April is the exact same month but it was many years ago - in 2007. At
a HDB carpark in Aljunied, a medium-sized white and tan mixed breed dog stood
there, tied to a lamppost. He must have been standing there for a few hours
with neither food nor water, seemingly waiting for his owner. Many cars and people
passed by, but nobody came forward to find out why the dog was there.
At about 10pm, a
white van drove up and a man emerged from the van. He untied the dog from the
lamppost and tried to pull him into the van, but the dog resisted and refused to
go into the van. He still wanted to wait for his owner it seemed. As the man
continued to coax the dog, a small crowd gathered around to watch. Suddenly,
another man from the crowd stepped forward and took over the rope. The dog,
strangely enough, allowed the man to lead him into the van.
All this happened within full view of Sarah who had driven into the carpark before the arrival of the van
and had noticed the dog. Thinking that his owner left him there while he went
about his errands, she did not give it a second thought. However, when she was
returning to her car, the small group of people who had gathered around the
barking dog caught her attention. She then saw that the van was an SPCA
vehicle before it drove off.
She kept thinking
about the dog over the next two days and on the third day, she called SPCA and
confirmed that the dog was with them. She was also further advised that should
the dog not be bailed out within a week, SPCA will then have to decide his fate
according to their internal procedures. She could not get the dog out of her mind and
she agonized over what to do with this dog.
Sarah was at that time,
a working professional with two dogs in her small apartment but being true to
her ever compassionate and generous nature, she called the SPCA again and claimed
the dog whom she named TERRY. He was transferred to a commercial boarding kennel with the hope for a family to eventually adopt him. Although Sarah tried, with the help
of her friends and contacts, no home was found for Terry. As we all practically
know, it is a challenge to get any dog rehomed, let alone this dog – an adult
mixed breed. Her only recourse to saving Terry's life was to continue boarding
him at the kennel at great personal expenses. She constantly tried
all avenues but still no one wanted to take Terry in.
Terry who stayed at the commercial boarding kennel for eight years waiting for a family to adopt him
At the kennel, Terry lived
in a confined space, was taken for walks and medical attention was accorded whenever
necessary. However, it was not the best that we could give any dog. When the
suggestion was made to have Terry sent to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary
(NANAS) in JB, Sarah refused as she still harboured the hope that he would be
given a good home with a family in Singapore and she could see him whenever she
could, compared to having him stay in JB.
Terry waiting for the day to pass by
Time passed and all
this while, Sarah dutifully paid for his costly boarding fees and all his
medical bills. That was before she was unfortunately retrenched from her job. Even after that,
she continued to pay for his up-keeping, until she found herself in financial
difficulties. Sarah tried her best to return to the workforce but she was not successful
in securing a job even after some time. Some kind-hearted donors helped her by but this could not cover all expenses, and there were also some
accumulated debts from the past.
We turned to Raymund
Wee, founder of NANAS and the saviour of many needy animals to take Terry into
his fold. The sanctuary is already home to a thousand animals – dogs, cats,
horses, monkeys, rabbits and even a boar, but Raymund accepted this case because
Sarah was truly at her wits end and has exhausted all options. Arrangements were made, donations were sought
for Terry's transfer to JB and he was finally given a new lease of life at NANAS. With
two other dogs from Singapore, he found companionship with his new friends
during the quarantine stay.
Terry, now a senior dog, over at NANAS. He was waiting to see the vet for his general review here.
Can you see the smile on his face? J
Today, he has the
freedom of open space, interaction with many friends and kind volunteers who
share their time and love with all the animals at NANAS. He is so much better
off at the sanctuary now - though it might be less than a home with a family but it is a
much happier and carefree life than the confined space at the kennel. For this,
he owes Raymund and his team of volunteers who give so much of themselves to
the care and well-being of these unwanted animals.
He is one more life
saved by the selfless dedication of this one man, the Angel of the Ark at NANAS
and his other Ark Angels! To support the work of Noah’s Ark CARES, please email
to noahsarkcares@gmail.com.
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