Feeding

We've oft been asked : Don't we have better things to do ? Things to do - yes, better things - probably not. What can be better than to feed those who are homeless, those who are hungry, who try to look for food and can’t, those been put out with nowhere to go, not out of choice but circumstances and situations which drove them to become the so-called strays they are now.

Strays - they are not wild dogs, many were left behind or driven out from homes who once owned them. Betrayed by the very ones who took them in, the ones who had promised them a home when they were cute chubby pups, that they would belonged till they were old and gray, but that promise has been broken. Some were born to these made homeless and they are the 2nd generation strays. Strays who need our help, to provide food when they can’t find any, rescue them when we can find a temporary shelter, rehome them when we can find them a family. You tell us, what can be a better thing.

Feeders, yes we have heard it all - they are queer people, strange ones, they are there every day, rain or shine. All that effort, to feed? Mmm, and for a dog or a cat, goodness we don’t understand … what a waste of money, resource and time. Yes we get that a lot. Not many understand. Most people treat strays as just things, not even living things, not seen and not heard. Even if they see one half starved or injured by the road, the outcry would be “eeeks, so dirty, so unhygenic, quick call someone to take it away, the disease, the smell, yucks” no thought of the poor creature suffering. It is sad, the whole situation. Aren't these also God's precious creations?

Where is the empathy or compassion? And the saddest part, there are just too many dogs and cats needing care. Too many for us to handle, the same problems that feeders all over are facing. Feeders will stick to their area and try to give food to the several that they can see and probably in time be familiar with them, but other than that, there is really not much they can do. There is no authority to complain to, no organisation to ask for help, no resource to draw from. That is why there are so many private AWGs being set up to fill this gap but even they are now back up against the wall, overwhelmed by the high abandonment cases as more owned pets become strays over night. Feeders have to make do with whatever food they can buy with their own funds, rice, bread, kibbbles, cans, left overs, meat ... whatever can be eaten, anythig we can share. It is a tough life for feeders, so why do it? The joy cannot be explained.

Not till you have fed the hungry can you actually understand why you can see the most saddest or starving sight but leave with a joyful heart because the food you brought, gave that animal respite for that day. There is no thanks needed, no wave or tail or purr but you leave with a great feeling that you've done right and that will carry you through till the next. That the meal you brought would sustain the hungry for another day.

And everyday is important, not for you but for the hungry who wait patiently in the rain or scorching sun, that meal is important. Far more important than you can ever imagine. That could jolly well be the only meal it can eat or maybe even the last.

No, if you aren’t a feeder, you also cannot understand the grief and sorrow when the dog or cat you have been feeding day in and day out, suddenly goes missing. The sweet familiar furry faces that have become so important to us as we scan the area looking, praying for a sight, an evidence that they are still around.

Our dearest Alsie has been missing for the last few days. We are very worried for her and can only pray that she is just roaming and not missing. The last time we saw her was April 8 and since then she has not appeared and we can’t find her when we go looking.

Beautiful Alsie as we remember her, classical beauty, poor faithful Alsie

Alsie when we last saw here, ears twitched back, nervously looking around.

The last meal Alsie had with us

Alsie chewing her favourite bacon treat. This is her all time favourite. We would give her a whole packet just to see her eat them again.

No you probably also won’t understand the joy and yet sadness that comes with each feeding. Will we see them again tomorrow? Will they keep safe? Will they return? What happens when we don't see them? Would we regret we didn't do enough? Should we have taken them away, but where do we bring them, where can we go? The questions come to haunt us each and every time.

And when one doesn’t turn up or when the food is uneaten, you start imagining the worse but grief becomes harder when you do find out that they won’t be coming back - if you found out they had been poisoned or hit by a car or caught, captured. No, it is a grief that only a feeder can understand.

We received this email from a friend who feeds in the West, the day she could not find her beloved dog. She had already lost one (Brown) earlier this year, found poisoned, and this last email came when she also lost Silly. Tears flowed as we read her email. We can understand and we can empathise. Will we stop feeding so we don't have to go through this emotional turmoil, NO, because that would be wrong, because the hungry still need to live, but we cry for those we cannot rescue, those we cannot take home. It is always a hard choice to walk away. Please bear with this, we cannot help but share her sadness,

This is G's eulogy

- FOR SILLY -

Silly, I remembered how when we first set eyes on each other.You were one of the funniest, loveliest stray I've ever seen.

Silly is a handsome boy

You ran towards my direction in circles and halt when you touched my knees with your button nose and I knelt down to give you a gentle paton the back. To my surprise you gave me your paw and I accepted it graciously with a firm handshake.Your face was so dopey cute and your fur was thick and luscious.

We fell in love.

You were the 1st stray who taught me the inner beauties strays possessed.I look forward to your funny tactics and whines that tickle my bone, for a stray so big could be such a softie marshmallow within. You bought along Bear and Brown to be my friends and boy was I delighted and honored!

We would play "faster! Run! Catch!" when all of us will race to thecanteen just to fill my tummy craves of food. Smart "alex-es" you all were when I proceed into the "human jammed canteen" while you all waited patiently at the corner for me. I remembered fondly when one evening when I was working late, time checked was close to 7pm.

My workplace was deserted. I headed back tomy vehicle parked some distance away where suddenly a group of foreign workers came towards my direction making "not so friendly remarks and whistles".

Sharp barks were heard from the back and to my astonishment; you all were dashing towards my direction. Bear and you growl and circled the foreign workers, 6 to be exact while Brown graciously plonged herself right in front of me. Thereafter Bear and you majestically walked to my side, you on my left, Bear on my right.

I felt like King Ramses for that split second! My heart raced and a smirky smile arose as the workers inched away slowly with soft hushes.

I was so proud of all of you! What wonderful DOGS!

Tears poured down as thoughts came, "I'm not your owner, I only feed kibbles and fresh water, I don't provide a permanent home but you'll came to my rescue", I made up my mind to provide you with the best within my means. If not for you all; I wonder what would have happened.

Bear, Brown and Silly, you'll taught me so much more and let me into your lives that I only have thankful wishes to extend. You taught me life's simple pleasures:

- How thankful to live life to the fullest each day

- How thankful to bask in nature and be in total bliss just licking off dewdrops from the leaves

- How thankful to have the necessities of life rather than luxuries- How to make the best out of situations and not wallow in pity

(no toys? I find tattered rugs/shoes to play, no chewies or treats? The bone of a chicken IS a treat! No soft beds and blankets? I seek solitude under cars and grasses, or perhaps huddle together for special bonding)

Then Brown crossed the rainbow bridge, my mortal pain came crashing down and I vow to make every day a memory for Bear and you. How I remembered every time I drove off, you both will have the saddest look in your eyes as if, why? Can we go along? We promise to be good! Stay a little while longer and play, see who runs the fastest!

I remembered, Silly, you being the clown and dearest to me sneakily popped into the car when I was giving goodbye sayangs to Bear. I didn't know to laugh at you or be angry but to say, "I wish I can but I can't", made my heart cringe again.

One fine day, I was walking a bit too close to the opposite neighbour's workshop and their strays dashed out barking. Being the heroes as you'll always are, I saw a "pony" (Bear, coz you're a bitstumpy) and "horse" (Silly coz you're taller) galloping to my rescue again, only to find out that the other strays, wanted sayangs. So there the 4 of you were, all grown up fighting and pushing for attention.

Much loves for the 4 of you.

Then I had to take the public transport and the bustop was quite a distance away from my office. Guardian angels to me you both were as you'll accompany me all the way to the bustop and bark at any vehicles zooming too close or other strays as we wander across their territories. I was worried for your safely as the vehicles never fail to stop even though you're crossing halfway.

I was like a mother hen worried for her chicks. Days, weeks, months pass by and our bonds were as tight knitted asKing Arthur and his knights. How I would look forward having to see Bear and you, sends butterfly flutters and "cherry-ness" within.

How you both would cringe a little but Bear with me as I apply medication on your bodies, how I'll hold yourr heads and paws and screaming to you'll about my frustrations in life, how gentle giants you were.

Even M commented the bond we had. Its been 5 days since I last saw you Silly, I went around like a crazy lass asking, shouting your name, searching, where are you? I've heard from workers that you got hit by a truck and your body is twisted. I pleaded with bear to show me where you are, being the loyal companion he followed me even to the outskirts to find you.

I don't know which is better. To have never find you and live indenial that somewhere somehow your safe or to have find you, find your body but being selfish I think my mortal heart will wither.

I bleed for you deeply Silly.

Yet I find joy that you're no longer scavenging, suffering in this mortal world. You will not be alone too, you've brown, lulu, brilliant, peanut and many others to play fetch, do your circle stuntsand be healthy and safe.

Silly, come into my dreams soon to tell me your happy.

Bear hasn't been eating a lot too, his tail isn't waggy all he does is hide near the flowerpots and sleeps.

Bear hiding behind ever since Silly has disappeared

Silly, Wally I love you. Deeply.

Silly gives his paw: Thanks for loving me mummy G, Thank you for your love and offer of food each day. You cared when no one did.

Contributed by G.

Thank you dear G for faithfully feeding. Though Silly and Brown are no longer around, God will take care of them now. They will not have to run from cars or wonder where you are and why you couldn’t take them home. They had you when they had no one else, you gave them food, you gave them pride and love and told them they were the best dogs in the whole world, and for them, that was enough.

Rescued From Hell – stories from the rescued Farm Beagles

Introducing AMBER

... - an experience contributed by fosterer WH (a first timer in having a dog as a pet)

Amber is a beagle which I helped to rescue about a week ago. I received a sms from A last Friday evening about some beagles being given up and they needed a home. I thought... why not? So off I went on a Saturday afternoon with my brother and sis-in-law...

It was an experience never to forget. A hot day too cos we were all perspiring like crazy. We managed to see the beagle and decided that we wanted her because of her quiet temperament. So off we went again to the vet...

She was surprisingly good in the car. Once in a while, she would try to lie down in the dog bag which my bro had for her. Although she didn't walk very well on the leash, she seemed to know it when we said 'no' to her if she couldn't do something. This was something that I later found out that she learnt very quickly which also made her a very lovable dog.

Getting her home was the only the beginning. There were many adjustments to be made. I had to prepare quite a lot of stuff for her. She wasn't paper-trained so there was a lot of cleaning up to do. I wasn't quite ready for it. But learnt how to manage. I also fell sick the past week. Am still ill but I still had to take care of her and the rabbits too. It was indeed a very challenging week for me. I had to clear a lot of work as I was on MC for a day and on top of that, I had to come home to 5 babies who needed my constant care and attention, I was very tired... and overwhelmed...

Luckily for me, Amber adapted to life at my home very quickly. The first day she was here, she was pacing up and down the entire night, probably not used to the large space. After she had settled down, she was sleeping and eating well and looked forward to all the pats I could give her. She seemed to know that sometimes I needed to be left alone to finish up my work or I'd become cranky and she gave me the space to do so. She was not demanding at all. The only time when she wanted attention was when she would nudge me with her big, wet nose on my knee as if saying... Hey Workaholic! I am still around... :)

Amber : My favourite position

I'm in doggy heaven. Thank you Mummy WH for taking me home and showing me what life can really be like.

Sweet Amber brings much joy to WH

Do you know that she's even afraid of my bunnies the first few days? She didn't know how to react to them the first few days she was around. Gradually, she got used to them, occasionally sniffing them and my rabbits were not even scared of her! This is funny! Maybe they all knew and sensed that they have been abandoned once before so... as the saying goes... let's live and let live...

I am still not sure if I would be keeping her for good as I missed my rabbits. I am still not sure if I can manage Amber and the bunnies running around in the living room. I missed having my rabbits run around the living room. Taking care of a dog is certainly not easy but luckily for me, Amber is such a good dog that even for a first-time dog owner like me, I was able to feel like life is still the same after a week. Needed some adjustments and getting used to them all...

So... meanwhile, Amber is still here till I make up my mind or a better home comes along. She certainly deserves a good life from now on.

Contributed by WH.

FOUR – extracted from an email from her adopter and mummy, MK on April 4

..... As requested, here are some photos of Four in the last 2 days.

The 1st one with a new chew, she doesn't like ball that much, but she loves chew! We went out yesterday and thereafter resting peacefully after the long hot walk :-)

Four is under going training now (eg: paper training, boundaries, commands) yet overall she is happy. R & I find her to be very smart, not barky, does not chew furniture, active & playful with a very good appetite! She has already learnt commands : 'Sit', 'No', 'Come', I think in another 2 days , she will come to understand: 'Wait', 'Go', 'Four','wee-wee', and 'poo-poo'. She does get a fair amount of treats as a result of positive training and good behaviour. Being a beagle, her nose scent is very strong, that's to be expected, although I do need to house proof my kitchen to ensure food is not easily reachable.

One thing we still need to observe is her behaviour with Finn (their other dog, a Corgi). Finn is sulking under my dining table, her comfort zone. We caught Four , who is taller, pawing over Finn's head and cornering her. I think she wants to play but my older dog cringes & hates it. We need to arrange time-out for each by separating them eg; one goes to the park, the other stays home; or Finn sleeps in my room at nite, Four in the kitchen; and also during feeding time they have half hour of uninterrupted alone time each in the kitchen.

Four : I now have a home and I'm am standing guard protecting my new family

Four loves her Chewy Chews while Finn looks from below the table.

The other thing that we will always have to keep in mind is their health condition, tick fever possibilities, keep up with antibiotics dozages, regular vaccinations, etc...these are long term efforts that we are committed towards.

Hope our stories offer you some assurance, let's keep in touch, till the next time, my warmest wishes to ALL's big hearted souls out there by just doing what you do :-)

and in an updated email of April 22, 2009

Four is doing great, she has learnt most of her commands, paper trained, and is more calm now. Most important, I can sense that she is happy. We bought several chews, each day she devours 1 to 2, to keep occupied while we are at work.

With her desperate back ground, I fully understood why she came to us greedy, charging back forth, rushing for food, barging everywhere, scavenging dustbins, and eating poo! Now she sits and wait for her food although still very excited. My other dog is also adapting, less sulky, she gets more treats because I have to be fair in training, and definitely they get more walks. I take Four running 3 times a week, then switch to Finn for a cooling down walks to buy breakfast before work.

I don't expect Four to be perfect, in fact I don't need her to be as well behaved as Finn. Both come from very different upbringing. I only need Four to understand basic commands and be manageable socially. Every dog is different, partly nature partly nurtured, so even if you have 2 dogs, the approach should vary. If this is a good tip to adopters, feel free to share it in your site

Contributed by MK

Well, the real life experiences above about the 5 year old rescued beagles goes to show that AGE is not factor that an older dog cannot learn new tricks, that dogs can adjust no matter their years. We are highlighting this as there have been some concerns by a few interested parties that they would prefer younger dogs in terms of training but the three beagles rescued have proven against that misconception.

The third beagle, named SANDY is also doing very well. The adopters have not emailed us but have kept us updated by SMSes and phone calls on how well behaved Sandy is and how quickly she has picked up. She was paper trained in just a few days, fantastic achievement for dog caged up for such a long period of time. Sandy has adjusted very well to her new environment and their resident dog.

It is not whether an older dog can learn new tricks or adjust, rather it is how much you as an owner or adopter is willing to put into your new pet. For Four, Amber and Sandy, they were very fortunate to find families who love them as they are, understand the dog's behaviour and anxiety because of the background they come from, a background that is not the dogs' fault but of breeders' greed. We are glad they are given another chance in life where they no longer just exist but live as man's best friend and companian, as they should, as they righfully deserve. The adopter has a huge part to play in the dogs' development. It can be a young puppy or a 5 year old, but if there is no commitment, no patience and no understanding, the pup is going to grow up as untrained as the next stray.

Do not brush off an older dog because of misconceptions. Give them a chance, they do deserve it as the life they come from have been brutal and sad and if you can make a difference to them, they will return that with their love and devotion, that much we can assure you.

Our own rescued dogs, The RATS Pack, now boarding at the kennels have shown us how much they appreciate us and their happy tails, jumps and licks are their gratitude of love.

THE RATS PACK FOR ADOPTION

We have wonderful dogs with great pesonalities for adoption.We invite you to view the individual dogs and their profile -http://theratspackadoption.blogspot.com/

Devoted Cara - Sterlised Female http://theratspackadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/devoted-mia-cara-for-adoption.html

Classy Milo - Neutered Male http://theratspackadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/classy-milo-for-adoption.html

Gentle Mama Brown - Sterilised Female http://theratspackadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/gentle-mamabrown-for-adoption_18.html

Macho Horlicks - Neutered male http://theratspackadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/dog-with-heart-of-gold-macho-horlicks_18.html

For Adoption or Fostering

Farm beagles
There are still 3 beagles in the farm, one male and two female beagles, of which one is crippled, due to an accident in a breeding accident. (another casualty among breeding dogs) for rehoming or fostering. The beagles need to find fostering soon as we have been told they are not being fed much, if at all. They are approximately 5 years old.

If anyone is keen to adopt or able to foster a beagle, please do drop us a line at anaterry@singnet.com.sg or call 98383820.

Abandoned Bull Mastiff
On the evening of 19th April, Sunday, 2 bull mastiff were discovered tied at the gates of Pet Movers, Pasir Ris Farmway 3, where Animal Lovers League (ALL) is located. It is said that an old woman left them there and walked away. The 2 dogs, one male and one female are big, and handsome, both unsterilized, their coats are well taken care of, and it is evitable that they have been reared and not strays.

For more pictures or write up of the Mastiffs, please view http://www.animalloversleague.com/wordpress/ and if you can help sponsor these dogs or adopt them, please call ALL or us at anaterry@singnet.com.sg

Animal Lovers League – Donations

Currently ALL need aid on food for those in their care, besides many others, please visit http://www.animalloversleague.com/wordpress/ to see their lack.

If you wish to help and want to donate to supply their needs, Ms. A has very kindly offered a simple online avenue. Click on http://myconceptpetstore.blogsrc.com/a-help-for-the-strays-at-all/ and partner with us so that the dogs and cats in ALL can stay healthy and happy.

Animal Lovers League fundraising charity dinner on Tuesday, 5th May, 2009

During this time of financial difficulty, the kennels are hard hit as they may not be the priority on everyone's mind. The need for shelter, medicines and meals, however, still continues for these homeless, rescued, abandoned and abused animals, many with no sponsorship.

Animal Lovers League, a non-profit organisation, (http://www.animalloversleague.com) looking after the welfare of these animals therefore has to constantly solicit for funds and appeal to the generosity of animal lovers and well-wishers to perpetuate this noble undertaking of this organisation to better the lives of the animals, giving them a second chance in life.

The funds raised, will essentially go towards the day-to-day operational demands of the shelter, affectionately known as 'Pets Villa'. Merchandise such as notebooks, hand-painted T-shirts, hand made soaps, decorative candles and such will be also available on the day of the event.

Tickets cost $150.00 for a delicious 4 course meal featuring modern Singaporean cuisine at a posh restaurant at Wild Rockets @ Mt. Emily http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/wildrocket.htm).

What better way to support this 'big hearted' kennel and at the same time enjoy a cosy, fabulous meal with your loved ones. Please call one of the following contact to purchase your tickets or if you need more information :9670-8052 or 9154-6422 or 9838 3820 or email anaterry@singnet.com.sg

From those residing at Pets Villa run by Animal Lovers League

Thank you for your generosity

It goes a long way to our welfare and care