to meet every one of your requests for help, which would be an impossibility even if the whole team was active. An area where we seek your understanding.

Will start getting into some action now, while I can.

J.

"Cruel", that's what

the farmers of a (floral) nursery told us. Not that they are heartless owners but that they were too entrenched in a mindset that sterilisation is against the order of nature and is bodily and psychologically 'cruel' to the animal. It cripples the animals, it deprives the animal from its entitlement of being an animal, on its most primordial terms.

As a matter of fact, sterilisation does remain a debatable issue.

We tried many times to persuade the farmers into getting their dogs and cats sterilised and the furthest they budged was allow a volunteer of one animal welfare society to take one of their female dogs to be spayed.

After what must have been time in memorial, a few weeks ago, they finally rang me and said YES to sterilisation. Just last Wednesday, T brought one female dog and two female cats to the clinic for spaying. I arranged for all three animals to be vaccinated (I mean, since they were all already at the clinic...) and perhaps not quite to the farmers' expectations, to have the female dog microchipped as well.

The total expenditure for this batch nears $300. By right, onus is upon the owners to pay for the fees, but where farmers are more often than not ignorant of the benefit and purpose of sterilisation, unreceptive to animal welfare ideas and make claims that they are not legitimately or legally responsible for the dogs based on the premise that the dog was dumped on my farm by someone else and I took pity on her and took her in, I need to execute sterilisation asap without the farmers changing their minds.

A spayed female dog means saving future litters of the dogs produced from one fertile mother. It's that important.

If you would like to contribute to our street animal sterilisation cause, kindly email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg

Updates and receipts of expenditure will be followed up accordingly.

Thank you.

Freedom

Merrily they run. No pretense.

Saturday, we set off early

in the morning to the shelter to bring Junior and Ginne for their annual health check and vaccination at the vet's. Itinerary included a day of fun and relaxation at the dogrun, to the foster's for bathing, ear cleaning, feeding and reunion with foster, and then back to the shelter.

Thanks to J for holding on to both girls and keeping an eye on them while I drove. Thanks to S for steadily walking the girls both at the same time. Great teamwork!


Ginne noseying through the potted plants of the foster's miniature garden



Junior combing the stretches of the dogrun. This is a place she's familiar with, having visited the run quite a few times already.

As usual, she would go from tree to tree, scanning the barks for tree lizards or any moving insects. A true-blue hunter dog with an eye for detail. Anything that so much as rove an inch.



Even during playtime, the twin work like a closely-knit duo exploring the field together, in sight of each other.

At one point in time, Junior went into 'hysteria' when I untied Ginne's leash and took her for a short walk. Like a dog with separation anxiety, dear Junior was whining and struggling to free herself from being tied to the bench.

As we walked further away, Ginne kept turning her head and stopped in her tracks to look at Junior.

Separation anxiety, I guess, with respect to me and Ginne.

At the clinic, both girls were taken for blood tests to check for presence of heartworm, lyme disease and E. Canis and also for their annual vaccination.

While Ginne is cleared of these known afflictions, Junior is diagnosed postive for tick fever.

The second dot was transparent on the test kit which meant her 'exposure' is slight (the other dot solid), particularly in view that Junior displayed no detectable sign of weaknesses or lethargy and her gums looked a healthy biege-pink.

A joy to watch

Junior and Ginne at the clinic. We returned the girls to the shelter and informed the caretaker of Junior's minor tick fever condition.

Junior will take doxycycline for two weeks and most likely be given more after this course by the caretaker to keep tick fever at bay. I was told the anti-bodies stay in the affected dog and will manifest as tick fever when the dog is stressed.

There is however a method to treat a dog by purging both good and bad bacteria, that is, flushing out the anti-bodies and getting the dog back into health by giving multi-vits.

Momo, a people-friendly Daschund (belonging to owners who obviously love the dogrun) which made affable contact with her newfound, bigger-sized mates, Ginne and Junior

Unintended symmetry: Junior and Ginne chomping down their late lunch of wetfood and sausages

Ginne. Isn't she beautiful?

Perhaps like an excited parent, I looked forward to taking my girls, Ginne (pronounced as "Jeannie" by previous owners) and Junior for a day out. Approximately three years have whizzed past they were abandoned heartlessly by their ex-owners, as domestic[ated] pets in the wilderness some 40km away from their home and some four years have passed since I decided to take in Junior, then a dog whom no one really wanted nomading from home to home, as my first and till date, only dog I ever fostered.

Walks in dog-friendly nature parks. Beaches. Dogruns. Streets of different neighbourhoods. Just me and my dogs. Quiet companionship and a real connection to canine behaviour, experiencing and witnessing how these intelligent mongrels navigate through familiar routes, lunge for squirrels, monkeys, monitor lizards and occasionally turn their heads to look straight at me, as if, asking, "Is it okay? How are you doing so far? Is this where I should go?"

And then continuing -- with their great strides. Paws on tarmac and their noses highly sensitized to the whiffs of the likes of passing bikers, dewy grass, sand from construction sites or the lab behind the gates of a duplex.

In a world of animal communication. Companions that are so manageable. They don't require much, they just love their walks, love their time with their master, their pack leader.

For dogs I have grown emotionally connected with, I bear no shame in romanticizing my time spent with them. Each snapshot of memory doused with so much sentimentality. Simply, I just love my dogs.

-----------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to contribute to Junior's and/or Ginne's boarding fees at the shelter or Junior's tick fever medical treatment or the girls' consultation at the clinic, kindly email us at projectjkteam@yahoo.com.sg

Thank you.

How apt

"There are many social psychology experiments which suggest we do not challenge the status quo or authority, and that we prefer to stand with the majority. These include the Stanley Milgram experiment in Yale University on how people bow to expert authority, and the Solomon Ash experiment on the length of lines, which demonstrated how we conform to popular opinion.

In real life, Ms Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York, in the early hours of March 13, 1964. Thirty-eight witnesses saw her being stabbed 64 times over 30 minutes in three episodes. No one called for help. There was diffusion of responsibility - the 'bystander effect' - and social information suggests doing nothing is the appropriate thing to do.

The thinking is that, surely, if something were really badly wrong, someone else would have acted. As for oneself, one would go along with the group first.

...

Very often, we do what the group wants, not what is right."


Taken from "Why no one seemed to see the crisis coming" published on the Straits Times, Review - Others, 23 Jun 2009, by Tan Suee Chieh, NTUC Income's chief executive.

From foster...

Today, "Chocho had lamb chop and cheese cake and ice cream for dinner, as it is Lil' John's birthday."

Yay.

Dog walking is not only therapeutic and

an effective avenue of stress relieving for people, but also a vital part of a pet dog's life. As a layperson who hasn't so much gone into the analytics of canine behaviour, I see dog walking as a routine, as a part-and-parcel of life in allowing the dog to be a dog.

To smell the flowers and the air of the great outdoors. To loosen the joints and work out out whatever pent-up energy from a day of staying indoors. To express itself as an animal of territoriality by marking on lamp posts, bushes and pavements. To sniff out, capture and remember the scents of other dogs in the neighbourhood. To poo and pee. To be in touch with nature -- grass, the bark of trees, fallen leaves and even the imported sand at the playground. To bond with its owner through a 'mutual' activity. To satisfy curiosity.

Which was what we did with Doby on Saturday and Sunday, while he boarded at a landed home -- while his foster family was out of town. For 4 consecutive weekends of training Doby, I had never so much as broken the barrier between Doby and myself that was wrapped up in my fear of his aggression -- until when I personally visited him as he awaited in his large-enough playpen, enticed him with treats that took place along with basic commands fulfilment and brought him out for his walk.

Just me and Doby. Trooping upslope while the neighbours' dogs peered and barked at us. Trotting along the concrete pavements of the park in the cool of a raintree's shade. Exploring the turns of the streets. Linked by a leash and his harness. Connected by a mutual fancy of the experience of walking, just walking.

At 3 years-plus old, it can't be truer that Doby is at his prime. Each time he lunges to catch the treat in mid-air, stands on his hinds to suss out his triple "A" treats in the trainer's pouch or intently studies a foreign passer-by in a position as if ready to charge -- I come to terms with his superb agility as a young, active dog and his potential as a guard dog. Faithful and loyal to his owner and property and potentially ferocious to any alien intrusion which compromises safety.

This is Doby, notwithstanding the fact he is sterilised.

And like any regular domestic ol' faithful, he looks forward to his walks. At the sight of the leash, he is perked up like an eager birthday boy ready to unwrap and open up his present.

And I learnt also that he is, after all, not that 'hopeless', as most may perceive of a 'pariah' dog that bares his teeth and looks so unfriendly to cuddle or be patted on the head.

(Great thanks to A.) If anything, Doby has proven to us his outstanding mongrel intelligence and his ability to accomplish the basics of obedience training. I would say he has pretty much mastered his 'sit', 'down', 'stay', 'heel' and with A's positive reinforcement-based training, Doby has come against our perceived odds in:

* Being able to continue his walk harmlessly to the public via distracting and guiding him to a new point of attraction or direction of walk
* Being able to nicely trot beside owner/walker without pulling and lunging via enticing him with treats
* (Just today) Being able to search for his reward underneath obstacles such as plastic bags at the prompt of 'find'
* Being able to physically 'stay' and then go for his reward placed at a distance at the quick command of 'ok'
* Being able to run towards owner, in one direction and as if single-mindedly, without being distracted by external noise in recall

No need for electronic collar, choke chain or the whip. Though I haven't experienced the full spectrum of the positive reinforcement training, I feel aggression challenges can be overcome without having to shock the nerves, painfully desensitize, inflict pain and suffering, enforce punishment or reducing the dog into a miserable non-dog.

It takes an experienced trainer and definitely patience and consistency, on part of the owner, to see changes which will be so life-changing, rewarding and beneficial to the entire family. And it requires that the dog is walked adequately throughout the week. All to work together for constructive behavioural improvement.

Thanks to A for training with care and love, and J for her motherly fostering in these few years, in spite of the difficulties to juggle baby, family and work. Progress is on it way.


Doby in his playpen of boarder. After his walk, he practically spread-eagled on the floor. Panting tongue, heaving chest -- happy dog

Doby training over weekends -- alert, eager, praise-worthy

A. rewarding Doby with his AAA treat which varies every week to whet his appetite and help make him look forward to each training session

Doby transfixed at A. as a source and provider of yummy treats. After 2-3 weeks, we could see how we can walk Doby without him tugging his leash taut but in unison with the walker's pace

This Siberian Husky was

'presented' to a stray feeder as the new kid of the farm -- apparently a discarded pet that his previous owners did not want anymore. Colly, as he's been named, now resides in a boarding facility and seeks an adoptive family.

I have not interacted with Colly personally but you may find information about this beautiful dog below these pictures:

* Name: Colly

* Sex: Male

* Age: Estimated 3 yrs

* Size: Stout

* Sterilised: Cannot confirmed as yet, but testicles found missing

* Behaviour & Temperament: walks excellent on leash, does not tug and pull / understands basic commands like 'sit' and 'stay' without aid of treats / very friendly with people / so far, okay with other large dogs but not sure of reaction with small dogs

* Comments: On first encounter, Colly appeared with a neat set of coat and trimmed nails, boasting a healthy husky shape.


Interested parties, pls contact 9727 7359 / noelleohm@yahoo.com

It's been about 2 months

since we transferred Chocho from the shelter to her new foster family comprising the resident shiba inu, who's the queen of the pack; a golden retriever who loves a mouth-hand tug-o-war over his prized soft toys; a soulful cocker spaniel who's 'larger than life'; and a old female shih tzu who's crooned over and protected by her owners, living her sunset years in peaceful dignity.

Thankfully, the foster stepped forward to offer Chocho a new lease of life--into domesticity.

The first day Chocho entered, A. locked her in the laundry section of the kitchen, which at least offered Chocho an 'infrastructure' of safety and comfort, with the makeshift pens and window grilles. At the first instance, our girl even tried to clamour through the square of the window grilles and got us a tad panicky of her escape tendencies and the endless possibilities a stray 'escape artist' can conjure and act upon, and catch the humans unawares.

A routine of 3x walk per day and regular meals was built into her, together with what was 'administered' to the rest of the pack. Just when we thought Chocho was beginning to take comfort in the regularity put in place that one late Sunday morning, one week into her fosterhood, Chocho, by a sheer occasion of accidence, wrangled out of her collar and took off!!!

The next thing I knew, we had a 5-man search team frantically combing industrial estates, buildings, fields, petrol kiosks and the neighbourhood; frantically scrambling after her, after we failed to corner her within a hedge of bushes; waiting for her at the periphery of a forested area while she suspectedly hid behind the clumps of greenery and peered at us--her pursuers.

A very wild ride indeed.

It was such an experience: locating her at several junctures, asking people if they'd seen our chocolate-brown girl, sprinting after her, (literally) diving for her, losing sight of her again from time to time, pacing beside her--all the time taking care not to unnerve or scare Chocho, in what seemed to be an existing state of pandemonium.

A dog which wanted to be free but completely clueless that all that we were doing was to protect her from harm. And Chocho, according to the security guards of the building, was almost knocked down by two vehicles--one of which a double-deckered bus--when she tried to cross a busy carriageway. A scenario that we feared to think about.

What ensued after Sunday was the establishment of even more troubled hearts and while we grappled with the wounds and aches sustained from Sunday's event, each of us was worried: Is she safe? What is she eating now? Where does she sleep? Has anyone discovered or seen her? Did she join another dog or a stray pack? Is she still within the area or has she crossed over to other parts separated by the highways and roads?

At least for me--I couldn't control my mental monologue series of speculations and the what-ifs.

A dog that 'outplayed' and outran us, but alas, clues of Chocho surfaced when A. caught news that others had actually seen Chocho on the loose in the estate; further clues that showed she'd returned to the doorstep and ate the food put out for her; and finally, a good confirmation that she was alive when they (the foster family) as a matter of fact saw her, our chocolate girl resting right on the doorstep. Cautious of her surroundings but seeking refuge in a 'familiar' place, even though it had only been one week since she settled in from a completely different environment and location.

We figured that the one week of routine did her good and helped provide her leads with which she managed to smell and track her way back home. A. was playing cautious with her cards and strategised to rebuild confidence in Chocho--hopefully influencing her to associate this very foster home as her source of food, water and a place of rest. And smartly, Chocho did return intermittently in the next few days.

After yet another failed attempt to corner her with human bodies, we engaged a professional dog catcher, who with methods unbeknownst to us, actually successfully and effectively captured Chocho in the wee hours of the morning.

And a burden was lifted from all of our hearts, stress disintegrated.

With due vigilance, Chocho is now watched over and taken care of by the foster and we are sure glad she's found a pal in the resident retriever, played chase with the alpha female and am showing all signs of guards lowered and submitting to the comfort and safety of her foster home.


Here's an update from foster family: -

Chocho is doing fine and I am so surprised that Gigi, my queen plays with her. She is not normally so relaxed about another dog i.e. play with them. The 3 of them were making so much noise playing in my living room over the weekend, Gigi, Diesel and Chocho. It is just so nice to see them happy, especially Chocho.

I think I have totally spoiled her with our choice of menu at home. Sorry, whoever adopts her will have to adapt to her style!!

I am going to give her a bit more time and probably do some basic training with her. We shall see how that progresses.


Now isn't this wonderful?

Trial between animal welfare group ACRES and contractor begins

Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, May 26

SINGAPORE : The company had allegedly dumped wood chips on the site of an animal shelter construction project, which contaminated the land. Now it is not only disputing the claim, it is counter claiming S$180,000 from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).

ANA Contractor and its director said the animal welfare group had defaulted on payments since September 2007.

The arrangement between the two parties, rather than the contamination, took centre stage at the start of ACRES' lawsuit.

The animal welfare group had appointed ANA in September 2006 to construct a Wildlife Rescue Centre to save animals from illegal trade. It was supposed to be finished by April 2007.

ACRES claims that the contractor did not meet the deadline and did not finish works, including an entrance porch for the office block and volunteer house.

But ANA's lawyer Lee Kwok Weng said in his opening statement that "throughout the construction of the project", ACRES did not state "any requirements or covenants".

He added that "the time of completion is at—large, with no fixed completion date" since the progress of each stage of work depends on "the availability of funds" from ACRES.

The non—profit organisation is still unable to operate the rescue centre because of toxic waste from wood chips dumped into a landfill.

ANA was supposed to level the plot of land by transferring earth from higher ground to lower ground.

ACRES is asking for damages of $180,000 for wasted rentals paid to the Singapore Land Authority and also wants ANA to pay for the costs of excavating the waste and re—building structures that have to be demolished because of the excavation.

So far, ACRES has received two quotes of between $4.5 million to $8 million for this.

The group claims that ANA director Tan Boon Kwee should bear responsibility for the dumping of wood chips, as he was the supervisor of the construction project.

Mr Tan's lawyer Gwee Hak Theng argued that Mr Tan's work was to "supervise the construction of critical structural works" and not to offer any technical expertise.

The wood chips caused a foul blackish discharge to pollute Kranji Reservoir, which was discovered in September 2007 and resulted in the National Environment Agency initiating prosecution against ANA last September, under the Environmental Protection and Management Act.

The agency said it is still consulting the Attorney General's Chambers on the "appropriate action to take".

"It is premature at this point to speculate if any cases will be submitted to the court for hearing," said a spokesperson.

The hearing continues. — TODAY

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20090525/tap-767-trial-animal-welfare-group-acres-231650b.html

Anti-piracy pup sniffs out 35,000 illegal DVDs - M'sia

AFP - Thursday, June 4

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - A DVD-sniffing anti-piracy dog named Paddy has uncovered a huge cache of 35,000 discs in Malaysian warehouses, many destined for export to Singapore, industry officials said on Wednesday.

The black Labrador helped enforcement officials who carried out raids last week in southern Johor state which neighbours Singapore, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) said in a statement.

Paddy was given to Malaysia by the MPA to help close down piracy syndicates who churn out vast quantities of illegal DVDs. The dog is specially trained to detect chemicals in the discs.

"Paddy led enforcement officers on a successful weekend operation to shut down the supply lines of pirated movie DVDs in the Malaysian state of Johor," the MPA said in a statement.

"Post-raid investigations revealed that two of the targets were actively involved in exporting pirated DVDs to Singapore," it added.

The raids carried out by officials from the MPA and Malaysia's trade and consumer affairs ministry shut down six warehouses storing pirated products, it said.

The MPA said just-released titles such as "Terminator Salvation", "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", "Angels and Demons" and "Star Trek" were among the movies seized.

"This is a clear signal to the pirates that we will not waver in our efforts to shut them down," said Mohamad Roslan Mahayudin, director-general of enforcement with the Malaysian ministry.

"We are glad to hear that Paddy's skills are being put to good use against the large, organised network of pirates involved in exporting illegal pirated DVDs to Singapore," said Mike Ellis, the MPA's Asia-Pacific managing director.

The MPA said its member companies lost 6.1 billion dollars to worldwide piracy in 2005. Of that lost revenue, about 1.2 billion dollars came from piracy in the Asian region.

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090603/tap-malaysia-crime-counterfeit-film-anim-0193655.html

There is a big difference

between breathing ... and living.

Nutro Products Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Range of Dry Cat Food Products

Dear all, pls take note of this release from Nutro.

"Franklin, Tennessee (May 21, 2009) -- Today, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO® dry cat food.

This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO® dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or distributed further.

Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While we have received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, please contact your veterinarian.

Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO® dry cat food product. Cat owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, or visit www.nutroproducts.com.

Recalled Pet Food
The varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods listed below with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010 are affected by this voluntary recall."