Gentle Paws and Friends

A field day

2012-01-29T00:33:00.000+08:00

Hello 2012.

It's another brand new year, another a brand new start.

And that calls for a new year resolution...

I know I haven't been too prompt in my updates.

And I resolve to work on that.

I am no natural born writer. For me, writing takes practice. Right now, I feel like I am extremely rusty at the edges.

So let me start off with a short update.

2012 started off with a blast. Furry day today was rather perfect. The weather was as blustery as it could be. The threat of rain seemed to hover over us but it never materialised.

If furry day ever had fervent supporters, it has to be the weather gods. Time and again, they have been extremely merciful. I can just imagine the group of them grinning from side to side as they look down on our excited pooches on their day out.

For that, we are absolutely grateful.

Another highlight of the day had to be the fact that we finally managed to bring Baby out to the beach. We have been organising this event for over a year and a half now. Baby has been with us all this time. Yet, it is only today that we managed to coax her to join the rest of her furry friends out at the beach.

Meet Baby

From what I know, Baby and her good pal Buddy were rescued off the streets when they were little.

Meet Buddy

But they were handled by workers and were basically lacking the personal touch. To put it simply, they were neglected dogs, trained by experience to shy away from human affection.

They detested being leashed or touched.

For years, we were unable to shower or walk them.

Whenever we so much as advance toward them with a leash in hand, they would growl quite ferociously to warn us to stay away.

But recently, Florence made inroads with Buddy.

At the beginning...

Through time, she cultivated a relationship with this reticent wary dog. He was the first dog she greeted whenever she arrived. He was the first dog to enjoy special treats that she was giving out. He was the first dog to have the special privilege of roaming free in the small area outside our shelter. In many ways, Florence made Buddy feel special and loved.

And then we discovered that Buddy was slowly but surely reciprocating.

First of all, he allowed Florence to touch him. She could touch his face, clean his eyes and basically brush her hand across the whole length of his body. Soon, she was able to bathe for him. Then, his tail began to wag whenever he saw her. And he began to follow her around the shelter.

He loves her back

It was as if Buddy was slowly learning to trust.

Just like a flower blossoming, watching Buddy opening up was a very gratifying experience.

We are still unable to leash Buddy and bring him for a walk. But the progress he has made has shown us his potential for even more. We expect him to be part of our canine pack in the many furry days to come this year.

Then, there is Baby. Baby hides in her cubicle most of the time. I don't know how she whiles away the time in that sparse room of hers.

Baby for you

On good days, she will venture out of her room. She will be excited during meal times.

On bad days, she is cooped up in the room all day. When you feed her lunch, she would refuse to eat until she is certain you are no longer peering in to look at her.

Wee told me previously that it was easier to leash Baby than Buddy. But she would struggle and gnaw on the leash vigorously. Previously, we left her well alone because we did not want to provoke this rather temperamental lady. But some time ago, Wee decided to give it another shot.

He used a loose lightweight metal chain to leash Baby. As expected, she resisted and tried to bite through it. I think she soon realised that it was futile. With Wee leading her, Baby made her first tentative steps out of the shelter. It was her first time out in years.

Imagine the sense of satisfaction.

On the wings of victory, Wee even carried Baby up the van and drove her to the park.

Baby's first time out in over three years

With the ground work in place, we were more confident about bringing Baby out for furry day this time.

Our amazing Choo took up the reins that Wee had put in place. He leashed and led Baby out of the shelter. Another one of us, Feng, held on to Baby's leash and together they trawled the park.

Throughout it all, Baby's tail was up.

She was hesitant but we could tell she was curious and... happy to be out.

With a firm human hand and some determination, Baby experienced her very first furry day. In the crystal ball of her future, I see many more of such outings to come.

Baby, at furry day January 28 2012

Now, this dog can see for herself where her furry counterparts head to for one whole morning each month. Now, she knows what their excitement is all about. Now she is able to experience a world outside the four walls of the shelter.

We are so absolutely thrilled for her.

As for the rest of our dogs, furry day went without a hitch.

The spirits were high. The volunteers were marvellous. And I can't emphasise how glorious the weather was.

It's a good start to the year.

It was a great day today.

May every day be as wonderfully rewarding as this very day has been.

Happy chinese new year, one and all.

Gongxi, gongxi.

Picture credits go to Sebastian and Jialing.

Lost dogs and lonely hearts

2011-12-23T14:35:00.001+08:00

As a shelter, we believe that the reason for our existence is to rehabilitate, recover and rehome dogs who have lost their way in our world, a world in which the odds of survival are often stacked against them.

When we take dogs into our shelter, we can cure their immediate need for food and shelter.

But we were never and can never be a remedy for their lonely hearts.

Only adoption and the accompanying stability it brings can help bring the rescue of these dogs to a full circle.

I recall someone asking on Facebook whether any of our dogs were up for adoption or if they were simply housed at the shelter permanently.

We were quite surprised.

We do our best to make the shelter as comfortable as possible, by ensuring the dogs have at least a warm fragrant meal each day, two walks and a shower each week and an excursion to the beach each month. We never meant to give the impression that we intended to house the dogs permanently.

We do not hoard dogs. We are not a permanent solution for the plight of the dogs.

We are a halfway house for the dogs until they find a home of their own. As Florence puts it, we are an orphanage with the mission of finding families for our homeless charges. Until then, we try to inject some sort of stability into their lives.

Recently, we have been extremely fortunate to be able to facilitate a string of adoptions.

The whole process of adoption from meeting the unfamiliar potential adoptors at the shelter for the first time, to conducting a house visit, setting up a trial home stay and finally confirming the adoption some weeks later can be the most amazing thing ever.

Inevitably, some homestays will fail to work out.

But for those that do, the transformation that we observe in our dogs makes us realise that all dogs really do yearn for a human home of their own.

Take Doris for example. She is one of the longest standing residents at our shelter. Wee whisked her away from Death's doorstep after she was discarded by a breeding farm, some four years ago. Even though Doris often lay on puddles of water on the shelter ground and got her fur wet, she seemed happy.

Shelter life was a huge improvement from breeding farm conditions. There were people who fed her, showered her and walked her. Most of all, there was Wee, her hero, who had seen her through the lowest period of her life. Time and circumstances created a bond between man and dog. Doris would always gallop around happily when she saw Wee appear at the shelter.

So when there were some adoption queries for Doris, we were in two minds. On one hand, we wanted Doris to find a home of her own. On the other, we were extremely worried she would suffer from a bad case of separation anxiety. At her age (we suspect Doris to be about 9 years old), such a condition could not be taken lightly. Previously when Doris fell sick and was sent out to be fostered, she lost a ton of weight and appeared unsettled. We had never seen any dog happier to be back at the shelter.

We thought long and hard about the matter. Doris meant the world to us. If there were a canine representative of the shelter, Doris would be it. We weighed the possibility of separation anxiety against the endless days at the shelter where the dogs only had human contact (in the form of Wee) about 3 hours a day on weekdays and (in the form of the rest of us) 5 hours a day on weekends. Even then, not every dog received individual attention. In recent times, they were also exposed to the chilling wind, the lashing rain, the cold air and the wet grounds.

Doris' potential adoptor, Ann and her family, seemed to have a wealth of experience handling older dogs who were previously used to breed. They had two other rescued dogs of their own, Cookie and Jack, and it appeared as if the family had nothing but love to offer.

Doris with her new canine housemates, Jack and Cookie

We decided to take the plunge. The day that Doris went away for her home stay was a cold and rainy one. I recall Ann, Florence and I scurrying to find a shelter over our heads at the car park and getting drenched to the skin when we found none.

Not being able to say goodbye that day, an anxious Wee visited Doris at her new abode the next day, along with Florence, Lorna and Sebastian, old time volunteers with a long history with Doris. Doris was overjoyed to see so many familiar faces. In fact, when they got up to leave, Doris wanted to follow them out.

However, three weeks later, when we went to visit Doris once more, this time to confirm the adoption, things were very different. Wee recalls that he heard Doris growl and walk away when she first saw us enter the house, as if she were protecting her territory and her family, as if she were worried we were here to take her away. But as she retreated back into the house, Doris hesitated slightly and then turned and walked back to Wee with her tail wagging.

Doris slightly grouchy because it had just rained heavily

Wee confided that when he heard Doris growl and witnessed her hesitation, his heart grew heavy. But at that exact moment in time, he clearly understood that after her long, arduous journey, Doris had truly and finally found a place to call home.

Doris sitting by her doorstep and watching us leave

Deep down, all dogs pine for a home, regardless of age, breed or temperament.

Dexter is a dog that not one of us expected to be adopted - at least not before all the other dogs scurrying for human attention and affection.

It has always been Dexter's style to be laid back and reserved. When the other dogs ran up to greet you upon entering their compound, Dexter would hover in the background, uncertain whether to go up to you, as if he were used to being forgotten.

I labelled Dexter our underdog in an earlier entry. He never made a fuss about himself. He was neither extremely happy nor sad at the shelter. He seemed contented enough curling up with a raw hide or going for his twice weekly walks.

So we were very surprised to see how quickly Dexter managed to settle into a human home, despite never having entered one all his life. Dexter's experience made us believe that perhaps all dogs are wired to live among humans.

If Dexter is so reticent, how did his adoption come about? His adoptors, Dean and Julianna, already have a dog of their own in a friendly and energetic Japanese spitz, Snowball. They were looking to get a companion for her and told Florence that they were looking for a gentle and calm male dog. Both of them had been down to the shelter on a number of occasions and were open to trying any dog that fit the bill. Florence decided to let our Dexter have a go at a home stay with Dean and Julianna.

Florence came to the decision easily enough. If she hadn't given Dexter a chance, he would always be a few paces behind the other dogs.

Dean and Julianna came to take Dexter home the day of our Adoption Drive. Dexter looked uncertain and slightly confused as we leashed him and brought him outside ahead of all the other dogs. Wee had to coax him up the car. As we watched Dexter speed off in the direction of his new life, we couldn't help but worry a little. This boy had never known life outside the shelter or life without his mother Dior and sister Dyana. How would he cope in a foreign environment all by himself? Would he be happy?

It turned out that our concerns were unwarranted. With Snowball as his competent guide to everything he needed to know about living in a human household, Dexter had the easiest transition from shelter to home. Snowball didn't take to all other male dogs. The family previously had male visitors of the canine variety calling on them and Snowball didn't exactly warm to them. As a result, Dean and Julianna were very surprised and highly amused at the way Snowball fell head over heels in love with Dexter.

Snowball in love

Perhaps it was Dexter's rugged shelter aura (haha!). Perhaps it was his unruffled laidback temperament. Whatever the cause, it made Snowball willingly give up to Dexter her favourite spot in the house as well as the only dog bed in the house. This new canine companion that her folks brought home had Snowball's stamp of approval all over it.

With her new bed, Snowball is now able to sleep beside her Dexter!

We visited Dexter's new home about one week later to confirm the adoption. I was especially curious to see Dexter in his home environment. We met the family downstairs. They had just returned from an excursion. When Dexter entered his new home, he headed straight for the water bowl to quench his thirst. He later flopped down in front of the couch in the living room where we were all gathered. He seemed perfectly comfortable in his new home. Snowball was her usual self running all over the house in excitement.

When we got ready to leave the house, Dexter hovered uncertainly behind Dean, as if worried we were going to take him back to the shelter. It took all of one week in a home to convince Dexter that he was ready to put nearly 3 years of his shelter days behind him. This caused Florence to jokingly retort that this was going to be very bad for the shelter's reputation!

It dawned upon us that the homestay gave Dexter the attention, love and walks that he never knew was possible. At the shelter, all these were divided over 35 dogs. For a quiet, unassuming dog like Dexter, the proportion received was likely to be significantly less.

Seeing Dexter happily settled and ever so ready to begin the next chapter of his life with his new family made our hearts sing. With folks to call his own, a warm roof over his head and the most gorgeous canine girlfriend, our Dexter is certainly underdog no more!

The last dog to wrap up this entry is our little girl Drizzle. Drizzle was found by two of our regular volunteers, Feng and Long, when she was just a puppy of not more than 5 months old. This little orphan girl was found wandering along a large field, with no other dog in sight. Unlike the typical stray dog trained by instinct and self-preservation to be wary of us humans, this unsuspecting little girl with her trademark ears had no qualms about approaching humans who had food in hand.

Drizzle, as we first found her

When Feng and Long informed us about their encounter, we were concerned. This girl was such an easy prey she was bound to be captured by the stray dog catchers. Wee and Florence agreed that if we met her again, we would take her into the shelter. In the vast troubled stray dog world, a second chance encounter was a rarity. We were doubtful about our chances of ever meeting that dog once more.

As it turned out, Destiny still had a few tricks up its sleeves. By a twist of fate, Feng and Long chanced upon the puppy once more - one week later. With her large funny ears and a wound on her cheek, it had to be the same dog that they had previously seen. As predicted, it was no trouble capturing this little puppy, even with inexperienced hands. Feng and Long brought the dog back to the shelter, where she was christened Drizzle and began a new chapter of her life as a shelter dog.

Through interaction with her, we discovered that Drizzle was one of the gentlest dog we had ever come across. It didn't take long for her to warm up to humans and learn to walk on a leash. With her good nature and calm ways, Drizzle could get along with almost any other dog. This also helped her slowly worm her way into the hearts of our volunteers.

Just last month, almost six months after Drizzle's arrival at the shelter, one of our volunteers, Angela, proposed bringing Drizzle back for a trial homestay. The homestay proved successful and Drizzle's adoption was very quickly confirmed. I didn't tag along for the house visit the rest made to Drizzle's new home. But based on the pictures alone, Drizzle sure does look every bit the blissful dog.

We hear that in just a few days, Drizzle has successfully mastered the simple game of fetch!

Drizzle playing fetch

This little girl also has a very amusing habit of stealing Angela's slipper for company whenever Angela leaves the house.

My human's not around, at least let me have her slipper

From a stray puppy out in the wild, to a shelter dog and now a house pet with a place to call home, 2011 has been a whirlwind of a year for Drizzle. Still a puppy, Drizzle is growing bigger and stronger every day. We have nothing but best wishes for this easygoing darling in her new life ahead of her.

It never fails to amaze me how easily dogs settle down into new homes, so long as they are provided with shelter, food, exercise and affection. Each home visit and subsequent adoption just serves to affirm and strengthen our belief that, regardless of breed, age, colour or size, it is every dog's dream to have a home of its own. Shelter life is a merely a stopgap measure for many a lost and lonely dog.

On the first day of the new year, we would like to take the opportunity to wish all the adoptors and readers a great year ahead. We're standing on the very first page of a brand new book. Anything is possible! We fervently hope that in the year to come, we will continue to have a bountiful supply of adoption stories to regale you guys with.

Happy new year once more!

With love,

from all at Gentle Paws

For Daisy, with love

2011-12-16T02:26:00.000+08:00

There are always so many things happening in the shelter.

Each week, dogs come and go. With each dog, we create and collect new memories.

The joy of furry day written all over Dollar's face

Memories become hazy over time. This makes photographs important because they freeze the exact moment in time. The blink of an eye, the twitch of the ear, a smile, a frown. Photos capture everything down to the last detail.

Our beach babes

From the very start, Sebastian has been with us snap, snap, snapping away on his camera. He was later joined by other volunteers who were also photography buffs. But Sebastian will always have a very special place in Gentle Paws because of all the images he captured and all the precious memories that he helped to preserve, right from the very beginning.

If ever we had an official photographer, Sebastian must be it.

Puppyhood days... From left: Denise, Dexter, Daryl, Dyana and Diya

It definitely doesn't hurt that Sebastian's photographs are so very gorgeous. They come in extremely handy when we are preparing our publicity material. In fact, this very blog would be nothing but a big yawn without his photographs to complement the words.

That is the impact of Sebastian's photographs.

What a sweet slumber. They surely must be dreaming...

Why am I suddenly going on about Sebastian and photographs, you might wonder.

Ah. Let me take a moment to explain.

You see, Sebastian, together with his wife Lorna, are also the adopters of our Daisy. You can read about Daisy's story here, If you have been following the blog, you will know that Daisy has taken ill recently. She has been plagued with a whole string of medical conditions. It all started from an injury to her paw. This was followed by problems with her blood count, an eye condition and a liver infection. Now, it appears that unknown masses have been found on both sides of Daisy's abdomen.

Poor Daisy girl

This family has been in and out of the vet for almost 2 months now. This has been nothing short of hellish for them, both emotionally and financially. If ever you have had a sick dog before, I am sure you would understand.

Yet, because Daisy has become such a cherished member of their family, Lorna and Sebastian have had no complains whatsoever about the costs of prolonged medical care.

She's a part of their family now

Every time I log onto Lorna's Facebook page, I never fail to see updates on Daisy's progress. When Daisy's condition shows signs of improvement, Lorna is hopeful and upbeat. When Daisy's test results aren't the most positive, you can sense Lorna's sorrow, her frustration and her heartache.

Daisy and Lorna: In healthier times

Throughout it all, the cost of veterinary care has never been the on the forefront of their concerns. All they want is to see Daisy happy and healthy again.

Lorna and Sebastian are trying to help Daisy smile again

As the shelter where Daisy was from, we couldn't bear to stand by idly and watch this family fight their battle without pitching in to help. That is why we suggested that Lorna and Sebastian set up a Daisy booth at our Flea Market to help bring in whatever they can for Daisy's medical expenses.

Daisy on the alert!

Now, we have another idea up our sleeves and we are hoping to receive a positive response.

Sebastian is a wonderful photographer with a good eye for aesthetics and detail. So we were pondering... why does his skill have to be confined to shelter dogs? Good things ought to be shared, don't they? After some discussion with Sebastian, we decided that... Sebastian is for hire!

The first cat picture to appear on this blog, this is a random photo taken by Sebas

See what I mean by Sebas having an eye for detail?

They say animals are often the most difficult subjects. Sebas doesn't make it look too hard!

Stoic and serious. What could he be worrying about?

If you are interested in capturing precious moments between you and your beloved pet, if you want a memento of your pet to hold on to when you are old and gray and your memory starts failing... Please contact Sebastian at ds.photo.mua@gmail.com. Packages and rates can be further discussed with Sebastian himself. The best thing about this is... you'll be indirectly lending a hand to Daisy's medical fund!

While I am admittedly very much biased towards Sebastian as a friend and co-volunteer, here is some objective evidence of his competence and skill.

Because he has helped out at the shelter for so long (almost 3 years now!), Sebastian has had the chance to hone his skills at pet photography. After viewing the above pictures, surely you have to agree that he has a way with capturing crucial moments that say it all. The joy of pet ownership is encapsulated simply and clearly in the pictures above.

Let us just say again that if you are interested in taking similar photographs with your beloved furry friend, please do not hesitate to drop Sebastian an email at ds.photo.mua@gmail.com. By taking on Sebastian as your photographer, you not only get beautiful pictures, you also derive the joy of helping another dog in need.

Meanwhile, we will be saying a little prayer that the days ahead will be better, happier and brighter for our darling Daisy. Because she was once a Gentle Paws dog, she will always be a Gentle Paws dog. Go Daisy!

Credit for all the photographs in this entry go to Sebastian.

Our weekend in an entry

2011-12-14T21:44:00.002+08:00

Last weekend was one crazy weekend.

So please brace yourself for a long entry ahead. I really do have a lot to say.

On Friday, upon the invitation of hansel, a local designer womenswear label, we travelled to their store in Mandarin Gallery to set up our little booth at their first anniversary party. hansel is named after the jack russell terrier that their founder and designer, Jo Soh, rescued off the streets. Besides proceeds from our booth, hansel would also be contributing 10% of all sales over the weekend to the shelter. Their partner, Haworth, a market leader in the design and manufacture of adaptable work spaces would match the amount raised, every dollar to dollar.

Technicalities of the event aside, it was an interesting new experience for us. We were used to selling our merchandise at the shelter to people who already knew of our existence and came down specially to volunteer or see the dogs. Here, in this charming shop in the heart of Orchard Road, we were faced with a completely different type of audience.

Our self-manufactured badges on display

Everyone at the party was dressed to the nines. Most of them have never heard about Gentle Paws. Attired in our Gentle Paws shirt, selling the Gentle Paws calendar and the badges, I felt like we were bringing Gentle Paws and our dogs to another part of the world. Everyone at the event was very kind. They stopped by our booth to listen to what we had to say and some of them even took home a calendar or badge with them.

You couldn't miss our booth!

We are grateful for the opportunity to spread the word about the shelter. It isn't just about our shelter per se but about the plight of homeless dogs as a whole. The further the word spreads, the more people learn about them, the more beneficial it is for the stray/abandoned dog community. So, we would just like to say.. thank you hansel, for giving us the chance to reach out to a different group of people and do something more for the dogs. Thank you for selecting us, over many other equally deserving shelters around.

Lovely hansel staff Shengjuan (right) and a hansel patron

If you are interested to see the range of clothes designed and manufactured by hansel, please click here. Having been down to the shop myself to see the clothes, I should add that every item there is gorgeous in an understated, simple way, be it for every day casual wear or office wear.

Next, of course, was our Adoption Drive and Flea Market which I have been fervently advertising on this very blog. I am extremely happy to let you know that this time around, the event was a success.

On Saturday, it seemed like even the heavens were rooting for us. It was an extremely sunny day and we all know how much of a rarity sunny days are these days. It took about an hour or so for visitors to start streaming in. I can't say we had a huge crowd or that the response was overwhelming. But there was a constant flow of generous, big-hearted visitors and for that, we cannot wish for anything more.

When marketing the Flea Market in my previous entries, I couldn't specify what we were selling. There were of course the usual merchandise like our calendars, badges and T-shirts. But in true flea market fashion, we also sold a whole array of quirky, kooky items like Japanese brand dog poop bags, dog figurines, dog cookies, dog accessories, doggies wear, donated blog shop clothes, an assortment of human accessories, stuffed toys, money boxes, secondhand books, handmade pouches, foldable chairs, keychains, cardholders and even pom poms.

With a congregation of new visitors, visiting dogs and volunteers past and present, the atmosphere was one that was casual, relaxed and very... kampung. Dooney came back for a visit. He seemed to be in great spirits. His adopter John proudly informed us that he just gave Dooney a spanking new hair cut the day before. It was wonderful learning about Dooney's new life post-shelter and all the Dooney stories that he had to tell.

Dooney - Shelter dog no more

Donny and Randy, our other pair of husky-cross brothers also came back to the shelter. While their adoptor decided to keep Randy for good, Donny was put up for adoption once more. Unfortunately, nothing panned out over the weekend and Donny is still up for adoption. He is a very gentle dog with the bluest eyes and the calmest temperament. Donny is now being fostered at the adoptor's place until he finds a permanent home. If you are interested in adopting, please drop us an email and we will happily link you up with his rescuer.

Donny on the left, with Wee

Funny Dana also came for a visit. Dana is Dior's sister and one of Debbie's puppies many moons ago. She was adopted as a tiny puppy and is currently living out her happy ever after with her owner Jasmine, a regular volunteer of our Furry Day events. Whenever another dog so much as came near Jasmine at the Flea Market, Dana, her self-appointed protector, would bark at the top of her lungs. Wee fondly remarked that as Dana grew older, her resemblance to mommy Debbie only became greater.

Dana and Jasmine

Comical scaredy-dog Droopy was another one of our canine visitors. Wee rescued Droopy as a puppy from a drain one rainy day early this year. He wormed his way into the hearts of our regular volunteers Long and Feng and has since been adopted by them. This little boy keeps growing taller and longer each time I see him! Looking at that adorable face of his, I completely understand the enthusiastic response we received when we first put him up for adoption.

Say hi to Droopy boy

Perhaps Saturday was too good to be true. It poured heavily on Sunday morning for over three hours. By tying a flimsy canvas over the wooden planks above, we set up a makeshift booth at the car park. The combination of the relentless downpour, the empty carpark and our isolated booth made rather a forlorn sight. As I sat in the shelter hugging a wet, sorry Dribble, I whipped out my iphone to check out the weather app. It was 23 degrees Celsius. With the cold breeze sweeping across the shelter, the temperature was bound to be lower than that.

Thankfully, at about 1+ in the afternoon, the skies began to clear and the rain pitter-pattered to a stop. We quickly set up our booth proper and said a quick prayer that business would be brisk. With half a day gone, we had plenty of ground to cover.

When I saw people braving the unpredictable weather and strolling into the car park that led to our Flea Market, I felt an inexplicable warmth. These are the very people who helped make our event complete. The drama queen in me wanted to fling my arms around them and cry out thanks. But I kept my impulses in check. I didn't want to scare our lovely patrons away.

See our red and blue canvas?

On the adoption front, our results weren't too shabby. I am pleased to inform you that Dippy, Duchess and Dexter went for a trial homestay. Dribble will also be going for a homestay this weekend. Dexter's adoption has been confirmed but results on Dippy and Duchess are still pending. We hope that the adoptors take to the dogs during the homestay but even if they don't, we would be here to receive them back with open arms.

Trial homestays are just that - a trial. There are no guarantees about a trial. As much as adoptors want the homestay to work out, sometimes, the dog just isn't a good fit for the family. There is no one to blame for the outcome. We just have to keep trying.

Active Dippy

Lovely Duchess

Dexter's got a home!

We have quite a few people to thank for making this event a success. First of all, there are the Neo sisters for sponsoring our ad on the Today paper. Next, there is Yulin who contributed her tasty home made dog biscuits for sale. Finally, there is a Ms Diana Tan who popped by the shelter with a $500 cash donation and helped propped up our Sunday sales.

With that, this self-appointed roving reporter completes her duties at last. Do remember that adoption is a year round event. It doesn't stop with the passing of our annual Adoption Drive. We believe that home is truly where the bark is. So if you have any adoption queries at all, please feel free to drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com.

Thank you once more for all the love we received this past weekend. We have nothing in return but deep appreciation and many well-wishes for the holiday season ahead.

Don't forget about us!

2011-12-08T11:38:00.001+08:00

Last year's turn out for the Adoption Drive wasn't good. We did publicity online and we also printed 2000 flyers to distribute to various private residential estates. Out of the 2000 flyers, only 1 family actually came down. Imagine our disappointment.

This was our Adoption Drive poster last year.

When the event started at 10am, there wasn't a person in sight. So we waited. And waited. When we finally got tired of waiting around, we got up and went around in search of people in the vicinity to inform them about our Flea Market and draw the crowd over.

The Adoption Drive last year was, in all honesty, not exactly a roaring success. But at least the Flea Market helped prop things up a little. People did come down to look at what we had to sell and buy things that they didn't actually need to show their support. Despite the lukewarm response, we were warmed right to the very depths of our wriggly anxious toes.

Also, despite the lacklustre performance at the adoption drive, 6 out of the 11 dogs on last year's adoption poster eventually found homes to call their own - Destine, Didi, Doris, Dillon, Daelle and Princess. In addition, Hercules, Junior, Dooney, Teeny and Oscar were also adopted in the course of the year. On hindsight, I think we didn't fare too shabbily on our adoption report card.

Adoption is a year round affair. It doesn't have to take place during the year end adoption drive, as long as it does eventually happen, as long as people are willing and ready to consider the option of adoption.

Holding the adoption drive in this season of festivity obliges us to highlight that dogs aren't gifts. Well, figuratively, they are. They are gifts to our soul and spirit in the form of the friendship and companionship they provide. But they aren't presents to be made to others or something you get on a whim because of the current jolly spirit you are experiencing this holiday season. Do remember that adopting a dog is a lifelong responsibility.

On the other hand, if you have thought long and hard about adoption, we are very happy to help facilitate the adoption of any dog at our shelter. If you are serious and intent on adopting, we urge you to let one of our dogs change your life forever this Christmas.

Okay! Enough with being the naggy, long-winded scrooge of Christmas! Just remember that the Adoption Drive will be held over 2 days - the 10th and 11th of December, from 10AM to 5PM at 16 Pasir Ris Farmway 2. Even if you have no plans to adopt, we urge you to come down to browse through our wares at our Flea Market. If you have a dog and are intending to bring it to the dog run nearby, please do drop by our stall, say hi and get an item or two! A flea market is nothing without curious customers and we need your presence to help see this event through.

Choo tells me that I am a worrier and that it'll become a habit if I don't stop worrying. After all, Christmas in the heart is what makes Christmas in the air right? So let me heed his words of wisdom and in the light hearted mood of this wonderful holiday season, let me just say on behalf of the GPF team... Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and your family. We hope to see you this coming weekend at our Adoption Drive and Flea Market!

The Gentle Paws Adoption Drive and Flea Market 2011

2011-12-04T13:06:00.001+08:00

The Gentle Paws Adoption Drive cum Flea Market will be held from 10-11 December this year, from 10AM to 5PM. If you're interested in adopting a dog, please do drop by! We would be there to answer any queries you might have about adoption or our adoption procedure. This is also a great opportunity to meet our dogs! Even if you're not thinking about adoption right now, you can drop by our flea market. Take a look at what we have to offer! The allure of flea markets arises from the fact that you never know what you are going to find there. Do note that all proceeds will go towards the dogs at GPF.

There would also be a separate stall to raise some funds for our Daisy. Daisy has been happily adopted by Lorna and Sebastian. Don't fret! She still is very much adopted and just as happy with her human family.

However, she has been plagued with a slew of medical conditions lately, beginning from a swollen leg to problems with her blood count, an eye condition and now a liver problem.

Lorna and Sebastian were extremely worried for Daisy and spared no expense trying to tackle all the problems by sending her to the vet. You know how financially taxing going to the vet can be. All of Daisy's problems came at once. Daisy's folks have been in and out of the vet for more than a month.

Once a GPF dog, always a GPF dog right? To help them out, we are setting up a booth for Daisy, the proceeds of which will go towards her medical fees. If you have read about Daisy here, been moved by her story, please come visit our Daisy booth this coming weekend to lend your support and put that smile back on her irresistible face.

The inspiration for one of our adoption drive posters came from PETA's poster featuring the Taiwanese singer/host Show Luo.

The dog, Bobby, who stood solemnly beside him looked so much like our Dyana that we couldn't resist getting Wee to pose in a similar fashion and do up a similar looking poster of our own!

We had a good laugh while doing up the poster, with each of us giving feedback on how to improve it. Wee was a great sport about it as well. But beneath all that corniness lies a harsh truth. It is not just our country that is plagued with the problem of overpopulation of dogs. Thousands of miles away in Taiwan is a similar looking dog crying out for a home. Choosing to adopt and not buy gives these homeless dogs one more sliver of hope of a warm, comfortable home.

If you are thinking about getting a dog, please don't buy - adopt! Puppyhood is transient and temporary. The dogs we have aren't puppies, they aren't pure bred, but just like a puppy and a pure breed dog, they yearn for a human home. And just like the others, they have a lifetime of friendship and enduring loyalty to offer.

All dogs aren't born equal but through adopting, through recognising their worth, we can help narrow the inequality that our mixed breed dogs face.

This Christmas, we are hoping that at least one more of our dogs will no longer have to walk the long lonely road of a shelter dog.

So if you've time to spare this weekend, why not come down to the Gentle Paws Adoption Drive cum Flea Market for a meaningful time? Remember, it's 10-11 December, from 10AM to 5PM, at 16 Pasir Ris Farmway 2. Drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com if you have any questions at all!

Black beauty

2011-12-02T16:36:00.001+08:00

Shelter dogs walk a lonely road.

Adoption is their only ticket out of the shelter for good.

However, in a world where supply of dogs is great and demand measly, being the chosen one and finding a new home is like winning the lottery.

Almost 95% of our dogs are of mixed breed. All of them are no longer puppies. Most of them are medium to large sized.

All of the above make their odds of winning the lottery even slimmer and more distant than ever.

Wait... Let's not forget that in addition to the above, about one quarter of our dogs also have black coats. This reduces their chance of being the grand prize winner to... almost nothing.

This is the black dog syndrome for you.

A quick search on Google will inform you that black dogs are often the most overlooked creatures in shelters all around the world.

Black dogs are often portrayed in books and movies as fierce, dangerous creatures. Just think, whenever there is a need for a canine extra for the role of a snarling guard dog, isn't it almost always a large black dog?

Other more superstitious people find the colour black to denote bad luck or misfortune. Just like it is deemed unlucky to meet a black cat along your path, the same principle applies when it comes to adopting a black dog.

Shelter workers in some parts of the US note that as a result of their black coats, black dogs do not stand out against the dull background of the kennels. Extra effort is taken to decorate the compounds of black dogs to catch the attention of would-be adopters.

And this is also the reason why we are writing this very entry today. This is our extra effort to help garner more attention and change the odds for our little furry friends with their own black coats.

Wee calls them our Black Knights. I like to think of them as our Black Beauties. Whatever the term used, we need to let you know that the myths and beliefs about black dogs couldn't be further from the truth.

What better way to dispel the myths about black dogs than using our very own as real life examples?

This is Dyana, smiley face and all.

She is the resident kisser at Gentle Paws. She loves to look at you straight in the eyes, then lean forward to give you a big wet lick on the lips. And let me warn you, once she starts, she can't stop! Dyana loves human company, she is easy to walk and she has the sweetest temperament.

Here she is, together with Wee, looking ever so happy as the poster girl for our adoption drive this year.

Next we have Diya, who in my opinion is one of the smartest dogs at the shelter. She can sit, lie down and crawl on command.

Teaching the dogs to sit is usually easily accomplished. But getting them to learn anything more is usually an uphill task. The lack of continuity of training in the shelter environment is a stumbling block towards achieving anything more. The fact that Diya has mastered the tricks in spite of her environment is proof of just how bright she is.

Diya gets along well with both humans and other dogs. In fact, Wee informed us that it was Diya who helped integrate Duchess, one of our newcomers, into the pack by jostling with her and getting her to play.

Next up is Donna, who was adopted as a puppy and then returned to the shelter when she was about one. Yes, this means that Donna is house trained and quite adoptable.

Don't be mistaken. Donna wasn't thrown back to us because of any behavioural problems. You should know that Donna is very much a loving girl, who seeks to please. She loves human affection and company. Her young adopter gave her up because of a family dispute.

To have experienced the taste of a home can make shelter life so much more unbearable. However, Donna took it all in her stride. In true doggie spirit, she adapted to shelter life quickly enough and is a joy to have around.

Next on the list is Dexter. Dexter is calm and quiet most of the time... until he sees something that piques his curiosity, like a butterfly or a bird. His ears prick, his eyes light up and he starts running around trying to track down the poor creature.

Dexter loves his walks. He gets so excited he will tug a lot on his leash until he gets so exhausted he can't help but flop down on the ground for a rest. That is classic Dexter and something that never fails to happen on his walks!

And then there is Daryl, who was so intimidated as a puppy he started becoming insecure and frightened. However, we recently switched around their kennels and put him with a pack of milder dogs.

This has proved effective because Daryl has started to come out of his shell. He is quite the big boss in his new area now!

Finally, there is Dribble, with his long black coat and heart shaped orange face.

The rest of the regulars often laugh at Dribble for being the Adam Lambert of Gentle Paws. Just look at his badly drawn eye liner, they would tease.

Dribble Loves his walks, spelled with a capital L to justify the extent of his love. He never tires of going for walks to explore the world outside the shelter. Whenever I so much as stand up and head for the gate, Dribble rushes to the gate as well and looks up at me with expectant eyes, beseeching me to take him along.

These are 6 wonderful dogs of not more than 3 years old in need of a home.

In terms of health, in terms of age, in terms of temperament, each and every one of these 6 dogs are perfect candidates for adoption.

But no one has ever spared them so much as a glance when considering adoption.

With the exception of Dribble who was brought back for a home stay once and returned because he cried constantly when made to stay in the garden, none of the dogs above have even been offered the chance of a trial home stay.

Could it be the black dog syndrome at work?

We don't know.

Will it ever be their turn to strike it big in the jackpot that is adoption?

Beneath their black coats and mixed breed, each one of them is a tender hearted dog with a lot of love to give.

We urge you to pause a moment, take a second look and help change the odds that are stacked so high against these beautiful dogs.

The Gentle Paws Adoption Drive 2011 will be held on 10 and 11 December, from 10AM to 5PM. If you are thinking of adoption, please do think of them!

Thank you for the memories

2011-11-24T16:58:00.001+08:00

It keeps raining recently. I live just a stone's throw away from the shelter so whenever it rains at my place, I know for sure it is raining at the shelter as well. I really don't like downpours these days, especially ones accompanied by thunder and lightning. Dribble becomes uncertain and needy during bad weather. Debbie becomes so vulnerable she allows you to touch her. Doris loses her appetite for food and we all know how much Doris loves her mealtimes. Without even having to be down at the shelter, I am certain that most of the dogs are going to be wet and uncomfortable because of the lashing wind.

This brings me to my topic of the day... Furry day. Given the trend lately, we were especially worried that the weather wouldn't be cooperative when November 19 came about. It was our last furry day of the year. More than anything, we wanted it to be a great success.

Luckily for us, the weather turned out to be glorious. And when the curtains finally fell on the show that day, we went back feeling tired but happy.

In the blink of an eye, we have organised over 15 furry days. With each furry day that passes, it is so easy to lose sight of its significance. Why is it that we insist on going through the trouble of organising this event month after month?

Each month, we go through the arduous process of gathering enough regulars to facilitate furry day, ensuring that our drivers are available, holding volunteer recruitment drives and liaising with the volunteers via email about plans for that day.

On the day itself, we kick off the process by registering each new volunteer and showing them about the shelter. We then leash and load 40 excited, irrepressible dogs up our vans and, together with the volunteers, make our way to the park.

At the park, we assign each volunteer to a suitable dog, ensure the volunteers remain contactable and then implore them to explore the grounds with the dog. We also deal with emergencies like tearing apart two squabbling furkids or coaxing some fearful dogs to walk. We also have to be alert to other dogs at the park that might be unleashed. At all times, we have to make sure we are not a nuisance to other park users.

After 2 hours or so are up, we begin the process of ferrying the dogs and humans back to the shelter. And then the showering process begins...

Furry days can be very long days! But we persist at it.

As I perused through photos of furry days past, I filled with nostalgia. And it struck me that the reasons for doing so are aplenty...

Furry day gives our dogs something to look forward to. The thought of the sun, the sea and the sweet grass on one special day of each month makes all the heavy downpours they experience slightly more bearable.

The dogs' lives at the shelter are fairly monotonous. They wake up, they have their only meal of the day, some of them fool around and play with each other. And when the next day comes around, they start to do the same all over again. Weekends are slightly different because they get to go for short walks nearby. But apart from that, their lives beat to the same rhythm day after day, week after week.

Furry day brings a pleasant change to their lives. It takes them away from within the four walls of the shelter into the big glorious world out there. They get the chance to take a dip in the sea, sink their paws into the sand and enjoy the pleasant sea breeze.

In a city that can be cold and unfriendly towards them, the warmth of furry day is effective therapy for all and any weary canine soul.

Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself. See how the dogs all seem to be smiling back at you?

With furry day, we have the peace of mind that no matter what the dog has gone through in its life, at the very least it will always have with it the memory of one happy fulfilling day.

Furry day also opens up the world to our dogs. It brings people from all walks of life to the shelter and to our dogs. We typically recruit about 40 volunteers each furry day. Multiply that by 15 furry days we have had and you get a total of 600 volunteers whose paths have crossed with ours because of furry day. Imagine that!

And this isn't all!

It is also through furry day that we unearthed some of our most regular volunteers with us today. Through the event, these people realise they actually enjoy working with dogs. They start coming down to the shelter on their own accord and hey presto, the rest is history.

No matter how hard we have worked to organise them, furry days would never be possible without YOU - the volunteers who sign up for it. On the eve of each furry day, the pessimist in me would start fretting that the people who signed up would fail to appear. And then we would be left with insufficient manpower for furry day to go on.

Yet each time, I am always proven otherwise.

So on behalf of Gentle Paws, let me just say a big thank you to one and all who have helped out in furry day in one way or another for the past year. You help the furry day express to keep chugging on.

We hope to get to meet many more of you in future furry days to come. May each and every furry affair be filled with as much laughter and joy as we have experienced thus far.

Until next year, the GPF furry day team is over and out!

Just an update on the Walk-a-Paw event next month... all slots have been filled and registration is closed early. Thank you for the overwhelming support!

Gentle Paws Walk-A-Paw

2011-11-15T19:13:00.001+08:00

So, this December, we have decided to bring a little Christmas cheer to the furry ones at Gentle Paws.

Instead of our usual furry day, we will be holding a one-off event called the Walk-a-Paw.

This is the Gentle Paws take on the traditional walk-a-jog. It involves walking our dogs from the flag off point at the shelter all the way to the Lorong Halus Wetland Park. I have tested the route myself with a happy Dribble in tow. The distance from end to end is a very suitable one of 1.6km.

In case you haven't been there, the Lorong Halus Wetland Park is a nature reserve that provides some extremely gorgeous views. The greenery, the waterway and the calming atmosphere of the whole place provides the perfect backdrop for a quiet walk with a furkid by your side.

The walk from the shelter to the park itself will also be closely supervised. Our regular volunteers will be littered along the whole stretch of the route to provide ready assistance. There will also be a water point somewhere along the half way mark. We will also have two vans patrolling the route in case of any emergencies.

The pink line marks out the Walk-a-Paw route

We will be setting up camp at the Park itself, where participants can loll around with the dogs, embark on an exploration of the park, browse through our makeshift stall or participate in photo-taking.

To raise some funds for our year end vaccination and to tackle the medical bills brought about by the recent onslaught of tick fever, we have decided to offer goody bags in exchange for a registration fee of $25 for the event.

The goody bag will consist of a Walk-a-Paw event t-shirt designed by our whizkid Andrew, a handful of Gentle Paws badges as well as dog treats, human snacks and drinks.

Buy our t-shirt, join the event!

And not forgetting, some badges to go along...

The Gentle Paws Walk-a-Paw would be held on the 17th of December and the event details are as follows...

A change of scenery, a good satisfying walk and a new human friend will be our gift to the furkids this upcoming December. Do you want to join us in bringing some Christmas joy to our shelter dogs? There are 35 places up for grabs!

Do remember however, that this time round, along with a goody bag each, there is a registration fee of $25. Please drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com to request for a Walk-A-Paw registration form if you are interested in hopping onboard. All proceeds will go towards the welfare of our dogs. The usual shelter policy applies - our participants are to be 18 years and above.

Registration will close on 28 November 2011.

Rest assured that in the months ahead, furry day will be resumed. A special season such as Christmas calls for something a little different. We have no idea how the response for this event would be like. We are crossing our fingers that just like furry days of past, the Gentle Paws Walk-a-Paw will receive the support that it needs.

We look forward to hearing from you!

All quiet on the blog front

2011-11-14T12:17:00.001+08:00

While all was quiet on the blog front, lots was happening behind the scenes at Gentle Paws.

I have a huge exam ahead of me and I am prevented from sitting down proper to do my usual entry. But let me just use photos to briefly share what has happened over the past month.

I haven't properly introduced our DUSTY to you. He was a stray rescued by our regular, Cindy. The curious thing about Dusty is... he doesn't appear to be your usual stray dog. Despite being of local breed, he is perfect on the leash and he seems at ease in the car, as if he has experienced all these before. This pricked our suspicions immediately. Was this dog lost or abandoned? A visit to the vet revealed, however, that there was no microchip embedded in Dusty. Also, despite being on the look out for lost notices, we have heard nothing about a lost dog remotely resembling Dusty. It's been nearly two months and Dusty has now undergone the required vaccinations. Next stop for him? Sterilisation!

Next, I am immensely proud to declare that Destine, our pasar malam dog, has been successfully rehomed. To think that just over one year ago, he was a stray wandering the streets. Destiny does indeed have plenty of tricks up its sleeves. It's so rare for an adult local dog to be adopted and I can't emphasise just how thrilled we are about this.

Adoption is no easy task. Adopting a dog is a lifelong responsibility. It cannot be forced. This is why we advocate trial homestays before adoption so that adopters have a clearer idea about what they are in for. Sometimes, the homestays just don't work out and there is nobody to blame.

We don't judge. We don't complain. We respect the adopter's decision and move on in search of a more suitable home for our dogs. Doodle's adoption almost went through. In fact the adoption agreement was already signed. Unfortunately, just days into the adoption, his adopter observed that Doodle started showing aggression over his food and toys.

So back Doodle goes to the shelter, where we will monitor this "aggression" problem that he might have. If you notice from the picture below, Doodle's condition is much improved. All his fur has grown out and he is becoming more gorgeous by the day. We are confident that in the months that lie ahead, we will be able to find a home for this boy.

As October drew to a close, it was time for us to submit our proposal on pet ownership and stray management to the Ministry. The list of people supporting our proposal filled a whopping 23 pages. We have many thanks to give to everyone out there who took the time to read through what we had to say. It was a lengthy document and we are humbled by the response.

Although we haven't received word from the Ministry regarding our proposal specifically, the government just announced the launch of a pilot program for ownership of stray dogs in HDB flats. Being a pilot program, this is just a baby step. But it is a step nonetheless. The pilot program faces some opposition from non-animal lovers who have some valid concerns. We are hoping that this can be worked out civilly and graciously. The reality is... this world does not belong to the human race alone. A compromise must be reached for the good of homeless dogs (and cats) out there.

With the help of some very kind individuals, an advertisement for the adoption of our Dooney was placed in the TODAY paper. It received a marvellous response. There were so many families who emailed and expressed their interest that we had to shortlist them! Till date, we still have people writing in and inquiring about Dooney. We are pleased to announce that following his homestay with John and family, Dooney's adoption has been completed.

This retired working dog is now enjoying his wonderful new home and his new lease of life. He is kept busy with outings to the beach and endless games of fetch the ball. When John brought him back to the shelter to sign the adoption agreement, Dooney didn't want to be back. He has settled comfortably in his new home and life as a shelter dog is now behind him.

And for more happy news... Dozer, the gorgeous husky, who was boarding at Gentle Paws, has recently been adopted as well. In fact, his adoption was just confirmed a couple of days ago. Because his rescuer/boarder oversaw the whole adoption process, we don't have much details about his new family. Regardless, we are extremely happy that this dog, who was seen being cruelly pushed out of a car and onto an expressway, has finally found a home and family to call his own.

Over the past month or so, during the course of my absence from this blog, our ever loving Qiqi underwent a hip operation to correct her painful hip problem. Qiqi hasn't been very active of late because her hip made walking extremely painful. Even during Furry Day, we were extremely cautious not to overexert her. With the successful hip operation, Qiqi now leads a pain-free life. Walks are once again something to look forward to! We thank the heavens for the wonders of medical science!

October 31st was Halloween day. It was also the birthday of our prankster Dakdakdei. Haha. Besides pulling at your shirt in excitement, this boy is actually a very loyal friend. He is very lovely to walk and is always game for a jog by your side. I can never understand why those keen on adopting never rest their eyes on this beautiful boy.

When we brought Dada along with Dooney for viewing by potential adopters, not one of them considered bringing Dada home. This pure breed-mixed breed conundrum is one that I can never understand. Dada has so much love to give but it seems like there isn't anybody to receive it.

Dakdakdei looks very similar to his siblings, Darzen, Jake and Cookie, who were adopted as puppies and have never known life at the shelter. It is lamentable how the equally beautiful siblings can be dealt such different hands in life.

Regardless, we were extremely happy to have him with us on his birthday. We hope the year ahead holds nothing but good things for this very special dog.

October was a festive month. There wasn't only Dada's birthday to celebrate. Big Girl and Small Girl were also born in the month of October, the exact date of which is unclear. They were born and grew up in an industrial estate. When Suat, their rescuer, had to go away for a month, she was worried they would be captured by the authorities and sought boarding at Gentle Paws. Because of their gentle nature, the Girls are quite popular with our volunteers. We are extremely lucky to have them with us.

On the 10th of November, it was Dior's 4th birthday. I remember blogging about Dior's 3rd birthday one year ago. It is a wonder how a year creeps by just like that. At 28 in human years, Dior is now officially older than I am! Dior doesn't take to strangers, but when you gain her trust, this dog is loyal to the core. I love taking Dior for walks. I love the way she turns back to check on me throughout the walk. I love the clumsy way she sits. I love the way she would play with her puppies. I love her big wet sloppy kisses. Happy 4th birthday Dior! There wasn't a cake this time around, but Wee ensured that this lovable girl had many special meals.

Upon the invitation of White Room Studio and Pets Magazine, we brought six of our dogs to the studio to be photographed. The photo spread was for an article to be published in Pets Magazine on the adoption of our dogs. The article would feature Dada, Waggy, Oscar, Dribble, Drizzle and Donna.

White Room Studio is located in the city central. It sure was a bizarre experience trooping into town with our dogs. But we had fun watching the furkids take in the sights and sounds of this very new, very foreign part of Singapore.

Because Doris is getting on in years, we are very cautious about her health matters. It had been some time since she last saw the vet. With some trepidation, we decided to bring her for a check up so that if any condition surfaces, we could treat it in time.

Much to our pleasant surprise, the vet gave Doris a clean bill of health. And so here we are, sharing this very wonderful piece of news with you.

Because conditions at the shelter leave much to be desired, it isn't easy for a dog to ward off all ailments. The latest victims at the shelter are Benji and Jasper, affectionately known as the two cows of Gentle Paws, for their black and white cow-like markings.

On normal days, these two have a voracious appetite. They gobble up every meal that is served to them ever so hungrily. At mealtimes, when you approach their compound with plates of food in hand, they would jump up and down behind the gate in excitement. And let me tell you, they jump very high indeed.

This makes it very easy to detect anything wrong with them. And something has been quite very wrong. Benji and Jasper haven't been eating properly. Given their usual zest for food, this was extremely worrying.

Benji and Jasper are now both warded at the vet for suspected tick fever. Although we send all our dogs to the vet for regular checks for tick fever and heartworm, the vet advises that there is a strand of tick fever that cannot be detected by test kits. It is this particular strand that is suspected to have struck Benji and Jasper. We don't know how many more of our dogs are affected. We now have our hands extremely busy limiting the damage and doing the necessary to protect the dogs.

Such is the life of shelter dogs. While we do the best we can, the reality is that the shelter can never be a suitable replacement for a proper home.

This is Jasper when we went to visit him yesterday. His eyes were slightly bloodshot and he appeared quite lethargic. Even the cheesecake that I brought did little to tempt him. Benji joined him at the vet later that day.

And that wraps up what I have to say. It was a busy month. Between going down to the shelter, organising furry day and studying for my upcoming exams (sigh), I found little time to update. I do apologise. Silence on the blog does not equate to silence on the shelter front. We are still very much at the frontline, helping to make life better for the 40 dogs at Gentle Paws. Please refer to our Facebook page for timely updates! We have some very exciting events in store in December and I will be back here sharing with you just what they are.

Before I go, let me just shout out that the Gentle Paws 2012 calendar is still for sale at $10 a copy. Interested in letting our shelter dogs accompany you for each month of the year ahead? Please drop an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com. All proceeds go towards our dogs. We thank you in advance!

This entry turned out to be not so brief after all! Until next time, I'm over and out.

Drago, till we meet again

2011-10-19T23:45:00.004+08:00

Today feels like just another day.

But for the folks of Gentle Paws, it's a vastly different world.

Because today, Drago is no longer with us.

Yesterday, while at the vet's, Drago experienced breathing difficulties. He was sent for emergency resuscitation, which, to our dismay, turned out to be unsuccessful.

At twenty-two minutes past three, we were told that Drago had left us for good. This hardy dog had taken his last breath. His arduous battle had finally come to an end.

Drago left us exactly one month after he came to us on 18th September 2011.

I didn't get to know Drago well enough the past month.

Unlike Wee and Florence who rescued Drago and facilitated his move to Gentle Paws, unlike Chin Leong and Wei Feng who made a trip down to the shelter nightly to give him a bath and administer medication to his injured ear, unlike any other regular volunteer with his or her own special Drago story to tell, my friendship with this resilient orange dog was only just beginning.

Yet, as I watched my peers cry on catching sight of Drago's unmoving body on the cold metal table, I, too, felt a palpable sense of grief.

I was sorry that Drago was forever denied the opportunity of undergoing complete rehabilitation. I was sorry that we would not be there to see his orange coat grow out fully and shine as it once did. I was sorry that we would never get to see him shake off the haggard expression on his face and learn to bark, jump and whine once more like all dogs are wired to do. And I was truly sorry that Drago would no longer be there to join us for his second furry day, an outing that brought a rare smile to his face.

See the hint of a smile on his face last furry day?

Many of us are feeling a little empty right now. But die hard optimists would have us know that there is always a bright side to things. For every half glass that is empty, there is also that other half that is full.

We had the good fortune of knowing Drago for one whole month. At the time we intercepted him, Drago was already suffering from tick fever. 90% of his kidney was also no longer functioning. One of his ears was badly infected. Drago could have passed away in his cubicle, where he lived for the past four years and we would have been none the wiser.

Someone up there must have had enough of seeing this dog suffer, stomped his feet in indignation and arranged for Drago's path to cross with ours, short though our time together had been.

In the last month of Drago's life, at least he could say that he was surrounded by friends.

And on behalf of all these friends who care, let me say goodbye dear Drago. Our time together was short, but it was definitely unforgettable. You were a fighter through and through and we are absolutely proud of you. Take care now and run free, Drago boy, till we meet again.

We are their voice

2011-10-13T00:07:00.000+08:00

Some time in July, the Ministry of National Development launched the Pet Ownership and Stray Management Review.

It was a pleasant surprise for us all. This has been something that all animal welfare groups, animal activists and plain animal lovers have been hoping for but which has unfortunately failed to materialise in the past few decades.

Now that it has, it is time to speak up and speak loud for our furry friends, because this opportunity doesn't come easy.

We have only got two weeks till the end of October. That is roughly when the feedback portal will be closed to the public.

This isn't a blog post per se. In this entry, we present to you Gentle Paws' contribution to the Ministry's review. While we understand that the review covers all pets and stray animals, we only focus on the issue of stray dogs.

Our proposal to the Ministry probably doesn't contain anything that you haven't heard of before. What we have done is to try and tackle the most pertinent problem of overpopulation. We have put together recommendations and suggestions that have been raised in the past at one time or another for a holistic overview.

We hope to make Singapore a better place for our canine counterparts. If you agree with our views, please drop us an email at isay.gentlepaws@gmail.com with your name, email address and contact number. We hope to compile your names into a list and attach it to a copy of the proposal we are sending to the Ministry. Together, we believe we have a greater chance of being heard.

Help us help them! Thank you.

It's a rather long article. So take a deep breath, ready yourself... And here we go!

A Shelter's View: The Gentle Paws Proposal on Pet Ownership and Stray Management in Singapore

Introduction: First class nation, third class animals?

We are extremely grateful for the Pet Ownership and Stray ManagementReview launched by the Ministry of National Development. Being active in thedog shelter scene, we all know that where laws are concerned, there is only somuch that animal groups and activists can do.

It is our view that laws should not be rigid, but flexible to suit anevolving society. And our society is indeed evolving. Our economy has becomemore sophisticated, our citizenry more educated and our population morediversified. But in the midst of our development, due to unchanging laws, theweak, the needy and the voiceless have been left behind.

Stray animals fall into this very group. For a small island city likeSingapore, there are sure more strays crying out for help than there appears tobe. As Singapore gradually turns half a century old in the next 3years, it’s high time these creatures be given the respect that they deserve.

Below, we highlight the main problem of overpopulation and make somerecommendations that we sincerely urge the committee overseeing this review totake into consideration.

The Problem - Overpopulation

There is a massive overpopulation of dogs in our country today. Based onan article in the TODAY paper dated 16 April 2011, AVA has to put down 95% ofthe 1,800 dogs it impounds annually by lethal injection. But is killing straydogs the only way to solve the problem? There is also much to be said for themanner in which these stray dogs are captured. As we move toward a First Worldstatus, we ought to consider a kinder, more humane way to deal with theproblem.

1) Toeradicate unethical capturing of stray dogs

The AVA currently employsindependents as well as pest control companies to catch stray dogs and put themdown. These parties receive a $250 commission for each dog captured. While AVA asserts that external dog catchershave to comply with AVA’s guidelines for capture, handling and transport ofanimals and the use of animal traps, one wonders why these guidelines are notmade transparent and accessible to the public. The guidelines are certainly notfound on the AVA website.

Because dog catchers have beenseen to use cruel methods such as fishing lines and hooks, mattress spring coilsand wire nooses at the end of poles that cut into the animal’s neck as it isdragged into the van, animal activists and welfare groups are keen to find outthe criteria for the capture of stray dogs. Are the mild tempered, harmlessand/or sterilised dogs put down uniformly with the more aggressive, dangerousand/or unsterilised ones? Or are dog catchers instructed to simply make a cleansweep of all and any dog that they come across in a specified area?

Both the Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) havepublished feasible and humane guidelines on animal capture. One wonders whythere remains no initiative on the part of the authorities to encourage orformalise any collaboration between pest control companies commissioned tocatch stray dogs and animal welfare groups keen to lend a helping hand.

There are so many questions butbecause of a lack of transparency, they are simply not being answered.

In May this year, the NationalParks Board called for tenders to cull 20 stray dogs from Ang Mo Kio TownGarden West and 15 from East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park or Pasir Ris Park. Cullingof dogs seems to be the first solution that arises when in fact, it ought to bea method of last resort. Before the issue of culling even comes into thepicture, one ought to consider whether it is possible to sterilise the straysand eventually rehabilitate them.

2) Toprovide support for the stray sterilisation program

One method to dealwith the issue of overpopulation of dogs is to sterilise the existing ones, soas to contain the population. Animal welfare groups spend time and moneyconducting these sterilisation programs only to see the dogs they sterilisedcaptured by the authorities. The cost ofsterilisation for a dog ranges from $80 to $200, depending on gender and age.Yet, these efforts are so easily reversed by dog catchers who make a cleansweep of all stray dogs in their way, sterilised or not. It is a frustratingand disappointing process for these animal welfare groups. We urge theauthorities to provide support for a program as meaningful as the stray dogsterilisation program.

3) Toreview and eradicate HDB’s blanket prohibition on mongrels

Mongrels are discriminatedagainst under the HDB policy. It is illegal to keep a mongrel in a HDB flat,even if it is as small in size as a Chihuahua and it has a mild, dociletemperament. HDB’s blanket ban on mongrels is rigid and discriminatory. With80% of the population living in HDB flats, the blanket ban is deprivingmongrels of many well-deserved homes. It is an obstacle in the quest to reducethe population of stray dogs, who are mostly mongrels. Besides, the blanket bandoes not necessarily achieve what it sets out to do. People are forced tocircumvent the rule by having their dog licensed under a friend’s privateaddress or worse, not licensing at all. One owner we know went as far as todebark his dog to ward off trouble from interfering neighbours and authorities.On a broader note, what kind of message are we sending by giving such blatantpreferential treatment to pure bred dogs? Mongrels are not an inferior breedand should not be treated as such.

4) Toreview and eradicate HDB dog policy that is based on the size of the dog

The HDB policy on dogs should notbe based on size. Many house pets are discarded because owners downgrade from aprivate residence to a public HDB flat. Even if their dog is a friendly, gentleand harmless cocker spaniel, they are unable to take it with them. HDB policyought to be based on the general temperament of a particular breed of dog,instead of the size of the dog. Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers andCocker Spaniels are, despite their size, generally gentler and mellower dogs.They are also examples of breeds which are more popular in Singapore. There isno reason why they should be excluded under HDB’s blanket ban. Ironically, itis the small toy dogs which HDB allows that are noisier and barkier as comparedto their larger counterparts.

As for mongrels, it is suggestedthat small to medium sized mongrels ought to be allowed in HDB flats, as longas they are properly licensed and micro-chipped. Even if it is unacceptablethat medium sized mongrels be included under the HDB policy, it should never bea blanket ban. License should still be granted on a case-by-case basis based onthe dog’s temperament. Clear guidelines ought to be drawn on the criteria usedfor assessment.

Perhaps the concern culminatingin the HDB policy on dogs is that HDB living is a form of communal living. Somehomeowners might have a fear of dogs. Others have religious reasons foravoiding dogs. But a blanket ban on medium to large sized dogs is simply notthe answer to this situation. Condominium living is a type of communal livingas well. In fact, the communal areas in condominiums are much narrower than HDBflats these days. Yet condominium owners, whether dog owners or not, manage toget on harmoniously.

The solution lies not inimplementing a blanket ban but in reforming our laws to cultivate responsiblepet ownership. All dogs that are house pets ought to be vaccinated andmicrochipped. They are to be leashed in all public areas. If the dogs areunruly and are a nuisance to the neighbours, the owner ought to be fined ormade to go for a mandatory obedience training class with his pooch. Dog ownerswho do not clean up after their dog in parks and public places should besimilarly punished. There is much scope to improve laws and regulations topromote responsible pet ownership.

This is not the first time thatmembers of the public have called for the HDB rules to be reviewed. However, itappears that the authorities have yet to respond. It must be emphasised that rules ought not tobe rigid. The current blanket ban only addresses short term problems. It istime for an overhaul of the current rules to attain a workable long termsolution to reduce the overpopulation of dogs in our country.

5) Toreview licensing of breeders and implement a system to ensure that breeding isdone ethically

Breeders contributegreatly to the overpopulation problem that currently exists. Yet it is so easyto become a breeder. All that appears to be required is simply to rent a space,get the dogs and pay for the dog licenses. While conditions for Pet ShopLicenses are carefully set out, the same is not done for breeders. Are breederswho sell the puppies bred equivalent to that of pet shops? More clarificationseems to be needed. Dog licenses for breeders ought to be significantly higherthan that of house pets or shelter dogs. The reality however is that the costof licensing one breeder dog is less thanhalf the amount needed for that of a pet dog. The AVA website states thatdog licenses for a “dog farm” with less than 100 dogs costs just $650 perannum. This means that the license for each dog is a mere $6.50 per year whichis less than the $14 pet owners pay for their pet dogs! This is unacceptableand we implore the authorities to look into the matter.

Breeding of dogs needsto be contained and controlled to ensure that it is done so ethically. Therecent puppy mill scandals have shown that rogue breeders are a dime a dozen.Instead of clamping down on innocent stray dogs, we ought to shift ourattention to errant dog breeders. It should be mandatory for breeders toundergo a course on responsible breeding of animals. The breeder should also bemade to submit a proposal on the manner the farm is to operate, to be approvedby the relevant authorities.

Conclusion:It’s their world too

Ghandi famouslysaid that “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged bythe way its animals are treated.” This is so often quoted that it has becomesomething of a cliché. But the quote remains ever popular because there is somuch truth in its simplicity. Singapore has achieved much in the past half acentury or so. But let’s not stop there. As we march toward the next half ofthe century, let us truly achieve greatness by treating our furry friends withdignity and respect. After all, Singapore is their home too.

If you feel the same way as we do, please drop us an email with your name, email address and contact number so that we can add you to our list of people in support of the above proposal. If you wish to obtain a copy of our article with all the proper citations and footnotes, please drop us an email as well. Please direct all your emails regarding the above to isay.gentlepaws@gmail.com. We thank you for your time.

When dreams come true

2011-10-08T22:36:00.000+08:00

Daelle, Dillon and their new family dropped by at the shelter today to sign the adoption papers.

With pen put to paper, the adoption became official. These two boys are no longer homeless shelter kids. They now have a warm loving human family to call their own.

Just saying that makes me feel an irrational sense of pride ... Proud that these two babies, affectionately known as D&D, have finally graduated from the rough and tumble of shelter life. Proud of this family who saw the good in the boys and tried their hardest to make it work. Proud that we have come a full circle since they were dumped back to the shelter by their respective initial adopters.

Proud and thankful of course... because someone must have been watching over our D&D to make all this possible.

When D&D's adopters Frae and Tek first dropped us an email, they were originally interested in Junior, our local Lab. But then, they came down to the shelter, took Dillon and Daelle for a walk and never looked back since.

We didn't think it would all pan out so smoothly. In fact, we threw quite a few obstacles in Frae and Tek's way, unintentionally of course, in the interest of our dogs.

At the beginning, Frae and Tek appeared to be more interested in Dillon. He was beautiful, a joy to walk and could be very affectionate with humans. But worried that the two brothers would suffer from separation anxiety if Daelle were left behind, Wee decided that D&D came as a package. If one went, the other must too.

If you helped out at the shelter long enough, you would understand. Whenever Dillon went for a walk (because he was often the more popular one amongst shelter volunteers), Daelle could be heard whining pitifully behind the fence, yearning to tag along as well.

Whenever Dillon was bored, the first friend he would turn to was his brother Daelle. He would grab Daelle's hind leg by the mouth and lure Daelle into a tussle, which Daelle would enthusiastically accept.

As brothers go, these two were exceptionally close. We were quite concerned about the impact on either one of them in the face of a permanent separation.

We thought setting down such a requirement would deter Frae and Tek from proceeding. Imagine how thrilled we were when they proposed a trial homestay for not one, but both of them.

As most homestays went, Daelle and Dillon's wasn't the most perfect. Faced with the prospect of a pristine house, this pair of naughty brothers set about on their destructive trail, with Dillon in the lead. But having handled dogs before, this behaviour was expected and Frae and Tek took it in their stride.

What startled them most, however, was that Daelle started to snap at the children, leaving small puncture marks on their arms. The kids are young at 2 and 8 years old and were understandably frightened. So were the parents.

When the incident repeated itself again, the family decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. It was time for the home stay to come to an end after two weeks. Frae and Tek were worried for the safety of their children and understandably so.

We were horrified to learn about what Daelle did. Daelle had never been aggressive with humans. Sure, he would growl at other dogs, but never to us humans. Whatever could be the cause? Florence checked in with a dog trainer friend of ours and learnt that it might be because Daelle was trying to build hierarchy in the family, in a way only dogs know how.

We were disappointed that the adoption didn't work out. The family had seemed so warm and enthusiastic about the whole process and even without us knowing, we began to hope for a happy ending for the boys.

When they sent Daelle and Dillon back, it was apparent that the family were most sorry to see them go. Two weeks sounds short. But two weeks of sharing a life together under the same household was certainly long enough for a bond to develop between man and dogs.

Adoptions succeed, adoptions fail. Sometimes, it just wasn't anybody's fault. It was just the way things were. Despite the failed adoption, we were grateful for the chance Frae and Tek had given to the boys. We were also happy to have them back at the shelter. They were missed during their time away.

Two days later, we were surprised to hear from Frae once again. The family had talked things through and everyone, including the kids, was keen to try again. Frae proposed a second home stay with the boys, this time for keeps.

It seemed like the family was serious about making this work. This time, with a clearer idea of what they were in for, they suggested re-organising the house to accommodate the dogs, reading up books on all things canine, engaging a dog trainer for D&D and re-introducing the kids to the dogs. Until the next homestay was set, Frae proposed that she and Tek come down on weekdays to walk D&D to keep the bond in place.

Reading the email Frae wrote to Florence, I was inexplicably moved. Here was a family that was trying their hardest to give our two dogs a home. It wasn't just the parents. The kids, too, were ready to forgive, forget and start over.

In the face of such sincerity, we couldn't find it in us to say no. Even Wee who is usually too busy to entertain visitors on weekdays agreed to having Frae and Tek down to walk D&D.

On 3 September, Frae and Tek returned to the shelter to take Daelle and Dillon home once more. During the kids' September school holidays, the whole family underwent training together with the dog trainer they had engaged. Not everything went according to plan though. In the first week of the home stay, there was yet another biting incident.

But with the help of the experienced trainer, the family chugged on. And in the next two weeks, it seemed as if the tide had finally turned. Dillon and Daelle were finally settling in peacefully. Perhaps they had found their place in the family at last. No more hierarchy building for Daelle we hope!

When the whole family - sans the baby - came down today, they looked like they were just that - a family. Daelle stuck to Tek, Dillon settled comfortably beside Frae, with their sweet, quiet son Ryan standing next to them.

The thought of Daelle and Dillon finally finding not just any family but this lovely family made me feel like our dogs were blessed. Perhaps they were made to go through a bit of bitter in the past, just so they can taste the sweet of the present.

We don't know what lies ahead for these two boys. We just know that every day with this new family of theirs is a blessing. This is one of the longest, if not the longest, home stays that we have had to facilitate leading up to adoption. But it is also definitely the most fruitful.

This experience has made it clear that adopting a dog is never easy. Adoption is rather like having a new member of the family. It's about sacrifices. It's about team work. It's about not turning on them when the going gets tough.

Sounds like a deal not worth taking? Don't forget that at the end of this very tough journey is a well of undying devotion and unwavering friendship. There's a reason why Bob Barker once said that a person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life. Here at Gentle Paws, we firmly believe that home is where the bark is.

With that, we have come to the end of my story. The next chapter's just beginning. Good luck and good bye, Dillon and Daelle! Until the next visit, please behave you two!

Frae, Tek, Ryan and baby, thank you for giving D&D a family. We're glad they got you guys and not anyone else.

XOXO,

Gentle Paws & Friends

Go Drago go!

2011-10-06T00:37:00.000+08:00

Ahhh. Joy. I finally have a free night to sit down proper and write in here. I have so many things I want to put down in words to share with you guys. But time eludes me. Thank you for sticking around. While this blog really belongs to Gentle Paws, one hundred entries on (this is the 110th, believe it or not!), I feel attached to this little cove in cyberspace. So let me reassure you that despite my intermittent disappearances, the posts will keep coming. After all, there's always something new to learn about at Gentle Paws.

Before anything else, you guys should meet... Drago. That's a pretty cool name, isn't it? Rather... manly in my opinion, haha, like that of a triad boss, with a thick gold necklace and a cigar in his mouth!

Not too long ago, our Drago was known simply as Orh Leng, or as the language purists in us would like to put it, ahem, Orange.

But when he came to us, we could hardly see any orange on him. The fur was gone from half his body. His ribs were protruding out from beneath his skin.

He couldn't open his eyes properly because dirt and grime had coagulated around them.

One of his ears was infected so badly it drooped and blackened.

And to round it all off, the expression on this old dog's face was one of plain weariness.

Things didn't used to be this way. Wee told me that I might have met Drago when we were helping out at another shelter some years back. In Wee's own words, Drago was "a handsome orange boy then, clean, steady and good looking". It's been a mere few years but it might as well have been a lifetime ago.

What was his story? I asked Wee, knowing that like me, you guys must probably be curious as well. I was told that Drago wasn't the most friendly dog around and was rumoured to have injured quite a few people. The foreign workers at the shelter were slightly fearful of him and left him alone. So Drago's life basically revolved around being confined in his kennel and having a meal or two a day.

Despite Drago's fearsome reputation, Wee managed to shower him and take him for a walk every so often. He distinctly remembers that he introduced Drago and Debbie... and Drago rather liked our Debbie! Wee took pictures of Drago as he was then, but he lamented that he lost all of them when his computer crashed.

Hahaha I couldn't resist doing this.

At that point in time we decided to set up Gentle Paws and started having our own dogs to care for. Drago was left back in the hands of the workers. As days turned into months, Drago's condition deteriorated till what it is today. Heartbroken at seeing Drago in such a state, Wee decided to take him in and set him on the road to recovery.

It's a fine, fine line between shelter life and stray life. When shelter life is nothing more than imprisonment within four walls twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, then perhaps the dogs are better off roaming the streets in search of food. While shelter life guarantees the dog a meal a day, the mental anguish and frustration can, more often than not, be too much for it to bear.

The first thing we did when we brought Drago over was to send him to the vet. This boy seemed in real need of medical attention. We were worried that he might be blind because it appeared as if he had difficulty opening his eyes. He also needed to be vaccinated.

At the vet's, our medical team was told that Drago wasn't fit for a full check-up because he was under chronic stress. Drago, they learned to their relief, wasn't blind. His eyes were just dry and infected. He was prescribed 3 different types of eye drops to be administered for a month.

Cleaning Drago's eyes

Drago came in time for our furry day on the 24th of September. My experience with different dogs taught me that Furry Day never fails to be an effective balm for even the most tired of canine souls. This was no different for Drago.

I wonder how long it has been since he stepped foot into the real world, with its bright sky, fresh air and green, green grass. Because he sure seemed happy. I could almost see a smile on his old, battered face and a glimpse of the handsome dog he used to be so many moons ago.

On the second vet visit, Drago managed to undergo the necessary check-up. Our med people were told that the blood vessels in Drago's ears had burst due to excessive scratching and shaking of the head. He required surgery the soonest possible to save his ear. If left alone, the pain from the infection could last up to a year.

On the spot, our med team decided to do as the vet advised and allow Drago to undergo what is known as the aural haemotoma repair surgery. Post-surgery, his ears had to be washed and drained with hydrogen peroxide daily for two weeks, all taken care of by our med people. Our medical team often goes about their work quietly but their contribution to the well-being of our dogs at the shelter cannot be overstated.

Drago's still inching his way along on the road to recovery. It's a long way ahead but he is making steady steps towards his destination. Now that he has nourishing food, weekly walks and monthly furry days in his future, we're hopeful that Drago can become the dog he once was... and, with more exposure to and socialisation with us humans, even more friendly than before!

Do come down to the shelter to give this boy a visit! Otherwise, watch this space and track Drago's changes from right where you are!

Damsel in disguise

2011-09-27T00:04:00.001+08:00

When Wee decided to christen the tiny little pup we trudged into the overgrown bushes to rescue Damsel, I thought it was the most adorable name in the world.

She was a damsel in distress when we swooped in to pick her up...

Or so I thought...

What our Damsel turned out to be was something entirely different.

We soon discovered that this pretty miss was a feisty young lady who takes no nonsense from tender-hearted volunteers who crowded around and gushed over her.

When these volunteers eagerly reached out to give her a tummy rub, our grumpy puppy would growl at those pesky human hands.

When we were firm with her and tried to lift her up, she would cry and scream as if she were the most horribly abused dog in the world.

And she would snap at us with her tiny little jaws and sharp (yes terribly sharp!) baby teeth to remind us that she was not one to be trifled with.

In other words, this little girl was truly a damsel in disguise.

Doesn't she look like an angel? Aha, looks can be deceiving!

We can't blame her for that though. Her mama taught her well. Stray puppies ought to be wary of prying human hands. The friendly ones are usually also the captured ones that are eventually put to sleep.

Wee showed us a short clip that he recently took of Damsel's mother, a wandering stray. She looks like a female version of our Darwin - tall, skinny and hardy. Just like Damsel, she had ears that stood.

But unlike Damsel, she was no tender puppy. Damsel's mother was a street smart, clever stray dog who manages to survive despite the odds that stack high against her.

The clip was hastily filmed from a distance after Wee deposited a bag of food on the ground. There was a huge downpour and the rain was lashing mercilessly. There, across a deserted stretch of land, we could make out the hazy figure of a dog, making its way tentatively toward the bag of food. It kept looking around furtively, checking the vicinity for any sign of danger.

She was drenched to her skin, but her ears were up and she remained alert.

Watching the video made me think of just how hard these street dogs are trying to survive. It's their world too, but they have to fight harder than anybody else to exist on this land.

Seeing Damsel's mother work so hard to live made me feel a great big need to give her puppy Damsel a better life.

Damsel is slowly but surely adapting to the human touch. Her appetite's really good and her spunky personality is slowly beginning to surface. She has no qualms about bullying Deckie, even though he is probably twice her size. She loves Drizzle like a sister and likes tagging along wherever Drizzle goes.

Damsel is growing physically as well. I used to be able to lift her with one hand. Now, she is taller than my knees. To tackle her wariness of us humans, we are slowly exposing her to new human faces and new scents. Wee also cuddles her close to him every day, just to remind her that we mean well and she has absolutely nothing to fear. I love to sit next to her and occasionally hold Damsel close for a big sloppy kiss.

That girl is still treads carefully before humans. She still gets grumpy whenever she is tired, but I am happy to say that she is making huge strides toward rehabilitation.

My guess is that Damsel is about 4-6 months now. She is steadily growing in size. Her once floppy ears are now standing but they still can't decide which way to point.

Any potential adopter has to be an experienced one who can afford the time and patience to train this frightened little puppy. It's not going to be a smooth journey, but let me assure you that it will be an extremely rewarding one.

This little puppy is seeking to be introduced to the wonders of home life and some good old lovin' from a human of her own.

Would you be interested in lifting Damsel off her feet toward her happily ever after?

We would be extremely happy to entertain adoption queries at farmwaylove@gmail.com.

That furry time of the month

2011-09-14T00:27:00.002+08:00

Care to spend Saturday morning at the beach with the dogs this Furry Day?

Furry Day is nothing glamorous.

It's a monthly affair in which we take over 40 of our shelter dogs out for a long satisfying stroll all around the park, followed by perhaps a dip in the sea.

It's a treat for the dogs. It can be hectic and tiring for us humans, but also strangely rewarding.

Furry Day this month is on the 24th of September. It starts at 9am and should wrap up by around 3pm.

If you're up for it, we look forward to hearing from you at farmwaylove@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Lost... or left to die?

2011-09-03T12:10:00.002+08:00

Over the recent Hari Raya holiday, Gentle Paws and Friends collaborated with the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Animal Lovers Society for a furry day outing exclusive to NTU volunteers.

I reckon our dogs were pretty surprised to see us that day, seeing as it was a Tuesday and it was so early in the morning! For them, the boisterous humans only appeared on weekends. During weekdays, they were content with having just Wee around in the afternoons to clean the place, to feed and play with them.

As Florence, Edwin and I piled onto Choo's van which rumbled along to the shelter, we received an unexpected phone call from Wee.

I need help, he said.

I was walking my dogs when I found an old cocker spaniel. He is in a terrible condition. With the help of a kind lady, I've managed to leash the cocker spaniel and tie the leash around a post. But I can't get any closer to the poor boy because my hands are full with my own dogs.

And so after dropping me and Florence so that we could get Furry Day on the road, Choo and Edwin made the detour to Woodlands, where the old cocker was found.

As I was walking an excitable Dribble at the park that day, I couldn't help wondering what happened to the lost cocker spaniel.

What kind of condition was he in? Just how bad was bad?

When Choo and Edwin got back to the shelter with the boy, I found out for myself what Wee meant by "terrible".

Meet Doodle. We don't know if he is lost or abandoned. We are holding out hope that it is the former. Whatever the case, we christened him Doodle, so that we didn't have to keep referring to him as that poor boy.

We don't know how long he had been roaming the streets, but boy was he starving. Whatever we fed him, he lapped it up like there was no tomorrow.

From afar, Doodle looked normal. But upon a closer inspection, his skin was in a downright horrible condition. His neck, his hind leg and his tail were completely devoid of fur.

Wee remarked that Doodle was in the condition that Doris and Dollar were when they were first dumped by the breeder farm.

Could Doodle have been thrown away because of his skin condition?

But there were signs pointing to the contrary as well.

Doodle's fur appeared as if it had just been cut. He didn't smell too bad. He didn't look malnourished. His ears weren't too dirty. He was also not tick infested.

Because of all these little signs, we held on and are still holding on to a flicker of hope that Doodle is merely a lost dog, instead of an abandoned one.

For the rest of the day that we were at the shelter, save for the short walk that I brought him, Doodle curled up by himself looking insecure and just plain sad.

We have put up notices online about Doodle. It has been four days and we have not heard any news. Was Doodle cruelly abandoned? Or is he merely a lost dog with an anxious owner on the other end who is desperately looking for him?

Perhaps we will never know.

Doodle isn't a young dog. We estimate him to be around six to eight years old. All we can do for him now is to provide a place for him to recover and rehabilitate.

After his trauma, this dog needs all the patience in the world to learn to appreciate the joys in life again.

We're located in the far eastern side of Singapore. Doodle was found far north. Of all the people in the world, Doodle met Wee. Fate intervened to bring him here to Gentle Paws. Perhaps even the heavens up above had enough of seeing this poor soul suffer.

But the tides have changed now. Things can only look up from here. We will be sending him to the vet for a full check up and do whatever that is necessary to chase the sorrow from his eyes.

Doodle was found on 31 August 2011 around Block 635 Woodlands Street 52. If you have any news about his owner, we look forward to hearing from you at farmwaylove@gmail.com. Thank you!

Team Gentle Paws

2011-08-31T00:15:00.000+08:00

Do you know Gentle Paws and Friends doesn't hire a single worker in the course of running the shelter?

Volunteers do everything from cleaning the grounds, cooking the food, feeding the dogs, showering them and walking them. We take care of the dogs' yearly vaccination and medical needs, ensure all of them are sterilised and as far as possible, healthy and happy.

On opening day last year, we received 10 fans, a fridge and a washing machine from various kind individuals. With the equipment we were armed with, we were good to go. We wash our own towels, hang them out to dry and collect them again. We clean the 10 fans regularly to ensure that the blades and covers of the fans are not completely caked with dust. We store treats, medication and milk in the fridge for use whenever we need them.

Doing things ourselves might be hard. But it saves us the $800 per month it takes to hire one worker. This $800 a month can go to far better use, such as for emergency veterinary fees or for the sterilisation fees of newly rescued dogs.

Because we have to be self-sufficient, volunteering at the shelter can be tougher than you think.

When I arrived at the shelter last Saturday, I was amazed by the sight of each volunteer going about his or her business with a sense of purpose. Some of them were hosing down the grounds, many others were on all fours scrubbing the ground and walls with a mixture of vinegar (to get rid of the moss) and disinfectant.

It was Detox day - a monthly event in which we give the shelter a good scrub down.

Seeing what I saw, I was truly humbled. Before me was a congregation of people of different ages, nationality even, and from all walks of life, bending down in the most unglamourous fashion and waging war with a common nemesis called Grime.

In the background, music from the radio was blaring and the atmosphere was light. All our workers were happy workers.

I really do think that as the months go by, volunteering at the shelter helps you make human friends for life. Because as regular volunteers, we really do go through quite a bit together.

For starters, we care for the same dogs. We work together towards the betterment of the welfare of our dogs. The feeling of working hand in hand towards a common goal is something rare and almost indescribable. It's almost as if we are comrades, marching shoulder to shoulder towards the same destination.

For another, we go through death together. Our dogs die. Whether it is expected or sudden, it is equally painful. What's worse is the sickness and suffering that precedes the death. The pain that you're feeling can only truly be understood by a fellow volunteer who went through what you did.

Next, we experience the pain of parting together. This time not as a result of death, but due to a successful adoption. Ironic, isn't it? We are always happy to see our dogs get successfully adopted. In fact, we go all out to facilitate the adoption and secure that happily ever after for our dogs. But we form attachments during our time at the shelter, each of us to different dogs. That is the reality of the matter. Having your charge leave the shelter for a new life and a new family can be a bittersweet experience that only a fellow volunteer can ever comprehend.

To add on, we organise relatively large projects in the name of the shelter. Furry day is a monthly event that is logistics heavy. We need to coordinate our drivers' schedules, we need the manpower to organise the volunteers as well as the dogs, we need to ensure the safety of everyone involved and we need to remain alert for any emergencies.

We also take part in flea markets to raise funds for the shelter. The most difficult part of flea markets is the gathering and consolidating of things to sell. The hours can be extremely long. I recall shouting till my voice was hoarse. "$2, $2! Everything is going for $2!" To date, we have taken part in about 5 or 6 flea markets, organised by other shelters as well as group resident committees.

And then, there is also our annual Adoption Drive. I remember vividly running around in the hot sun distributing fliers in letterboxes and notice boards. Choo also sacrificed evenings prepping Dakdakdei for his agility performance. And when the turnout for the Adoption Drive wasn't the most spectacular, all of us experienced the same disappointment together.

To further raise funds, we also put together the Gentle Paws calendar for sale. And then, with the help of sponsorship, we started producing our own T-shirts for sale. We recently started manufacturing badges featuring the dogs at Gentle Paws for sale as well.

Finally, we work together to raise awareness about the plight of shelter dogs. We maintain our Facebook account, our email and yes, this very blog, to inform, to share and to communicate. Our dogs might be living within the four walls of the shelter for most of their lives. But this does not mean their presence and their stories should not be made known on cyberspace.

Volunteering at the shelter regularly requires discipline, time management (although I can't say I do that well at all!) and a love for all things canine. It can be tiring, frustrating and rewarding all at once.

Wee, Florence, Choo, Suat, Sebastian, Lorna, Ann, Edwin, Wei Feng, Chin Leong, Nana, Andrew, Cindy, Joey, Xiang Qian, Chng Bin, Russ, Jie Hao, Jialing...

This entry is for you. Thank you for making my time at Gentle Paws so much more enjoyable with your simple presence. Thank your for making the shelter a home away from home.

One day, when I am old and bent over with age, I will sit back on my rocking chair and grin toothlessly as I look back on those times we slogged together and the dogs with whom we had the good fortune to meet.

I have a tendency to become sappy and uncool. But guys, let me just say in advance, thank you for the memories.

Onward Team GPF. Toward greater heights!

If you wish to volunteer regularly at Gentle Paws, please do not hesitate to drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com. Team GPF remains ever open to new members :)

Food for thought

2011-08-29T23:28:00.000+08:00

10 packs of Eukanuba kibbles, weighing 15 kg each, were quietly sent to our shelter one fine afternoon. We were in a happy dilemma figuring out where to store the kibbles in our cramped store room.

It turns out that, a group of 13 individuals and a grooming salon, INU-PETZ, had pooled their resources together to make this generous contribution.

The Send a Bowl of Love Campaign equates each bowl of love to 220g of kibbles. To put things in perspective, this group of individuals, together with INU-PETZ, contributed a total of 150,000g of kibbles or 681 bowls of love alone!

With 40 mouths to feed, food is always received with open arms at Gentle Paws.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank the following for this generous contribution. Thank you for going the extra mile to ensure that our dogs have their bellies happily filled.

赖华宗, 何瑞庆, 姚荃富, 黄清强, 黄佩琪, 王光晖, 黄士玮, 何细荷, Joyce Sor, 李俊有, 邝美兰, 林泽荣, 梁定发 and INU-PETZ Grooming Salon.

Our Junior Boy

2011-08-29T01:35:00.003+08:00

This is Junior.

With his creamy body and floppy white ears, he looks exactly like a Labrador Retriever.

But is he really one?

I guess short of a detailed examination into his DNA, we'll never know.

Junior was rescued as a puppy from an industrial estate.

In April this year, he came to board with us at Gentle Paws.

His time at the shelter was short, but with his clumsy ways and handsome face, Junior captured the hearts of many volunteers.

It was clear that he was particularly close to two of our regulars, Nana and Andrew. He would trot behind them whenever they entered his compound, his wagging tail working on overdrive.

We thought Junior was about two years when he joined us at the shelter.

But he quickly proved that our predictions were wrong, because boy was he one hungry dog.

Junior ate. And he ate. And he ate.

He was as hungry as only a puppy can be.

And our Wee happily fed. And fed. And fed. "He's going to be a big, strong boy," I remember Wee declaring to us all with a twinkle in his eye.

Food was so important to the silly dog that he would sometimes squabble with his bunk mates (ie DakDakDei) over food, causing his lovely unblemished face to be filled with battle wounds.

See the wounds?

In some instances, the fights got quite serious and we had to pull them apart. I recall our tender-hearted Nana hugging him to her and gently chastising him whenever he emerged from his battle, blood dripping from his wounds.

Our Junior is one busybody who loves putting his nose in other dogs' business.

When he sees Dooney jumping into the water, he would create a splash of his own.

When he sees other dogs run to fetch a ball, he would follow suit, his ears flapping behind him as he surged forward.

He was a copydog but an extremely adorable one at that.

One fine Furry Day on 30th July, Junior was assigned to a volunteer Tony and his son.

They were Americans and their family had just arrived in Singapore the previous Thursday. Tony's wife was transferred to Singapore and they would be here for a four year stint.

It took all of one Furry Day for Tony to fall in love with Junior.

He dropped us an email, indicating his intentions.

Junior is only about a year old or so. What's going to happen to Junior when you leave for America? We asked in reply to his email.

In response, Tony informed us that he had done his due diligence and that there was nothing prohibiting him from bringing Junior back home with them.

When they leave for the USA, Junior would too.

And so we organised the homestay, which quickly became permanent.

At his new home, with his new family.

Nana, Andrew and all of us were most sorry to see Junior go. In his four months at the shelter, he brought much laughter to our lives.

But we were comforted to know that Junior was headed to a better place. Shelter life was tough for him. With warm house to call his own, Junior would no longer be involved in fights at the shelter. His battle days had come to an end. No more scars for this silly boy.

Most importantly, he is well-loved by Tony and his family. For that, we are absolutely grateful.

Onward Junior to your new life and home. But do know that wherever life takes you, America or otherwise, we'll always be here rooting for you.

You've got a friend in us!

XOXO,

Gentle Paws

Hercules is home

2011-08-28T04:23:00.000+08:00

Hercules, or Hercs as he is affectionately known amongst us, is all of nine years old.

His family migrated away from Singapore and after nine years of home life, Hercs was headed to the shelter.

Despite giving him time to settle down, Hercules never fully adapted to shelter life.

He was always wet from sitting in a puddle of water and was usually found just behind the metal fence, gazing out wistfully. He kept to himself and didn't make other canine friends at the shelter.

Even when some of the regulars treated him to a grooming session and a swim to lift his spirits, Hercs still appeared slightly melancholy.

One fine day, we received a random email that changed the course of Hercules' life once more. Jamie wrote in to us, briefly informing us that she thought they might be the right family for Hercules.

A chance for Hercules? Could it be? I recall the flicker of hope in my heart as I read the email.

Florence got back to Jamie and that set the whole process in motion.

Jamie and her gorgeous family came down to take a look at Hercules and decided to take him back for a home stay.

The home stay proved successful.

Jamie and her family were informed that Hercules was getting on in years, but that did not deter them from bringing him home. They were content to make the last years of Hercules' life his very best ones.

When we went to visit Hercules at his new home, he was a changed dog. As he ran towards us, we all gasped in amazement. Our Hercs hardly ever ran! Who was this spunky young dog before us?

We had truly never seen him so active and oh so happy in all his time at the shelter. The wistfulness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a new, unfamiliar shine. His new home was huge, with a sprawling house and a large field for him to frolick. His new family, consisting of Jamie, her husband and their four lovely kids, was wonderful with him.

In our conversation with Jamie, she told us that she learnt of Gentle Paws through a flier we posted on the notice board of a Cold Storage branch a long time ago. If I don't recall wrongly, the flier was put up last December for our Adoption Drive. It was long buried under other new notices.

Because they had just moved to Singapore and Jamie needed to be resourceful, she took a moment to flip through all the notices on the noticeboard at Cold Storage that day. When she came across the Gentle Paws flier, she took down our email address and stuffed the scrap of paper in her trouser pocket.

Some time later, she found that scrap of paper and dropped us a mail.

And the rest, dear readers, is history.

So you see, it was meant to be. Hercules was meant to find this new family of his.

Thank you for giving Hercules a home and a family, Jamie. Just when we thought all was lost for Hercules, you came along with your lovely family and set things right for him.

Come what may, we wish your family and Hercules all the joy in the world. We'll always be here whenever you need us.

XOXO,

Gentle Paws

Dog tales

2011-08-27T02:34:00.000+08:00

I was extremely horrified to learn from the papers that a precocious silky terrier was bitten by a Rottweiler at the National Dog Walk held last week and thereafter died from her injuries.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_705046.html

My deepest condolences go out to the owner of the silky terrier, although I'm certain all the condolences in the world are never going ease the sorrow and the grief that she is feeling right now. The loss of a beloved pet takes time to come to terms with, let alone one that occurred so suddenly and unexpectedly.

On that note, I also sympathise with all parties involved in the incident, including the Rottweiler's owner. I'm sure what happened that day was beyond his wildest imagination. It was meant to be a great day out and about at the park, but it became nothing short of a complete nightmare.

Dogs so easily become our best friends. The grieving process when your dog passes away can be extremely painful.

I recently found out that it's not just us. Dogs grieve when their owners die as well. They seem to know that their owner isn't ever going to come back.

It's this rare bond that makes a dog a man's best friend.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029688/Navy-SEAL-Jon-Tumilsons-dog-sits-coffin-funeral.html

US Navy Seal Jon Tumilson died when the military helicopter he was in was shot down by a rocket grenade. At his wake, as friends and family gathered to remember this honourable man, his Labrador Retriever, Hawkeye, walked slowly down the middle aisle leading to his coffin and lay down before it. I wasn't there, I wouldn't know much. But the very image of this desolate dog lying prostrate before the coffin containing his owner's unmoving body struck a chord in me.

It was as if Hawkeye knew right to the depths of his very soul that his beloved owner was never coming back. His owner was never going to call out to him again. No more "sit", "stay" or even "bad dog!". His owner was never ever going to be by his side once more.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029688/Navy-SEAL-Jon-Tumilsons-dog-sits-coffin-funeral.html

This bond between human and animal, the connection that exists, is rare and oh so precious. Dogs bring us a lot of trouble. They are a long term commitment. They depend on us in every way possible. They shed hair and require us to pick up their poop. And when they pass on, they leave us distraught for months on end, missing their very presence.

But troublemakers that they are, they bring us a lifetime of joy. At the end of the journey, it is often unanimous that we would rather have had and lost than never to have had at all.

Joy aside, dogs can, in a rare instance or two, bring us miracles as well.

When Tom Morgan saw his six year old daughter, Taylor, fall into a fast moving Washington river on August 17th this year, his first thought was that all was lost.

While he was standing shell shocked at the spectacle before him, his quick-thinking dog Maggie dived into the river towards Taylor. This dog was not going to allow the currents to sweep her little girl away.

Maggie grabbed onto Taylor's jacket with her mouth and swam about 90 metres towards the shore. The currents weren't letting up, but Maggie wasn't giving up either. She reached the banks safely, with Taylor in tow. Her heroics were witnessed by not just Tom and his wife, but by people who were near the river as well.

http://www.pups-world.com/dog-rescues-6yearold-girl-from-drowning.html

And you know what the best thing of all is? Maggie was a shelter dog adopted all those years ago by the Morgan family! The Morgans gave her a second chance at life. It seems like Maggie is repaying them by watching over their little girl with her heart and soul. This was not the first instance she saved Taylor. She previously alerted the adults when Taylor collapsed in the yard by racing into the house, breaking the screen and barking maniacally in the process.

Dogs are devoted animals. They can be difficult to handle at the start. But give it a year or two and their love and loyalty will shine through.

This is apparent even at the shelter. Some of our dogs take a longer time to warm up to new volunteers. It's the seasoned volunteers they turn to for reassurance. Whenever Dior is handled by a new volunteer on a walk, she never fails to turn back every now and then to look for me before she moves off.

And then there is YenYen, who can be quite a handful for a new volunteer to handle because a little into the walk, she'll slow down and... refuse to walk. That is, until one of us regulars come along to give her a little encouragement. Based on my experience, simply calling out "YenYen" chirpily will get her moving.

It's all these little responses from the dogs that make the shelter such a wonderful place to be in. It is as if the dogs know what we're doing and they're responding in ways that they know how.

And for me, at least, that's what keeps me going. Helping out at the shelter allows me to build, grow and nurture my friendship with all these beautiful dogs.

They have no owner to call their own. But they surely can do with a friend like you and me!

If you are interested in volunteering with Gentle Paws and Friends, please drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com.

Hawkeye's story can be found here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029688/Navy-SEAL-Jon-Tumilsons-dog-sits-coffin-funeral.html.

Maggie's story can be found here: http://www.pups-world.com/dog-rescues-6yearold-girl-from-drowning.html.

Send a bowl of love

2011-08-27T00:28:00.002+08:00

In case you haven't been following our Facebook page, let me just fill you in on what has been happening.

We are involved in a meaningful campaign organised by Purina to raise food for animal shelters in Singapore. Aptly named the Send A Bowl of Love Campaign, all that is required is for any member of the public with a functioning Facebook account to head to the Purina PetsPlace Facebook page, "like" the page and click 3 times on different tabs to digitally "send a bowl of food" to his or her selected animal shelter.

Each digital bowl translates to a 220g bowl of dog food in real life. Don't belittle the power of those 3 clicks. They can very possibly fill the stomach of one dog for a whole day!

Everyone's been extremely kind us thus far. We've received many bowls of food and we are really feeling the love. We urge you not to stop, whether you're sending the love to us or the other participating shelters around. The campaign will only end when 5,909 bowls or 1,300kg of food has been donated. So keep the click-click-clicking coming our way!

You can access the PetsPlace Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/PetsPlacePurina. Simply click on the tab "send a bowl of love" on the left hand column and let the loving begin!

Goodbye, Our Royal Highness

2011-08-14T19:54:00.002+08:00

We were informed by her adopter that our little Princess left us earlier this week.

Princess was about eight years old.

Princess was the first and till date, only cocker spaniel we have had with us at Gentle Paws. She was such a joy to have around.

Princess came to the shelter because her owner stayed in a HDB flat and received some complaints from neighbours.

Despite her name this girl was no haughty royalty. She adapted to the shelter quickly.

Although she was often wet from the puddles on the ground, she was perpetually happy.

During her short stay at the shelter, she fell head over heels in love as well.

She took one look at our dear Wei Feng and she was smittened.

It was inexplicable. Almost irrational. But through her actions, Princess declared to the world that that this human being was hers.

She's mine!

And although Wei Feng often laughed and called Princess her smelly princess, we all knew that deep down, where it mattered, Wei Feng loved this silly girl with all her heart as well.

As her short fur started to grow out, we slowly started to notice just how beautiful she was.

When she first arrived...

See how pretty she was?

Because she was such a wonderful dog, Princess was adopted quickly.

We will forever be grateful to her adopter, Mary, for looking past the fact that Princess was already seven, for giving her a second chance at having a home and a family to call her own.

Some time ago, Mary informed us that they discovered a tumour on Princess' body.

The outcome wasn't positive.

And the tumour became painful.

And then it became intolerable.

Earlier this week, her adopter made the painful decision to put Princess down to end her suffering.

Dear Mary and family, we are devastated to hear the bad news. We know you must be feeling awful too.

Thank you for taking care of Princess while she was sick.

Thank you for doing all you could for her.

Thank you for making the last year of her life such an enjoyable one.

Goodbye our darling Princess. We are sorry we weren't by your side to give you the royal farewell that you deserve.

We are blessed to have had you in our lives.

We will see you on the other side.

A great big Teeny story

2011-08-12T04:56:00.004+08:00

Daisy's story was so wonderfully received that I was hesitant about writing this entry. I was worried that my next adoption story would somehow pale in comparison to Daisy's.

Many a time, I found myself sitting in front of my laptop, staring at the blogger template before me and willing the words to flow. In the course of my dalliance and procrastination, it suddenly struck me that I was being absolutely silly.

This time round, I might not have top quality images from Sebastian to aid me in telling my story. My words might not string together to form the most perfect of sentences.

But in the midst of all these imperfections, there nevertheless remains a beautiful story to be told. Just like every dog has its day, every dog has its own unique adoption story to tell.

I shouldn't allow my trivial uncertainties to prevent this story from being told.

So here it is... let me present to you the great big story of a dog called Teeny.

Teeny isn't what most people would recognise as small. But for a mongrel, she was indeed pretty much... tiny.

David and Goliath?

Teeny was once a stray dog roaming the streets together with a group of other smaller sized mongrels, Oscar, Queenie and Yen Yen. All four of them were rescued together and brought to the shelter by their rescuer on a long term boarding basis.

The brownies

I recall showing people around the shelter and introducing our dogs to them. "See that tiny one with the white socks?" I would so often point out. "Yup, that's our Teeny."

Teeny has always been well-liked at the shelter because of her wonderful temperament. She is gentle, cheerful and affectionate. She loves a good cuddle and is great with children.

To put it simply, Teeny is pretty much the perfect pet. I always suspected that the main stumbling block for her was the fact that she was a mongrel. The reality of being a mongrel meant simply that she was not HDB-approved which cut off many avenues for adoption.

It's funny how lives can be changed in the span of one short day or from the making of one single decision. When Teeny's adopter, Lenne, decided to adopt a dog and not buy one, that changed the course of Teeny's life forever.

The pair of them

The curious thing was... Teeny wasn't Lenne's first pick. When Lenne arrived at the front steps of Gentle Paws, she was first interested in Didi, a Jack Russell who was up for adoption at that time. Fortunately for Teeny, someone else arrived earlier and had first dibs on him.

And so we gently steered her elsewhere. What about Teeny? She's rather small as well. Look how sweet she is. Why don't you take her for a walk?

And from that moment on, everything fell into place. Lenne and her family decided to make Teeny's short 2 day home stay with them a permanent one.

It's been almost one year since Teeny was adopted. Let us just remark what a difference a year makes. With Lenne, Teeny's horizons have widened considerably beyond the four walls of the shelter.

Getting to know you: Teeny's new pal

Not only does Teeny get a warm roof over her head and humans to call her own, Lenne also brings her prawning with her friends, swimming at private dog pools or simply lazing around at dog cafes.

Watching and waiting as the humans catch some prawns

Argh! Swimming is painful!

Chilling out at the dog cafe

Lenne informs me that initially, confronted by the presence of other dogs at the dog cafe, Teeny would hide in one corner and growl at them. But months of socialisation has made Teeny open up. In her subsequent visits to the dog cafe, instead of huddling herself up in one corner, Teeny has started sniffing and exploring the grounds, even following the other dogs about.

Opening up

What I found particularly poignant was Lenne's observations on this matter. It was very comforting to see Teeny change, she said, it is almost like seeing your kid grow up.

At 24 this year, Lenne is in essence a young and free spirit. What sacrifices did she have to make in adopting Teeny, I wondered. Did her life change drastically as a result ?

Lenne tells me that she shares the responsibility of caring for Teeny with her younger sister. Sometimes, she has to rush back from outings with friends to feed Teeny and bring her for her walk. Other times, she has to forego family trips overseas so that there was someone around to care for Teeny. She couldn't bear to put Teeny on boarding, even if it was for just a few days.

Never too old for new tricks!

On that note, Lenne cheerfully adds that with every sacrifice comes a far better reward. Teeny's there for her whenever she reaches home from work. Teeny's there for her during every festive season. Teeny's there for her when there is no one else at home. Teeny is there for her when she is sick and feels plain awful.

In short, Lenne informs me emphatically, with Teeny around, she is never alone. Teeny is there for her unconditionally, for better or for worse.

Family time!

I have always believed that the simplest and clearest indicator of a successful adoption is in where the dog is allowed to sleep at night. It shows plainly the extent to which the dog is accepted and included in the family. Guess where Teeny sleeps?

Time for bed!

Lenne tells me that when Teeny tires of her bones at night, she would jump up on the bed and curl herself up next to Lenne. The thought of Teeny having a clean, warm and cosy place to lay down to sleep each night is an extremely comforting one. This is worlds apart from nights at the shelter, where rats scuttle out from their hiding places and the weather can be harsh and merciless.

Getting down for some serious bone time

It is funny how strays, never previously domesticated, adapt so quickly to life in a human household. Perhaps this is proof that dogs are truly people animals.

Nodding off to sleep

The saying goes that dogs are a man's best friend. But this particular story is about the bond between a homeless dog and one very determined girl. Thank you for making the adoption possible for Teeny, Lenne. Thank you for opening her eyes to a world that she could never have experienced at the shelter. And last but not least, thank you for loving Teeny.

Your journey together has only just begun. Come what may, here at Gentle Paws, we hope that you'll hold on to Teeny and never let go.

This entry could not have been completed without the help of Lenne. Thanks for allowing me to bombard you with so many questions and replying them ever so promptly! Any mistake found in this article is mine and mine alone.

For adoption and other enquiries, please drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com. Our adoption portal can be found https://sites.google.com/site/gpfrehome/.

Kindness makes our world go round

2011-08-02T22:20:00.002+08:00

I am aware there has been a long hiatus since my last entry. But now I am back, with some great big thank yous to say to some kind souls on behalf of Gentle Paws and Friends!

In the scene of dog rescue, Gentle Paws may well be considered a baby, a newcomer to the scene where many have long pitched their battles and others have come and gone.

Gentle Paws has scrambled to find its place in the world of local dog rescue. I think we are really beginning to to have one firm foot on this rather slippery ground. We couldn't have done it without kind, generous people we met along the way who genuinely care about us, our dogs and our continued survival.

These people are humble individuals, all struggling to make a living. They are not commercial entities with much excess to give. Yet, they find it in their hearts to make hefty contributions to the shelter, when they could have well taken the money and gone on a well deserved holiday.

It is our pleasure to have crossed paths with these wonderful people in this great, big and oftentimes messy world.

First up, we would like to thank a very wonderful GINNY. We asked her for the picture so we could put it up here on the blog and announce to the world just how great she is. Paiseh lah, we were told. But that shouldn't stop us from going on to credit her with the recognition that she plainly deserves. Ginny set up a flea market stall at *Scape on 25 June 2011 from 2-9PM selling stash from her wardrobe that she no longer wanted. In seven long hours, she raised for Gentle Paws the whopping sum of $750.

If you are interested in reading more about the sale, you can do so at Ginny's blog at http://ginnistic.com/2011/07/02/paws-and-think-its-for-a-gentle-cause/.

Dillon says thank you with a wink!

Thank you Ginny for everything you've done. Thank you for picking us amongst all the non-profit organisations that we are sure could have done with the help as well. You could have done so much with the sum of $750 and we are absolutely honoured that you decided to give it to us.

Next up, there's the contributions of one famous blogger, QiuQiu. I am guessing she needs no further introduction. Qiuqiu, or Qiuting as we know her, wrote to us last Christmas day, desperately beseeching us to board one MOO MOO, a dog her sister rescued when he was just a puppy. At that time, we didn't know who Qiu Qiu was or the extent of her popularity. All we knew was that it was Christmas and we just couldn't reject this genuine cry for assistance.

We thought that by doing what we did, we were giving them a Christmas gift. But it turned out that we received the best gift of all - one loyal hardy brown spotted Moo Moo and his very lovable Ang family. Qiuting and her family were boarding their dog with us, but to them, there was never a clear boarding dog/shelter dog divide. When they had a spare hand, they would bring other dogs for a walk along with their beloved MooMoo. When they had treats for the dogs, they'd make sure there was enough to go around.

Qiuqiu collaborated with Milly's, a manicure/pedicure parlor located at Far East Plaze #03-129, to raise some money for Gentle Paws. While Milly's generously contributed complimentary vouchers for express manicure and coloured hair extensions, Qiuting took care of the publicity and logistics like meeting the purchasers to confirm payment and to hand them the vouchers.

You can see the details here: http://bongqiuqiu.blogspot.com/2011/07/youre-kind-soul-thank-you-in-advance.html.

This whole project was really something that this busy blogger didn't have to do. But she did. And because she did, us folks at Gentle Paws are terribly (or ought it be happily?) moved. Together with Milly's, Qiuting raised over $825 and counting for the shelter.

In the face of such kindness, we don't know if any answer can ever suffice. So we'll keep it simple. Thank you Milly's, thank you Qiuting, our leggy Megan Fox, for so silently going the distance for this humble shelter. This is a great big thing you are doing and we truly appreciate it.

In the area of dog rescue, we condemn humans and the unimaginable cruelty they can dole out on harmless, innocent animals. But for every cruel, maniacal human being, there's another kind, caring soul out there. Dog rescue can make us disillusioned with the human race. But that shouldn't make us blind to the kindness that still exists.

Right here, right now, we are more aware than ever of the kindness that is all around. It is this very kindness that makes the Gentle Paws world go round.

The Doggy in the Window

2011-07-17T19:24:00.004+08:00

The topic of adoption can be the most thorny thing. On one paw, we yearn for our dogs to find good owners and homes to last a lifetime. On the other, we have to keep our enthusiasm in check and protect our dogs by carefully assessing any potential adopters.

The balance struck can be very delicate, which is what makes the issue of adoption so difficult.

Our dogs need a home. Only by finally finding our dogs a home does the whole process of dog rescue come a full circle. Finding our dogs a home also means we have more space to rescue even more dogs.

But that does not mean we are prepared to shove our dogs in the faces of just about any adopter who steps up for a possible adoption.

We oversee the lodging, health and general welfare of the furkids at Gentle Paws. We are in effect the guardians of each and every dog under our humble roof. They rely on us to weed out the bad adopters, leaving only the good ones. They entrust their future and their lives to us.

Any mistake on our part in carrying this out can lead to the most devastating consequences.

Dillon, Daelle and Dakdakdei are real life evidence of adoptions gone wrong. And because they have, we have to live with the guilt of knowing we could have done better in assessing the adopters. We could have saved these three a whole lot of heartache by asking their adopters the difficult questions, carrying out home visits, conducting detailed interviews and implementing an adoption fee.

Instead, in our eagerness to see our puppies off to human homes, we took the leap of faith and allowed adopters who stepped forward to simply take our dogs away.

When they were returned to the shelter, they had inevitably gotten used to a warm human home. The adjustment period was the absolute pits. Dakdakdei came back, rejected by his brothers and spurned by his canine friends. Dillon came back malnourished and skinny to the bone. Daelle returned not once, but twice, not because of anything he did wrong, but because the adopters simply changed their minds. After depositing the dogs at the shelter once more, not a single one of these adopters came back to visit the three of them.

DDD when he first came: Terrified, with his tail tucked between his legs

Upon return, we found Dillon was nothing more than a bag of bones

It's not just the adopters of these three dogs with whom we have had bad experiences. It is the cavalier attitude some people take towards dog ownership that worries us. Donna was taken as a puppy and returned after a family disagreement. Didi called the toilet as his home for three long years. Dozer got pushed off a car on an expressway.

With such a track record, we became quite disillusioned with the whole idea of adoption. What risk were we taking in allowing a complete stranger to bring our baby home? On one hand, taking such a risk presented our dogs with a chance of a good home. This new face might possibly turn out to be the most loving adopter ever. On the other, what lurks behind the face might be someone careless, someone who wants a dog on a whim, someone who is most likely to change his mind after a month or two or worst, someone who will take his anger out on the dog.

We have taken quite some time to pause and reflect. At the same time, in order not to deny our dogs a chance at adoption and to provide them with as much exposure as possible, we also launched the adoption portal.

Now, after having thought carefully about adoption matters, we have come up with clear guidelines for adoption at Gentle Paws. We hope the guidelines are both fair towards adopters and adequate in protecting our dogs.

1) Getting to know you

Upon receiving an email that there is an interested adopter, we would require the adopter to direct their thoughts to certain questions such as the type of dog they want in terms of breed, size and temperament. We would also need the adopter to be prepared to receive questions on their financial state, the type of house they live in, if they have support of their family in this venture, the type of lifestyle they lead, if they have any pets now or if they have had any pets previously. If any of the questions are found to be intrusive, we seek understanding. These questions are essential in aiding us to assess the adopter's suitability in adopting as well as in helping us to match the adopter with a suitable dog.

2) Shelter visit

We would then invite the potential adopter for a visit to the shelter. Having the desired type of dog in mind, we would then proceed to match the adopter with a few different dogs at the shelter. The adopter can spend time interacting with each dog, be it walking them or simply settling down with them at the shelter.

3) Home stay

If all is good, we would proceed to arrange a short home stay for the dog in question with the adopter. The homes stay is usually over a weekend or for a whole week, subject to discussion. I can't begin to tell you how useful home stays are. In these few short days, it gives the adopter a clearer idea of what it truly means to have a dog in your life. It also gives the adopter a chance to bond with the dog.

Though the length of the home stay will probably be too short for the adopter to get the full experience of dog ownership, it is sufficient for the adopter to decide whether or not they want to go on with the adoption.

4) House visit

If the home stay turns out successful and the adopter remains interested, we would arrange for a visit to the adopter's house. This gives us a chance to chat with the adopter's family members and have some idea of the environment in which our dog would be leading his/her new life.

5) Adoption agreement

If the adopter is happy and intends to go on with the adoption, they would be required to sign an adoption agreement. The agreement would contain basic clauses such as the requirement to treat the dog in a humane manner, to keep the dog as a house pet and not a guard dog, to allow home visits in the lifetime of the dog, to keep the shelter informed of any critical illness or the death of the dog and to keep the shelter informed in the event the dog goes missing. Probably the most significant clause is for the adopter to return the dog back to the shelter at no charge should they decide to give the dog up.

6) Adoption fee

There would also be a token adoption fee of $150. We didn't use to require such fees. But we realised that to some extent, the implementation of such fees did help us to weed out the insincere adopters from those genuinely in search of a pet. This sum would go toward the expenses of the next dog we rescue by helping to cover any sterilisation and vaccination costs. In a way, by paying the adoption fee, the adopter would effectively be "paying it forward".

7) Post-adoption visits

We would give the adopter and their newest family member some time to settle down to their new lives. Thereafter, we would arrange home visits with the adopter to seek out our furry friend and check up on his/her well-being. The adopted dog may have left the shelter for greener pastures but he/she is always going to be our friend for life.

And that brings us to the end of the whole adoption process. If such a process sounds too unwieldy and tedious for you, then we are guessing that you are probably not cut out for adoption just yet. Adopting dog is precisely such a tedious process. When you set out to adopt a dog, you must be mentally prepared that it is not as simple as going to the shelter, picking a dog from behind the fence and bringing it back home.

This is how Daelle looked like when he was returned to the shelter - wistful, forlorn and utterly confused.

Our dogs are shelter dogs... but it doesn't mean they deserve second class treatment or for this matter, a second class, shabby adoption procedure. They're not freebies up for grabs simply because they are shelter dogs. On the contrary, each and every one of them is a gem to be cherished dearly. We hope you find our adoption guidelines reasonable. The adoption procedure we have chosen is not unique. In fact, it is one that is commonly used in shelters all over the world.

This is how Daelle should look like.

Adoptions are great. They can transform a dog's life completely. We are not in search of the perfect adopter. We do know that adoption is a journey of trial and error for both the dog and the adopter. All we ask for is an adopter who, having set his heart on the dog, never gives up on it. We, at Gentle Paws, are happy to work with adopters to make the adoption a successful one.

For every good adopter, they is bound to be a bad one. There is no one to watch over the shelter dogs but us. In adhering to this adoption process, we hope to find the right balance between promoting adoption and protecting our very precious furkids.

If you have any more queries on adoption, please direct them to farmwaylove@gmail.com.
Our adoption portal can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/gpfrehome/.

Join us?

2011-07-13T22:56:00.002+08:00

It's that furry time of the month again!

We're starting our planning early this time round to give you guys enough time to anticipate furry day and hopefully, to clear your schedules for a morning of fun and laughs with our canine friends.

If you are interested in joining us Saturday, July 30th for a trip to the beach and back with our furry friends in tow, please drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com, stating the total number of people coming along with you.

We thank you in advance for your kind participation. You might not think your attendance amounts to much... but let us assure you that it means the world to our dogs.

A romp about the beach, a sniff of the fresh air, the feel of the salty breeze across their fur... Furry day helps complete their month.

We're hoping you join us in our furry adventure this month! We look forward to hearing from you.

Giving thanks

2011-07-10T23:00:00.000+08:00

Remember the Water Dish campaign from a few months back?

I am glad to announce that... it's a wrap!

With your help, the like counter on the Water Dish facebook page rose from 423 in April to slightly over 1000 at the end of June. In turn, the Water Dish managed to raise a total of $297 for Gentle Paws and Friends!

Today, the kind people from the Water Dish team lugged a ton of goodies to the shelter. They include:

1) 3 huge bags of Eagle Pro Natural weighing 33lbs;
2) 1 bag of Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice;
3) 3 bags of Bow Wow treats;
4) 2 bags of Science Diet Lamb and Rice and
5) 1 carton of dog food samples.

Good quality kibbles are a treat for the furkids at the shelter. We are immensely grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.

Last but not least, a great big thank you is in order to the Water Dish for bringing the campaign to fruition! Thanks for having our furkids in your thoughts when embarking on this wonderful project.

Poker says THANK YOU!

Our Daily Rice

2011-07-08T00:09:00.001+08:00

To put it plainly, we have over 40 dogs that we have to feed for the rest of their lives, or at least, up until they get adopted.

It is a huge responsibility.

Our food for the dogs, made up of rice, meat, vegetables and a sprinkling of kibbles, is cooked with love by Wee, every single day.

The smell of the fragrant hot rice that wafts out every time we lift the lid of the container holding the food can be quite heavenly.

But love alone is not enough.

The expenses needed to feed the dogs can be quite taxing.

We need to be on our feet all the time, plan for the future and ensure that we have enough food to last us in the months ahead.

We were running low on our supply of rice recently. So Florence scouted around for sponsors.

We are happy to announce that from the joint contributions of some very generous individuals, we now have enough rice to last us the next 8 months.

Dennis, Stephanie, Irene and family, Leng and friends, we have nothing to offer in return for your kindness but our utmost gratitude and thanks.

With your kind gesture, you help to fill the plates of our furkids.

You allow them to sleep each night with a filled stomach.

You give them something to look forward to each day.

Rice is the staple of the food we serve here at Gentle Paws. It is nothing fancy but it gives the dogs the energy that they need to bark at the top of their lungs, chase each other around in jest and to happily go on their walks each weekend.

From the bottom of every canine heart and us human ones, thank you guys! Your contribution means the world to us.

Walking on sunshine

2011-07-02T23:05:00.002+08:00

It's going to rain, I remember remarking to Florence as the rest of us were scrambling around loading the dogs up the vans.

It rained last furry day and we were absolutely certain it was going to rain again this time.

As the grey clouds gathered strength and the skies turned increasingly gloomy, so did our moods.

We had been blessed for seven furry days. Perhaps it was inevitable that it would pour on our 8th and 9th ones. After all, what goes around comes around.

But I was wrong. We must indeed have some guardian angels watching over us each furry day. Because as fast as the rain came, it stopped.

The sun came out again, this time victorious. And from that moment on, our dogs were literally walking on sunshine.

I wasn't at the park for furry day. I was back at the shelter helping out with the detox work. I don't know the intricacies of what went on during furry day itself. But in my humble opinion, furry days are always fun days.

This furry day, seeing our dogs put on their chains and leashes, excitedly leading their handlers out of the compound, I just felt... extremely thankful.

Furry day might have become a bigger and more regular affair of late. But this furry day, we failed to gather enough volunteers.

With just two or three days to the event itself, I posted on our facebook wall seeking for volunteers. With such last minute notice, I wasn't certain if we would manage to get the requisite number of volunteers we needed to bring all the dogs out.

But we did - with your help. We called and you answered our cry for help, be it by reposting our request for more volunteers or by stepping up to the plate yourself.

We would just like to take this opportunity to say a great big thank you.

Furry day is literally just a walk in the park. But it is absolutely nothing without you.

By bringing the dogs out all at once, you gave us a chance to give the shelter a good scrub down.

You gave the dogs their best day of the month.

And you made it a win-win situation for us all.

So thank you for coming, thank you for caring and thank you for putting a smile on these furry faces.

Until next time, the curtain falls on this furry day.

Underdog no more

2011-06-26T23:32:00.004+08:00

There's no need to fear... Underdog is here!

Channel 5 was showing the Disney movie Underdog last night, Unfortunately, when I switched on the telly, the movie was quickly coming to an end. Within minutes, credits started to roll along to the very catchy beat of the movie's theme song.

Underdog doesn't just mean the competitor who is less likely to win. It also refers to someone in a position of inferiority. There's an underdog wherever we go, in every group or society, in every culture or country. Everyone looks past them. Few believe in them. They are the most easily forgotten of the lot.

At the shelter, some dogs are extremely responsive to people. When you enter the compound, they would rush towards you and jump on you in excitement. When you sit down beside them, they would trot over to give your face a big wet lick.

But there are also the rare few who do not consciously try to make their presence felt. These dogs find it futile to vie in the popularity contests between dogs for the attention of the human volunteers. And so... they step out of the limelight and into the background, where they remain quiet, unnoticeable... and forgotten.

A clear front runner of the Underdog contest at the shelter has got to be Dexter.

Dexter lives in the largest run in the shelter, an area where many human volunteers like to take a break and simply hang out with the dogs. His run mates like Dribble likes to sidle up to volunteers and sit pretty beside them. Dyana goes around bestowing kisses to the volunteers wherever she goes. Dior loves barking at the top of her lungs at the dogs through the fence in the next kennel. Mario, though often keeping to himself, stands out with his coat of white fur. Daelle is constantly prancing around looking for some fun with dogs and humans. And Dillon, with his sweet nature and easy ways, is a perennial favourite with the volunteers.

Then there is Dexter... Dexter who looks like Dior and Daryl... Dexter who trails behind the other dogs when there are treats to be had... Dexter who is never anyone's first choice when it comes to a walk...

But this funny dog holds no grudges.

He is content to go about his own way, quite apart from us humans. I have never seen a dog so in touch with his environment. On his walks, Dexter loves running after birds and chasing butterflies. When he hears a peculiar sound, perhaps the chirping of a bird, his ears prick, his eyes shine and he gets ready to track the source of the noise. Because he treasures his walks so, Dexter is a tugger. He is keen to explore, excited to cover the distance and surge ahead. His energy is spent quickly and you would often find him flopping down on his belly with his tongue hanging out, in the middle of his walk. Give him a little tug and this boy is ready to go again!

Out of all the dogs at the shelter, Dexter would probably be crowned the most loving dog by far. Nope, not to us humans but to his fellow canine friends. It is not an uncommon sight to see Dexter lovingly licking the face of another furkid. And in the case of Doris, for some inexplicable reason, it is her ears Dexter loves to lick.

Dexter shows his love for Mama Dior.

What did I tell you about Dexter loving Doris's ears!

Dexter licking an injured Daryl.

I so love a story of an underdog coming out tops. I really hope Dexter finds someone to give him special attention, someone who would place him first, someone who loves him for him. He has gotten so little attention for so long that I reckon he has gotten used to it.

Perhaps it is time for a change for this curious, loving boy.

So when you come to the shelter, pondering just who to bring for a walk, please think of Dexter. Don't look past him, look at him and get to know the extremely sweet dog that he is.

Away with being an underdog!

It's time we met top dog Dexter!

Sneak Peek

2011-06-23T01:37:00.004+08:00

Want a part of Gentle Paws with you wherever you go?

GPF will be launching our series of badges to raise funds for the shelter.

The dogs are helping in the only way they know how - by lending their precious faces and assisting us in producing some very terrific badges.

The quality of the pictures on these badges don't look so good here because of the inevitable reflection. But we assure you that up close, the pictures are sharp and are of high resolution. They were taken by the very best of photographers, our Sebastian, Jialing and Jie Hao.

Cropping was a drag, as our head cropper Nana would have you know... But the outcome has been quite good.

Besides photos of the furkids, the other badges have been specially designed by our chief designers Andrew and Edwin. The badges are bright and happy looking and in my biased opinion, extremely tastefully done.

Prices have yet to be fixed. We just couldn't resist giving you guys a sneak peek of them.

We will start selling the badges this furry day. But they'll be available any time you come down to the shelter. All you have to do is ask and we'll happily show them to you.

The badge makes for a good accessory on your bag or pencil case. It will also serve as a wonderful memory of your time here at Gentle Paws.

It is also a gentle reminder that here at Gentle Paws, with a dog by your side, you will never walk alone.

Come, come buy a badge and lend us a helping paw!

Please note that all proceeds from the sale of badges go toward the shelter.

Sealing that Can of Worms

2011-06-15T00:21:00.004+08:00

Do you know about the condition Dilofilaria Immitis, otherwise known as heartworm?

It is a threadlike parasite that uses mosquitoes in the air as a means of transmission into an animal's bloodstream. Such an animal is most commonly a dog, but can also be a cat, wolf, fox, leopard, sea lion or even a human being.

The larvae take about six to seven months to develop while in the body of the dog. Upon maturity, it would attack the lung arteries of the dog and destroy the lung vessels and tissues. It is also common for heartworm to debilitate the heart and damage the veins and liver of the dog.

On rare occasions, the larvae are known to get lost in the body and can infect the brain, eye or an artery in the leg, causing seizures, blindness and lameness respectively.

The symptoms of heartworm aren't apparent until its later stages, when the condition turns serious. The coat of the dog will continue to remain as it is, betraying no sign of the internal destruction being wreaked on the vital organs of the dog.

The dog will cough frequently and experience acute chest pains. The downward spiral of the health of the dog can be a very painful process.

Though heartworm infection can lead to heart wrenching consequences, it is very easily prevented. Early detection of the condition also makes it easy to treat and eliminate the parasites.

Here at Gentle Paws, we take no chances on the health of our dogs. Being exposed to the elements, and in turn the mosquitoes in the environment, our dogs are even more vulnerable to the onslaught of heartworm.

With such a mighty opponent (the detestable heartworm!), the Gentle Paws team hasn't been sitting on its laurels. We've been carrying out Operation Heartgard, a project in which we channel sponsor-a-dog funds to immunise our dogs from this terrible disease.

A healthy dog is a happy dog. Look at this silly boy!

In the past sixteen weeks, led by Wei Feng, Chin Leong, Ann and Edwin (a team I like to call Gentle Hands), we've sent 30 dogs for blood tests to determine the presence of heartworms and tick parasites in their bloodstream. 11 dogs have tested positive for heartworm. 4 have successfully undergone complete treatment. Another 5 have started on treatment but have been interrupted due to lack of supplies at the clinic. Of the remaining 2, Doris was considered too old to undergo treatment and Daryl's results were determined much later due to a discrepancy.

Doris is on monthly Heartgard treatment administered orally.

As advised by the vet, all 30 dogs are now administered with a monthly dosage of HeartGard, a product designed to prevent canine heartworm. The remaining 14 furkids include Dooney and Dozer, newcomers who were immediately administered HeartGard prior to their entry into the shelter. Wanda and Junior are under yearly heartworm injection. Debbie, Buddy and Baby are not receptive to the human touch, making it difficult for us to bring them for a check-up. The remaining 7 are dogs boarding with the shelter and the decision to administer heartworm preventive treatment lies with their boarders.

It's a tiring journey... ferrying the dogs to the vet and back each week, keeping track of the medical records of 44 dogs, recalling which dog needs to be administered with HeartGard each week... but it seems like Team Gentle Hands has done it all. They make no fuss about it, going about their job quietly and efficiently each Sunday morning. It's so easy to overlook their contribution, so easy to take the good health of the dogs for granted, but truly, the difference they have made to the lives of the furkids is immeasurable.

Dillon is heartworm free!

Our dogs are healthy and in turn happy because we have people who care. I wrote this entry partly to inform you about what we've been up to and partly because I'm bursting with pride about having kind, dedicated and generous people here with us at Gentle Paws.

You, me, them, us... help to make the world a better place for our 40-odd dogs at Gentle Paws.

On that positive note, I bid you goodnight.

Love knows no age

2011-06-12T23:17:00.005+08:00

On June 8, Dooney turned a ripe old age of eight.

Just looking at him prancing around, eagerly participating in his favourite game of fetch, one would never guess this sprightly springer spaniel is anything beyond four.

Dooney is the perfect candidate for adoption. He has a beautiful coat of black and white, floppy ears and the brightest eyes. He is good natured, extremely intelligent and loyal to the core. He loves outings to the beach and the dog run. He is docile, eager to please and good with the young and old alike.

But when one gets wind that this otherwise active, healthy and happy dog is already eight... one lets out a startled "oh"... which is swiftly followed by an awkward silence.

I am not condemning such a response. In fact, I believe responding in such a manner is perfectly normal. I do understand that when looking for a dog, one of the criterion of the average adopter is to be able to spend as much time as possible with the dog.

Nobody likes to fall in love with a dog and lose it soon after. The process of grieving can be heart-wrenching and intolerable.

But if we all think this way, what's going to happen to all the senior dogs in the world without a home? Wouldn't they then be forever condemned?

As it is, senior dogs (typically dogs over the age of seven) are first to be put down in overcrowded shelters around the world. These dogs are deemed over the hill and unadoptable by virtue of their age alone, regardless of their personality, their temperament or their appearance.

It's so easy to sigh and remark that that is the reality of our world.

I feel like there is a need to break this cycle, this growing acceptance that older dogs found in shelters are better off euthanised.

Imagine you are fifty, you just got retrenched and no matter how desperately you look for another job, you simply can't get one. The work force is saturated with hoards of eager, young graduates hungry to make their mark in the world and content with a smaller starting pay. In the face of such stiff competition, your years of experience in the industry and loyalty to the company now count for absolutely nothing.

By virtue of your age, you are eliminated. It's as simple as that.

You have outlived your usefulness. Your competence and your efficiency attained through years of toil are now easily overlooked. Companies no longer find it worthwhile to take a chance on you.

Should someone not step in to help you out? Should the world give up on you as a result of your age? Do you not still have a life to live, perhaps a family to feed or a mortgage to pay?

More importantly, are you less of a person because of your age?

And this brings me to my point... senior dogs aren't any less of a dog because they are seniors. They, like any other dog, are no less deserving of a loving owner or a place to call home.

Dooney is a retired working dog who was rescued the very day he was meant to be put to sleep. Despite having just turned eight, he is otherwise active and healthy and a suitable candidate for adoption.

Perhaps senior dogs aren't the most appropriate for first time dog owners. But what about those with one dog and seeking another for companionship? What about seasoned adopters with a better understanding of a dogs' needs?

If you find in your home - and heart - enough room for one more dog, we urge you to take a chance on our Dooney. You may be the very person to give this old dog the best years of his life. Knowing that you have changed his life may very well be more poignant and precious than the pain of eventual separation.

Don't they always say that love knows no age? A dog will love you whole-heartedly regardless whether you're old, wrinkly, white-haired or wheelchair-bound. It is high time we, too, look past a dog's age and love him for the dog that he is.

By adopting Dooney, you'll change his life forever. But we're sure that in more ways than one, he'll change yours as well.

We'll be very happy to entertain adoption enquiries and other questions on Dooney at farmwaylove@gmail.com.