Sunday, July 1, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
"Bacon is the gentlest and sweetest dog I have ever known."
He is the sweetest and more gentle dog I have ever known. Everytime I leave the house, Bacon will run out onto the porch, sit there, and see me off. :)
note the other 2 furballs staying far away to avoid the sun!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Save the Punggol Strays
Join us the our furry friends for an informal gathering at Bishan Park!
Location: Bishan Park Dog Run Area
Date: 14 Jan 2012, Saturday
Time: 10.30am
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Stray dogs in Singapore? Yes..and they need saving!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Bacon - An Extremely Special Dog
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Bacon - An Extremely Special Dog
When I first decided to embark on this journey, I never expected to meet the most exceptional dog I have ever known. I never properly explained what happened to Bacon and how or who adopted him.Bacon lived in a pack at Punggol Waterway Park all his life. Afer the park opened, his friends were all caught and gone. For some reason, he was the sole survivor. In normal circumstances, only the most elusive and aggressive dogs are able to escape being caught, hence it came as a big surprise to rescuers when he was easily approached and leased up, 3 days before Christmas.
It was late at night, and he had to be housed at our place for the night before being transferred to the shelter the next day. Only for the night, as you may recall I already had to urgently find fosterers for the puppies at my place due to my neighbours' incessant complaints.
He wasn't happy of course, thrashing and snapping on being caught. He remained defensive and seemingly aggresive when he arrived at our place. No one dared to go near this Herculian huge dog which was struggling and pulling. Finally, with the efforts of 5 people, we managed to lock him up securely inside a cage.
Imagine my surprise the next morning, when we found him in the cage, smiling. (This was how he looked that morning!)When I let him out, he actually wagged his tail and followed me around the porch, allowing me to pat him, and showing no signs of aggresion. Through the night he did not bark once, and so we decided we could foster him for awhile more rather than bring him to the shelter.In barely 2 days, Bacon had begun to be very comfortable at home.. following us around, allowing himself to be bathed, wagging his tail, and just being happy to be with us. Not a bark still. When he does not want to do something (e.g. when eing bathed), he whines, like a little baby. He never once tried to run out or escape.
A week later, on New Year's Eve, a kind man and his family came to view Bacon. They were the perfect family for him - dog lovers who had many previous dogs, a maid who loves dogs, and a big compound for him to run around. They immediately fell in love with him, and brought him home with them that day. I was at work and did not get to say goodbye.
That evening, I just felt an inexplicable urge to see him. It was hard to explain. I went to his new home right after work... And there he was, sitting near the gate, waiting. When he saw me, he ran towards the gate, wagging. And went I entered the house, he followed me around the house, unwillingly to leave my side for a second.
But nothing prepared me for what happened when I took my leave.. He tried to dash out through the gate after me; the helper had to grab him to prevent him from running out, and he whimpered, and whined like I never heard before, at the top of his voice, while struggling to break free. I was heartbroken, and I knew that he was as well.
I went home, wondering if I had done something terribly wrong. Andy felt the same way. But we felt its best to let him get accustomed to his new life.
3 hours later, on our way to a countdown party, I received a call from his very distressed adopter. He refused to get into his cage, snapping at them when they tried to usher him in. Worse, he tried to escape by jumping out, and when he failed, squeezed his (big) head through the very small openings in the gate in a futile attempt, getting stuck and whining in pain.
The adopters asked me to take him back for the night for his safety.
So we made a U- Turn, went to him, and brought him back to our place.After that, we knew we couldn't let him leave us again. He is now our dog, and our home is his permanent home.
1 week on, he has learned to respond to his name, obey simple commands like sit and paw, how to walk on a leash, and he has leanred from his siblings how to beg for food at the dining table. Otherwise, he remains his sweet self, always wagging his tail, and never aggresive.
Some things simply cannot be explained. Who can explain why he was the sole survivor in a highly active culling zone? Who can explain why a stray dog who has spent his whole life running free in a pack will be so receptive to domestication? And who can explain why he was so attached to us only after 2 days?
I can only attribute it to fate, and maybe some divine intervention.
Bacon has taught me so much. About love, about loyalty, about relationships, and most of all, about the preciousness of life.
The most special dog I know is not an expensive pedigree dog with a beautiful coat, or a dog who has won many competitions. The most special dog I know, is an ordinary looking brown mongrel dog, with a beautiful heart, an extremely noble character, and a delicious name.
Hawk Cut
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
An anonymous contributor responds to Mr Tan Chuan Jin’s note: ‘Managing Stray Dogs.. Yet Again’
In response to Mr Tan Chuan Jin’s post: ‘Managing Stray Dogs.. Yet Again’
http://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-chuan-jin/managing-straysyet-again/298828286826620
Indeed, the saga over the stray dogs in Punggol has been very revealing.
If anything, it has revealed that Singaporeans have a heart. When lives are at stake (The dogs’ lives, not the joggers who were attacked!), many people will speak up, and chip in their part to try save these lives. Innocent lives are involved here, and needless to say, in the process, emotions flare. Many have made angry comments at the authorities, at the joggers who were attacked, and at the whole situation in general, leading to the authorities labeling animal lovers as being ‘hostile’, ‘ludicrous’, and of ‘making up false stories’, etc.
Please note, however, that hostility has come not only from people for the dogs, but also from people against the dogs. Over the last 2 wks, people have called animal lovers ‘bitches just like the creatures they are trying to save’, and other worse names on Facebook. After the video clip of the pregnant lady with the run-in with dog catchers was circulated, people have attacked her viciously, ridiculing her poor command of English, and even cursing her unborn child. From what I understand, she was so distressed by these hate comments that comments had to be disallowed on the youtube video.
The truth is, animal lovers have been working tirelessly through the festive season, day and night, to catch, rehabilitate, and try to rehome these dogs. The amazing work of these dedicated animal lovers should not, and cannot be callously brushed aside and overlooked simply because the emotions are running wild in cyberspace.
Another important thing revealed in this saga, is that many Singaporeans do not know about the plight of stray dogs – Many do not even know that that exist until now! And because they do not know, they could not care. The outpour of emotions on the groud is simply a result of the public caring, because they now are aware.
Let’s be very clear on this.
When stray dogs are rounded up by AVA, they usually will end up being put to sleep. Dogs being impounded by AVA will only be released if they have an owner, meaning the dog needs to be microchipped, licensed, and registered at a permanent residence. Stray dogs, naturally do not have fulfill the above, and hence, on capture, will be put to sleep after a few days, unless someone comes to claim them. Culling may not be the default action, but it is the most common outcome.
Lets also be very clear, that the culling did not start only after the dog attack. As reported by ChannelNewsAsia, 26 dogs from Punggol were caught from Sep 2011 to Dec 2011 before the attack, and all but 2 have been put to sleep. The 2 dogs which survived only did so by sheer chance, as members of the public fought to bail them out, encountering difficulties along the way as highlighted in Today Newspaper. And way before that, many more dogs have been rounded up in Punggol alone, to make way for the new town.
These dogs did not attack anyone; maybe some of them were dominant males, but ask any stray feeder in Punggol and they will tell you about the docile and friendly dogs which they used to feed and have now gone. These dogs were simply in the way of urbanization and development, and hence, in a society with little tolerance for them, they were rounded up and removed.
The irony of it all, is that the friendlier and more rehomable dogs are always the ones being caught first, as these dogs are less wary of dog catchers. Conversely, the agressive, elusive ones, are the hardest to catch, and will be left behind after the friendly and docile ones have been removed. At present, very few friendly dogs in Punggol are left, and hence volunteers are having difficulty catching the remaining dogs and putting them up for adoption.
8 out of the 12 dogs which were caught after the jogger was attacked were assessed to dominant males, and agressive, and hence put to sleep. Let us take a step back and look at this logically - there can never be so many dominant males in a pack. And dominant males are the ones who run the fastest and avoid capture the best. Dogs can sense danger very well. When faced with being caught and imminent death, which dog, even the most docile, will not be aggressive? It is flight, or fight. Simple physiology.
We should also be very clear, that AVA is just doing its job. The AVA has a duty to answer to the public – when the public complains, they need to act and respond. The AVA also has to answer to the policy makers and other stat boards – when HDB needed to clear the area for the development of the Punggol Waterway Park, they had to round up the strays in the area. As Mr Tan mentioned, there are many animal lovers in AVA, and it pains them as much as us, when they have to see innocent dogs being put to sleep. It is very easy to be angry with AVA as they are the ones doing the dirty work, but we should look at the larger picture, and instead use the energy to try to effect change.
On the issue of the pregnant stray feeder, we need to hear both sides of the story before condemning her. This lady followed the dog catchers for 2 hours, taking pictures of them, but always keeping a distance behind them. The dog catchers became upset as they did not want to be photographed, citing reasons that 'their work should not be known to the public'. They were hostile to her and set the police on her after she refused to stop photographing. There is no law in Singapore is allowing photography in public places, nor any preventing people from trailing behind others in a public space.
What is really disappointing in this saga in the way our leaders have responded. The only dialogue held so far is the one by MP Penny Low, a day after ChannelNewsAsia brought the issue up. She called for a meeting, unfortunately giving too short a notice so most of the involved people could not attend. But at least she tried. Others are only hearing one side of the story, making unfair conclusions, while sugar-coating the way in which stray dogs are managed in Singapore. Their attitude has to change if Singapore wants to work towards a more humane society, or if they want the public to be more supportive.
Finally, please realize that AWGs have their limitations as well. Most of their kennels are full – ALL, ASD, SPCA, etc. They cannot take in any more dogs. What is needed is, for members of the public, to step up, and work towards a better future for our stray dogs. Not only in Punggol, but in the whole country.
I do not want to live in a society where innocent lives are disposed of simply because they are deemed to be useless. Do you?
2 male puppies which were rescued from Punggol. They are now with ASD.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Join hands for a humane approach towards strays
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_749561.html
LET us not polarise the issue: Animal lovers and the public have a common goal, which is to get the strays off the streets ('Dog lovers upset over stepped-up culling'; Dec 21).
Where we differ is in the ways - in the treatment of the strays during their capture, and their rehoming and adoption.
Animal lovers, too, are concerned about public safety. However, the brutal capture and culling of these animals isn't the solution.
Many animal lovers like me feed stray dogs and cats with the goal of winning their trust so we can rescue them and take them off the streets and into homes or shelters where they can be properly looked after.
We do it not with the purpose of having them breed and cause more problems. But time is not on our side, simply because the support and resources are lacking.
This is the crux of the issue for all animal welfare groups and animal lovers. And, I can imagine, the same goes for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
This problem will not go away. The only solution is one where we all work together on a nationwide permanent effort that involves the AVA and animal welfare groups - a collaborative multi-agency task force to systematically and humanely rescue all strays and shepherd them into homes or shelters.
What is paramount is to stop the culling and brutal methods of capture.
Animal lovers like me will rally behind a joint effort to source for funding, pool resources and organise adoption campaigns.
Adrian Teo
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Save the Punggol Strays
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Punggol-Strays/156463767790713
An Anonymous Contributor Shares her Response to the Culling of Punggol Dogs
The Save the Punggol Strays campaign has been challenged at every turn.
They have been called ‘ludicrous’ and ‘extreme’. They have been accused of ‘trivialis[ing] the lives of fellow Singaporeans’. They have been warned not to ‘stir emotions’, ‘demonize AVA’, and ‘go after the government’. They have been labeled as ‘activists’ and ‘animal lovers’.
Do you know what is ‘ludicrous’? They think we are simple enough to reject their ideas if they point at them and call them ‘extreme’. They think we are afraid of anything that might be perceived as challenging the government. They think we can be distracted from the fact that they actually have a point.
They want people to be scared of them. They want you to think they are radical ‘activists’ and ‘animal lovers’. But here’s the thing: You do *not* have to be an activist or love animals, to see the flawed logic behind catch and kill policy. Anyone can figure out catch and kill does not work. And that is why they want this campaign to fade away— they are afraid regular people might start to notice that they are using their taxpayer dollars to kill hundreds of animals every year for no discernable reason.
Culling achieves nothing but we do it anyway. Killing the animals in an area creates a vacuum. Animals from other places move in to fill that void. And these animals keep having more babies so we end up with even more animals than before. This is called the vacuum effect. It is a well-documented phenomenon that is backed up by hard scientific research. Killian et al (2007) said it best: ‘Depopulation by lethal means may result in a “vacuum” effect where territorial boundaries are no longer defended allowing for influx of new diseased and non diseased animals to the area. Moreover, populations greatly reduced by culling are likely to rebound quickly, providing young animals’.
There are so many ways we could meaningfully reduce the homeless animal population. Actively discouraging people from abandoning animals. Letting people give animals a home in their flats. Supporting and encouraging sterilization of animals. All of these solutions would be better than killing tens of thousands of homeless animals under the guise of ‘public safety’.
Not a lot of people knew how prevalent catch and kill is before this campaign came along. People are only just starting to notice resources are being wasted on an endless cycle of trapping and killing. For the first time, people are becoming aware that animals are being killed all the time in their neighborhoods. We can no longer stay silent. By keeping quiet, we tacitly condone and accept the killing of lots innocent animals for no particular reason as a legitimate action to ‘ensure the public is kept safe’.
Read, share, and discuss. Spread the word. Start conversations. Together, we can help give the Punggol strays a chance, and make people sit up and take notice of wasteful, ineffective, and indiscriminate culling.
Links roundup:
Exchange on Mr Tan Chuan Jin’s Facebook Wall
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=292921417417307&id=182928775083239
Straits Times: Dog lovers upset over stepped-up culling in Punggol
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_747280.html
Straits Times: Culling done to ensure public safety
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20111223-317957.html
Today Online: Roadblocks to re-homing dogs?
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC111224-0000012/Roadblocks-to-re-homing-dogs
Killian et al (2007). USDA National Wildlife Research Center - Staff Publications. Paper 758.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/758
Plea to Save the Punggol Stray Dogs on Channel News Asia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhm5unx2P4U&feature=youtu.be
Plea to save Punggol Stray Dogs on Mediacorp Channel 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbaKWEAt6MM&feature=youtu.be
