Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sunday, August 29, 2010

PointBlank on Cat Matters (Pt3)

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/90/23068.html





FOSTER/ADOPT: Tame, friendly condo community cat that might face complaints soon


I hope you won't mind the mass email, but I am writing to ask if you will please help me find a home for this cat. If you can't take the cat in, please do ask if anyone is interested, and feel free to forward this email along.

This cat lives in my condo - it belonged to a family and earlier this year, that family moved away and left the cat behind, leaving half a bag of food with the condo gardener.

Since then it's been collectively taken care of by the grounds staff, guards and several residents. It is a bit wary of strangers but is very tame and friendly. It is not feral, and so not a stray cat - very much a house cat. Apparently it's been spayed/neutered but I'm not sure if it's a male or female. It seems young (at least not old) and healthy, at least from the looks of it.

Anyway, its case has now become urgent as one of the residents has voiced displeasure at seeing the cat around (and I think the cat has been sleeping on the hood of his Beng car) and there is good reason to believe this person may kick up a fuss or call the authorities soon. The guards are also afraid to feed the cat now, to avoid being complained against.

If anyone can help, please email me at tripthedog@me.com

Something to make you smile...

JUST GIVE ME 2 MINUTES. 2 MINUTES IS ALL I NEED AND I
WILL BE AS GOOD AS NEW!







JUST GIVE ME 2 MINUTES. 2 MINUTES IS ALL I NEED AND I
WILL BE AS GOOD AS NEW!



OK, I'LL BE HIS FRIEND BUT I DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT!


THEY'LL NEVER FIND ME IN HERE!







ALL! RIGHT, WHO CHOSE WHO WE STAND BY? I HAVE STANDARDS







PUT THAT NOSE UP HERE ONE MORE TIME AND YOU'LL HAVE 3 NOSTRILS!























I'M SO GLAD IM NOT AN ONLY CHILD!








AS LONG AS YOU'RE GONNA PUT HER IN MY BED
I MIGHT AS WELL SHARE


SOMETIMES YOUR BED JUST FEELS SOOO GOOD!






Nothing replaces having a friend













If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,



..Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!


Gruesome findings of live seafood at Sheng Shiong Supermarket

Facebook: Ban supermarkets from selling live and exotic animals

Petition: Say STOP! to the sale of sharks of any species in Sheng Siong Singapore and other supermarts

http://nanami-nanami.blogspot.com/2010/04/boycott-sheng-siong.html

Feedback to Sheng Siong:

Corporate Matters:

Ms Tan Ching Fern
Email: contact@shengsiong.com.sg

Human Resource:

Ms Rachel Teh
Email: hr@shengsiong.com.sg








































































Date: Saturday, 28 August, 2010, 10:09 PM

It is with deep regret and sadness that I have to write this email to you once again.

Today I was taken aback, when I went to Commonwealth Sheng Shiong supermarket, on the way they handle their live seafood.

Two packets of dissected tightly sealed soft-shell turtles sold cheaply at $5 per packet and a large Alaskan Crab's plea for "HELP!"

These crabs are valued commercially for its edible flesh, are commonly found a few hundred feet deep in the cold Bering Sea which serves as the central location for Alaskan King Crabs.

In addition, they are known to feed off clams, snails, sand dollars, worms, barnacles, sponges, algae and even smaller crabs to name a few of their natural food sources.

With no food or sufficient movement space given to this poor crab, would it still survived?

It is evident from these photos which I took, that Sheng Shiong had once again, failed to deliver to their promises of "providing sufficient space for their live seafood and to create an environment that is similar to their habitat".

Lastly, may the dissected pictures of these soft-shell turtles serves as a "gentle reminder" to fellow Singaporeans who have the desire of eating live seafood.

The unfortuate outcome when it had outlived its lifespan - ended up dead and sold cheaply.

Would AVA care to step up checks to ensure that the conditions of these live seafood are not compromised?

**name with-held**


Saturday, August 28, 2010

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The act or inaction: Which is worse?

















The Straits Times
STForum Online

Aug 26, 2010
The act or inaction: Which is worse?

LAST Friday's report ("Dog beaten to death in Sengkang") on the pomeranian which was beaten to death prompts one haunting question: Why would anyone do such a thing to a dog which trusts him, a dog which happily lets him put a leash on it when going for a walk, a dog which is completely defenceless?

No one - human or animal - deserves to suffer and die in such way.

What saddens me more is that someone could have stopped the man from slamming the dog against the wall, but no one did so. Do they not realise that, by doing so, they are accomplices to the crime?

Besides cruelty to animals and apathy towards cruelty, it also shows the slow response of the police.

Also, the current punishment of animal abusers is way too lenient. Such people are a major menace to society; they do not deserve their freedom.

Eva Wong (Ms)

AVA should take action
















The Straits Times
STForum Online

Aug 26, 2010
AVA should take action

WORDS cannot describe how I felt when I found out last Friday about the pomeranian dog which was beaten to death at the void deck of an HDB block in Sengkang ("Dog beaten to death in Sengkang").

I have always been proud to live in Singapore - a modern country known for its strict laws against crime.

However, I have noticed that lately, the Government - particularly the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) - has been less harsh with punishments meted out to animal abusers.

I implore the AVA to take action against animal abusers.

To fellow Singaporeans, please stand up for what is right, and take the initiative to speak up when you see something amiss.

Dogs are man's best friend and ally, with their great instincts and loyalty. They are part of society and life.

If the AVA and the Government take action to promote animal welfare, working hand in hand with animal welfare organisations, I am confident this will influence the public favourably.

Michelle Eugene Nathalie (Ms)

Fatal dog bashing: Step up investigations, please

















The Straits Times
STForum Online

Aug 26, 2010
Fatal dog bashing: Step up investigations, please

IT SADDENS me greatly to read about a pomeranian beaten to death in last Friday's report ("Dog beaten to death in Sengkang"). I cannot imagine the fear and pain the dog must have gone through when it was brutally tortured.

There have been far too many animal abuse cases hogging the limelight lately. In April, an irresponsible dog breeder abandoned his farm - and more than 85 sick and malnourished dogs - in Pasir Ris. In July, 10 severely emaciated cats were dumped in Tampines by an unknown young man. Earlier this month, a community cat in Jurong was hacked with a knife.

What have the animals done to deserve that? Cruelty to animals is a crime in Singapore. Under the Animals and Birds Act, anyone found guilty of such an offence can be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned up to 12 months, or both.

However, the dog breeder in the Pasir Ris case was sentenced to a mere six weeks in jail - and that was only after he failed to pay the fine. The cat abusers are still not found. I wonder if justice will ever be served to the Sengkang dog abuser.

I urge the authorities to be more involved in carrying out investigations and to severely punish animal abusers, to prevent future animal cruelty incidents.

Mahatma Gandhi said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." If we continue to close our eyes and hearts to the weaker beings of society, we will never progress as a nation.

Jaclyn Lim Ms)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Cat dumper under police watch as anger grows



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10668762

Security footage shows a woman dumping a cat in a wheelie bin before calmly walking away.








http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10669014

Cat dumping woman apologises
1:58 PM Thursday Aug 26, 2010

The woman who earned the wrath of a nation after she was caught on camera dumping a neighbourhood cat in a wheelie bin has apologised for her actions.

In a statement released to British media, Mary Bale, a 45-year-old bank worker from the English town of Coventry, said: "I want to take this opportunity to apologise profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused.

"I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character and I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners.

"It was a split second of misjudgement that has got completely out of control.

"I am due to meet with the RSPCA and police to discuss this matter further and will co-operate fully with their investigations.

"I wish to reiterate that I am profoundly sorry for my actions and wish to resolve this matter to everyone's satisfaction as soon as possible."

Ms Bale was captured on CCTV on Saturday night stroking tabby Lola before looking around her to check no one was watching, dumping the cat in the bin, shutting the lid and calmly walking away.

Lola's owners Darryl Mann and Stephanie Andrews-Mann posted the footage online in a bid to catch the culprit and it went viral.

Ms Bale was soon identified and police guarded her house after she received death threats.

A Facebook group called "Death to Mary Bale" was removed by administrators yesterday as it contravened the site's terms of use, reported BBC News.

Meanwhile, The Sun website has created a game for people to get their own back on Ms Bale in a legal way. Whack-cat-woman features Ms Bale's head popping out of green wheelie bins. Clicking the mouse on her head slams the lid down.

A Tradition's Right?


Post 15th lunar day of "Ghost Month"
Typical scene in every HDB estate.
Video taken at 6.45am today.


Kalama Sutta

Do not believe in anything (simply)
because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because they
have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe in anything because it is
spoken and rumoured by many.

Do not believe in anything (simply) because
it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority
of your teachers and elders.


But after observation and analysis
when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all
then accept it and live up to it.

Buddha
(Anguttara Nikaya Vol. 1, 188-193 P.T.S. Ed.)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Calmness




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Stray cats captivated by couple's efforts to help


David Wybenga and his wife, Susan Roberts, are the founders of Japan Cat Network









The Japan Times
MAKING A DIFFERENCE

JAPAN CAT NETWORK

Stray cats captivated by couple's efforts to help

By THOMASINA LARKIN

Staff writer

For anyone who has wandered the streets of Japan, the sight of a woman carrying her designer-clad lapdog will be a familiar one.

David Wybenga
David Wybenga and his wife, Susan Roberts, are the founders of Japan Cat Network.

Also familiar will be the sight of a dirty, scrawny cat, perhaps covered in bloody sores and missing clumps of fur, running for cover in the nearest nook or cranny.

It doesn't take an animal lover to realize that cats are widely neglected in Japan, and foreigners here often wonder why that is and what is being done about it.

"When I was in America, I didn't think about cats and dogs, I didn't have a pet," says David Wybenga, who moved here 15 years ago. "But when my wife and I came here, we would find starving kittens in parking lots and we couldn't ignore it. We couldn't keep walking. So we'd pick them up, and little by little we started forming a plan."

The plan was simple. Basing their methodology on an international cat population control program called TNR, or Trap-Neuter-Return, Wybenga and his wife, Susan Roberts, created Japan Cat Network in 2000.

"We may not be able to take that poor cat off the street, but we can have it spayed and can probably prevent hundreds of cats from being born," Wybenga says, adding that the program can also help prevent the widespread existence of FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS.

"We've found that FIV-AIDS is rampant among cats in Japan," Wybenga says. "FIV cats can do well, when cared for, but without attentive care their condition steadily worsens.

"FIV is passed through mating and through fighting, and fighting happens because of mating. That happens because they aren't neutered," he says. "After years of doing our program in our town, the cats remaining on the streets are all healthy — they look like pets and are an attractive part of the community."

The method of TNR involves choosing a point to start from and then radiating out, trapping stray cats and taking them to a clinic where they can then be spayed or neutered before being returned to where they were found. A caregiver then continues to monitor the situation and to provide maintenance.

"There's a reason those cats are there," Roberts says. "People feed them secretly, or they eat garbage, so moving the cats won't actually solve the problem. And after the cats are spayed or neutered they look much better, they look very healthy. So in most cases we want to put them back.

"Our main focus is to help people spay and neuter to prevent more animals from getting into this situation," she says.

As new cats don't typically want to settle down in an area where other cats already dwell, returning cats to the place they were found should also help curb population growth in those areas.

"The SPCA promotes this kind of program and that's what we've done in our town," Wybenga says, adding that this type of pet control, while still uncommon here, is gaining momentum in parts of Japan. However, in rural areas harsher methods are still used.

"It's estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of Americans have their pets spayed or neutered, and those kinds of stats would also be true in Canada, England, western Europe," Wybenga says. "But in Japan it is about 30 percent."

"Vets here don't promote it, and as a result, a lot of cat owners let their cats in and out without spaying them, they have kittens they don't want, and then a great number of people surrender them to animal control where they are almost always killed — often using outdated and inhumane methods," he says. "Since the highest percentage of cats destroyed occurs in the months of March, April and May, we're encouraging people to start efforts to spay and neuter cats in their communities as soon as possible."

According to ALIVE, or All Life In Viable Environment, which publishes online information about the disposal of dogs and cats in Japan, 243,850 cats were destroyed in the fiscal year ending March 2005. This number, however, is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Wybenga points out that most Japanese don't even abandon kittens to the local pound (hokensho or hokenjo). "They abandon them to fields, schools, temples, parking lots, convenience stores. Many Japanese people think it's less cruel to put a cat into a field than to drive it to a hokensho where they know it's going to be killed."

"Animal shelters, which are institutional parts of most cities in developed countries, are almost unheard of here. The few that exist are always full," Wybenga says. "One challenge is to find enough people interested in adoption to create space for new rescues, and another is to limit the population needing sheltering in the first place."

Japan Cat Network, based in Shiga Prefecture, lends traps to people in the Kansai region, helps with transportation and holds regular information meetings. Wybenga and Roberts also welcome questions from anyone across Japan and can connect people with lower-cost clinics.

"We also try to help people who are already doing TNR to rehome kittens they find," Roberts says. "You can't put kittens back where you've found them because they're too young and it's dangerous. Also, if cats are too sick we don't put them back; we try to find homes for them.

"The other part of what we're trying do is create a venue for people to adopt animals rather than purchase them, and we also offer fostering for people who will be here for only a short time," Roberts says.
The Japan Cat Network shelters about 50 cats waiting for new homes. Volunteer help, whether in the form of time, money or resources, is always needed. Web site: http//japancatnet.com/

We need tougher laws against animal cruelty
























The Electric New Paper :

We need tougher laws against animal cruelty
24 August 2010

WHEN I read the article, 'Do you have a knife?' (The New Paper, Aug 20), my first thought was, 'Not again.'

The death of the pomeranian begs the question: Has there been a rise in animal abuse? From my observation, yes.

And in my opinion, the authorities are not doing enough to send a firm message to the perpetrators of these awful acts.

Do we have to wait for the perpetrators to vent their anger on people before tougher laws are meted out?

Studies have shown that there is a link between cruelty to animals and crime.

For instance, a person who commits animal abuse is five times more likely to commit violence against people and three times more likely to be involved in drunken or disorderly offences.

You don't need to be an animal lover to know that there is something very sinister about a person who goes around doing sadistic things to animals.

For a country which is fond of putting many things on the 'don't do' list, it's time to put this thing of importance - cruelty against animals - on that same list.

FROM READER NUR HUDA MOHD SUDIN

Monday, August 23, 2010

Lost School Cat



















Veron Lau
:
"the staff and students are looking for the cat, it's the cleaners that chased it away. the cat may have been dumped at the interchange according to dai ling. they will also call AVA to check if the cat ended up there. will alert the bedok people."

Yeo Mui: "This school provides real education, this is really call teaching and what future hopes they are building!! And... stupid cleaner!! should send him off the drains."

A CARING Nation

Mahatma Gandhi pronounced that

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."


Lovely Cat




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Punish pet abusers severely
























The Electric New Paper :
ABUSED DOG
Punish pet abusers severely

22 August 2010

IT WAS shocking, to say the least, to read about what happened to the pomeranian in the report, 'Do you have a knife?' (The New Paper, Aug 20).

The act - slamming the animal repeatedly onto the floor to his death - is outrageously barbaric.

What harm had the dog done to deserve such brutality?

As a pet owner, I'd say that the responsibility to love, protect and care for the pet rests squarely on our shoulders.

If a cruel act is being committed against a dog, what can it do but to cringe its tail or to whine in fright if there is no one to protect it?

It is simply appalling to read about such incidents in civilised Singapore.

The person who committed this act must be taken to task and I am sure both the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and other relevant authorities can track down the owner and identify the culprit.

Abuse of pets seems to be getting more prevalent and a clear message must be sent and appropriate penalties meted out.

Giving a stern warning to abusers means nothing - it is just a slap on the wrist.

Justice must be served even for a dog. I, together with many other pet lovers, feel deeply saddened to see such brutality.

FROM READER ARTHUR LIM

Animal abuse trend disturbing
























The Electric New Paper :
Animal abuse trend disturbing
22 August 2010

THERE seems to be a very disturbing trend of pet abuse in Singapore lately.

But, from my observation, it also seems that the animal abusers are let off lightly, say, with verbal warnings.

And members of the public are given an explanation to the effect that the physical punishment meted out on the animal was a form of discipline and not abuse.

One wonders what would constitute abuse.

Would this be only when the animal dies? Then again, shouldn't that act of causing death be considered murder or manslaughter - or does that ruling not apply because the victim is an animal and not a human being?

Given the light sentencing recently, it seemed that we were waiting for a tragedy to happen.

And it did. On Wednesday, Aug 18.

A pomeranian died a violent death when an unknown man hurled it onto the floor repeatedly till it died - in its own pool of blood in Sengkang.

Was the man who committed the act mad? Then he should have psychiatric counselling. Perhaps, even be warded to avoid being a future menace to the public.

Was he simply looking for a living thing on which to vent his frustrations?

A lawyer-friend advises that while there are laws for animal abuse, the laws for one who kills an animal are not explicit.

But here's my point. Someone who vandalises property - a non-living entity - receives swift punishments of the rotan and a jail term. So, should someone who kills a living thing receive any less?

FROM DELPHINE GOH SOON HWAN

Sunday, August 22, 2010

ADOPT a RESCUED DOG....THERE IS NO NEED TO BUY

Children with a heart for the animals

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Children with a heart for the animals

The Subang Jaya Buddhist Association's Sunday Dhamma School children, under the guidance of their dedicated teachers, started a "Five Sen Coin Collection" project some months back. The intention was to teach the children the value of money and to channel their collection to a charitable cause.

I was informed a few weeks back that they had decided to give their collection to AnimalCare. And I was invited to meet the children and tell them about what we do for the animals.

I've always believed that children are our future, and if we can inculcate the love for animals in them when they are still young, it would go a long way.

Here are some of the children. Since most of them are very young (seven years old), I thought I'd speak to them for not more than 30 minutes. And, tell them stories of some of the animals we've helped.


Some are older. Their ages range from 7 to 15.

There were 100 of them! But this is indeed one of the most well-behaved crowd of children I have ever spoken to. Kudos to their teachers and to the children themselves.

Look at these sweet little faces...

But they were not just listening, they were also able to tell me the plight of stray animals.

This is the little sister who contributed the highest collection of five sen coins. She presented me with the total collection, on behalf of all the children.

The representatives from every class received a certificate for their efforts.

Our hope for the future...

Their teachers rewarded each class with a bag of goodies.

I also brought 100 copies of each of Pawprints and Indy Jones for the children. Hopefully they will read the stories and pass on the books to their friends.



We'd like to convey our deepest appreciation and sincere thanks to the teachers and the children of SJBA's Sunday Dhamma School for their noble efforts in doing this collection for the animals.


May all of you be blessed for your kindness.

May all beings be well and happy always.

How many cats will be murdered in AVA coming working Monday?!




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International Homeless Animals' Day



Human nuisance

Eastcoast Park



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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Belgium plans to sterilise all cats by 2016

http://catsandstuff.blogspot.com/2010/08/belgium-plans-to-sterilise-all-cats-by.html

Friday, August 20, 2010

Again I have to say - if Belgium has plans to do it, why can't Singapore? If there are so many complaints about abandonment and cats being thrown on the streets, thus adding to the cat population by the authorities, then these are the steps that are needed to be taken. I like how pet shops will be made to sterilise all cats that they sell as well.

The problem honestly is lack of political will in Singapore - if not, we could be done way before 2016. It's amazing how much caregivers have already accomplished on their own with barely any support - and if their hard work was carried through to its logical conclusion, based on Singapore's size, we would be done with sterilisation of all cats in a few years. Given the necessary logistics (both in terms of money and just support), Singapore could really have had a world first that we could be proud of.


Earthtimes.org
Belgium plans to sterilise all cats by 2016

Posted on : 2010-08-18
Author : dpa

Brussels - Belgium is set to embark on a radical plan to sterilise all cats in the country by 2016, an official said Wednesday, confirming a report by the Sud press newspaper group.

The measure is meant to solve the problem of feline overpopulation. In a country of over 10 million people, there are an estimated 1 million cats, a spokesman for the health ministry told the German Press Agency dpa.

According to the "Multi Annual Cat Plan," due to be rolled out in 2011, sterilisation will first be carried out on cats held in shelters, then extended to breeding establishments and pet shops.

At a later stage, sterilisation will be made mandatory also for pet cats, which are expected to be identified and placed on a national registry.

Ginger, a well loved community cat