Red Hat, Clara and Roof Number 2

Remember all those years back there was this song that we learnt in kindergarten class that went... "it's we, it's we, it's we who build community", complete with hand actions and a catchy tune? This song rang loud and clear in my ageing mind when Red Hat Asia Pacific contacted us for a collaboration to help put up the roof on the other side of the shelter.

If you don't already know, Red Hat is a software company that provides operating system platforms, middleware, applications, management products as well as support, training and consulting services. I know... Right now you must be thinking .. how in the world did a dog shelter like ours get tangled up with a large software company like theirs? Lady seems pretty confused too.

The answer lies in Clara Wong, an employee at Red Hat Asia Pacific, who worked hard to have Gentle Paws and Friends take the spot as the beneficiary of the company's social responsibility programme. Red Hat managed to raise a total of $1,324, all of which would go towards construction of the second roof at the shelter. Thank you Red Hat! Thank you for choosing us as the recipient of your funds. Thank you for bringing the community that is Singapore that much closer together!

Red Hat representatives presenting Gentle Paws with the cheque! Thank you!

If the name Clara  rings a bell, you must have been paying attention to our earlier entries. Clara is the very same person who helped us get our booth at the flea market and who, along with a partner, has been donating the proceeds from their own booth at the flea market to Gentle Paws. So far, they have raised $340 from their booth.

No that is not all! Together with her family, Clara has managed to raise an additional $1100 for the roof!

Thank you for making their sleep so much more peaceful

After negotiation with the contractor, the very same one who did our roof the previous time, we managed to reduce the price from $4100 to $3800. Together with Gentle Paws flea market proceeds of $620, Clara, her friends and family and Red Hat have put together a total of $3384.

Construction in progress

Slowly but surely... Bit by bit... Roof no. 2 goes up

(Work still in progress) But now the doggies on the other side get cover too!

Food is important but infrastructure is too. Thanks you for making their shelter look so much more like a home, a home that is so much better to...

Sleep in...

And play in...

Or simply to think in...

In the face of such kindness, we make no answer to Red Hat, Clara, her friends and family but thanks and thanks again. Thanks for taking the initiative to help a bunch of homeless dogs. You have made a difference in the furkids' lives and for that, we're absolutely thankful.