"Bowie was part of a pack of strays in Sembawang, but he was always a straggler due to his timid nature. The bigger and more dominant dogs always had the most and the best from their forages and he was always left with the remaining few morsels. He was painfully thin and life was hard.One morning, a stray feeder called us to say Bowie was lying on the road unable to get up. When she approached, he instinctively tried to run, but could only half dragged his body before collasping again. He was the victim of another hit and run again ...
A visit to the vet and x-rays showed a damaged spine. Because of the partially severed spinal chord, Bowie could not control his bowel or bladder. Things could not be any worse ... looking at this pathetically thin and trembling animal, dirty, flea ridden, wild eyed with fear, and feaces dribbling between his legs, one could almost hear aloud the thoughts of those around... just put this god forsaken thing to sleep and be done with it!
We don't know how his future will turn out, whether he could lead a quality life in that state, but we reasoned rationally that it was his right to life and we should literally take it one step at a time. The first few weeks were hard on everyone, especially on Bowie. He did not understand what happened to him and would try to use his hind legs, often trying and dragging himself all over, and falling in a heap from sheer exhaustion and frustration. He developed sores from the diapers he had to wear and the feaces and urine he had no control over. He was frightened and fearful of his new environment and would scurry away to a corner whenever a human approached.
As the months passed, his frail frame filled out, and he got stronger and more confident. He learnt to move around using his front legs and started to explore his surroundings and he learnt that not all humans are out for his blood and accepted treats warily from us. His eyes now brimmed wide with confidence and enthusiasm, fear and pain a distant memory.
With his caregiver's tender touch and dedication, Bowie formed a strong bond with Yvonne and would wait eagerly for her attention daily. As his condition stablized, we contemplated the next stage of his life. Shall we get him a pair of wheels, a second opinion on his current state to see if surgery would improve things ? Bowie was to answer our questions with much drama and aplomb...
In the 3rd month of his convalesence, we received a call from Yvonne who was shrieking on the phone 'He's walking ! He's walking !' It was a minor miracle of sorts, for that morning he managed to use one of his hind legs to support his body and take a few steps. He had regained partial use of his hind leg, a sure sign that his spine was repairing itself ! His other hind leg though, was another story. It dangled across his belly uselessly and would sometimes get scrapped raw as he adjusted to his new found freedom.
In the weeks to follow, Bowie explored the use of his 3 legs with glee and abandon, learning to run and play with his friends. He had to wear special 'socks', made of thick socks and taped to his leg as his spine fracture had caused a misalignment of his hind legs. He was standing on the top of his toes now instead of his paw pads, and a few minutes of running would scrap the skin raw and bloody.
We helped with his progress, giving him amino acids supplements to speed up the nerves regeneration and muscle build up A month down the road and 'miracle boy' surprised us all again with Yvonne shrieking 'He's walking on all fours'. That couldn't be ! His dangling hind leg showed no sign of sensation all this while and we were contemplating amputation to ease his movement.
Today, Bowie runs and walks just like any other dog, his only liability is he wears out lots of socks and fast ! He is still incontinent but we are sure that is just a minor incovenience to him compared with the miraculous use of his limbs again !
Too many times have we bemoan the things we lack, when all we need is there, and too many times have we joined the rat race in blind pursuit of material wealth and success, only to find it cannot really satisfy us. As with the ironies of life, this lowly, unwanted animal, regarded as stupid and worthless, has given us a simple but priceless truth, that if we learn to let go and embrace life, we will have it all."
*Updates: Bowie is still residing and well taking care of at ASD (Action for Singapore Dogs)'s rescue centre at Lim Chu Kang.
Will
"In Oct 06, we received a call from a security guard on Jurong Island that there was a dog without hind legs ... It seemed at that time that it was another highly exaggerated call, as we were told there was no bleeding or external wounds visible. Another call came in shortly describing the same scenario, and we knew it had to be true, though we did not understand how a dog with such a handicap could survive the harsh environment.The difficult part was getting into Jurong Island with its high security, but fortunately, the guard was able to arrange for our transport to go in. When we got there, Will was sitting quietly at the sentry booth, a handsome boy of about 1 year, eyes fearful yet hopeful; he did not run away from us, but allowed us to carry him. He did not bark, growl or whine, but his expressive eyes emnated the pain and the suffering he was going through. We decided to name him Will for his sheer will and courage to survive...
The magnitude of his injuries shook us for his hind legs were missing from the scrotum level and his backside, scrotum and stumps were raw from him dragging his body around. The guard told us that he had been missing for about a month and had recently re-appeared without his hind legs. He had also fallen into a drain and was there for 3 days till the guard found him. How he managed to survive a month on his own in his state and not have his infected limbs kill him still remains a mystery and a miracle...
His scarred underbelly though, belied the extent of the injuries, for when he was opened up, the vets found heavy, gangrened and infected tissue deep in. His scrotum and many layers of tissue had to be removed, resulting in a $1000 plus operation. Throughout his ordeal, Will allowed the doctors and nurses to handle him without any fuss or fanfare, never growling or crying out in pain. He was the nurses' favourite patient during his stay there.
In the weeks to come, Will's injuries healed slowly for the wounds were at secretion areas and pressure areas where he tried to drag himself. Only the meticulous care and constant cleaning allowed the wounds to heal without getting infected again.
And every 2 weeks or so, it would be off to the vet for a review to see Will's progress. Sadly, Will will remain incontinent permanently as there had been damage to the spinal chord, but he has learnt to be as clean as he can, always moving to a different corner once he realized he had soiled himself. In the span of 2 months or so, Will's wounds had healed well and completely and we comtemplate the next stage of his life...
As Will got stronger and healthier, the question on our minds was how to improve his life further. He was young, energetic and cheerful and curious. It would be a pity if he had to spend the rest of his life on a bed. The idea of a wheelchair much like the one done for Kara (read about Kara here) came about and we did a bit of research before contacting a US company about the possibility of customising one for him.
The folks at Doggone' Wheels were helpful and knowing we were a non-profit organization, customised a refurbished (cheaper) wheelchair for him. The wheelchair finally made its way to us after about 2 weeks of emails and measurements and we were really excited about having Will try out his wheels.
That day, we brought Will his wheels. He sniffed at it and decided it wasn't food and ignored it. We took a while adjusting the front and back harness and strapping it onto him and finally hooking him up to his wheels. Initially he didn't know what to do, so he just sat down.
We coaxed him and helped him with a few steps and slowly he learnt to lean his body weight forward so that the wheels would support his back. He walked a few tentative steps on his own, and then he was off! Relishing his new found freedom he raced around the garden, smelling the flowers and the grass, and was more adept at avoiding a collision than the humans who were trying to film him!
He was all smiles and would have wagged his tail if he could, but his eyes said it all and we were just as happy for him ! Will gets to ride his wheels everyday now for a period of 5-15 minutes to allow him to build up strength in his front legs to help support the rest of his body.
Will's life has changed drastically and he has literally come back from the dead. With constant companionship, good food and treats, and his cheerful demeanour, Will now has the chance to be man's best friend and he is definitely a natural at that!"
*Updates: A loving family has adopted Will; Will is a fat and happy boy now! :)
Carmen
"On the 12th of July 07, we received a call from a member of the public that there was a dog 'residing' in a deep drain in Toh Guan Rd. The dog had been in there for about a month now and was only noticeable when it appeared under the drainage grating. Nobody had bothered to do anything at all and the poor thing was trapped in there. As fate would have it, there was no rain during that period, else it would have drowned.
The transport was dispatched immediately to the scene and Yvonne, our rescuer, navigated the treacherous and slippery slope down into the dank depths of the drain. In the darkness, she could make out the skeletal shape of the dog and estimated it to be a medium sized dog. Perhaps frightened by the sudden invasion, the dog bolted but could not get far because of its emancipated state.
Sensing the moment, Yvonne made a grab and labourously carried her out of the drain. She would recall later that the dog's skin felt like sandpaper and weighed like a small dog, and she could feel all the bones.
In the light of day, what was revealed was a severely emancipated female dog with extreme skin infection. The skin was crusted greyish black and was literally flaking off. She was so weak she could not stand and her eyes reflected the darkness that was her life. She looked ready to die...
At the vet, she was given a hydrating drip and some food but was too weak to eat. She tried to stand but kept collasping in a heap. Her lifeless eyes really tugged at the heart, but daily visits saw her getting stronger and life slowly sparkled in her eyes again.
We named her Carmen and realized that as she started to put on weight that she was a Boxer, and a young one at that, she was just about a year old. Tests revealed severe mange and fungal infection over the entire body and tick fever as well.
In the week or so at the vet, Carmen started eating again and warmed up to people. She has a very sweet temperament and a truly zen like perspective of living for the moment.
In time she was discharged where she spent her days at our nursing home making friends with the other dogs and the volunteers, nudging them for treats or pats. Such amazing resilience and strength of character after such a traumatic ordeal! 
With continued nourishment and love, Carmen's strength returned and her immune system became stronger and fought off the skin infections. Lush, brown fur transformed her into a beautiful and radiant dog and her zest for life returned.
In December 2007, she made an apperance at the AVA road show to highlight how cruel pet abandonment is and she made many a friend there.
Carmen's ordeal is over and she is safe at last. She is now looking for a forever home and a loving family she can spend her life with, with all her unconditional loving to give."
*Updates: A lovely European lady has adopted Carmen; Carmen is living happily and peacefully now. :)
Kim
"This is a story about courage, optimism and trust and living for the moment. This story does not have a happy ending, but it is hoped that through the telling of this tale, we can learn a thing or two about living a life that is meaningful and to focus on the things in life that really matter.
Kim was born into a life of obscurity and hardship as a stray in the heartless jungles of Singapore's industrial heartlands. When one of our stray feeder volunteers, Keow first saw Kim, she was all skin and ribs and lying at the side of the road. Thinking she was malnourished or deprived of food from the other dogs, she brought her home in the hopes of helping Kim get her strength back.
But even in the comfort of a home, she will not eat, and when force fed, she would throw up almost immediately or have diaherra. Without sustenance, Kim had no strength to walk, but laid quietly there, as though waiting for her time to expire.
Keow brought Kim to the vet to see what was wrong and was told it could be a spleen tumour from the xrays. The operation was going to be an expensive one and there was a 50% chance that she wouldn't make it if the tumour had spread to the remaining areas. Keow called us about the dilemma of whether to proceed with the operation.
From an economic standpoint, most will take the stand of euthanasia under the guise of being humane, but would that really be considered humane or are they really saying 'Since it will take so much money and effort, it will be much more convenient to just kill the dog'? Would we also use this approach for a human being? From our standpoint, we were determined she was going to have her chance. Money as they say, can always be regenerated, but once a life is snuffed out, it can never be brought back again.
We brought her to Dr Ling of Namly Clinic, one of our most trusted vets, and she warned us of the odds and that she may not survive past the operation, but she believed in our philosophy and said she would do her best. After a long arduous wait, Dr Ling called with the surgery results : It was an intestinal tumour, and she removed the whole, large, nasty chunk. 15cm of the infected intestines were also removed, and the tumour had spread to the pancreas as well and part of that had to be removed. The situation was worse than initially thought, and the next 2 weeks will determine whether she lives or not as the partial pancreas may leak deadly acidic bile juice into the stomach causing vomitting and diaherea and ultimately death.
As with most of our local dogs, their resilience and spirit continue to amaze us. Kim recovered well enough to go home after the critical 2 weeks. With tail wagging and the light in her eyes back again, Keow took Kim home to recover. That day, she was happy and fit enough to jump out through a small window and go for a long walk, causing mayhem and panic to all of us. Evening came and she sat dutifully by the door waiting to be let in and have her meal.
In the 2 months that followed, Kim put on weight, ate normally and was a happy dog, living for the moment, asking for belly rubs and wagging her tail. She played with Keow's dogs and everyone even gave up part of their meal to her, as she had regained her appetite and appreciated her food just like a true blue Singaporean! Truly, she relished her new lease of life and she did what she did best : spreading a lot of happiness around.
But life is often like a poker game, you could never quite figure it out, just when she was eating well and responding well to the anti-cancer medication, Kim's condition took a turn for the worse. Her tumour had regressed and had grown even more aggressively. Another operation was scheduled but it was cancelled as she seemed to be responding well to the steriods. Again our hopes went up that her body was able to fight the cancer, but that fateful evening after her dinner, Kim called out to Keow as though to say goodbye, wagged her tail one final time and was still. Kim had left this world for her paradise which she so richly deserved but we could not provide her in this life...
All of us were heart broken and it was a sharp blow to all our expectations. But on hindsight, we did our best and Kim had lived her last moments on earth experiencing love, warmth and a home, something the less fortunate out there will never ever experience. And she in return had given to us and taught us what the gift of life means, that the simple things in life are what counts, a little touch, a little word but given with great love, something we sometimes take for granted, and something money can never buy..."
*Above rescued strays and abandoned pets were all saved by Action for Singapore Dogs, one of the animal welfare societies in Singapore. ASD was established in December 2000 as a non-profit organization with the mission to improve the welfare of strays and abandoned dogs in Singapore. ASD was officially registered with the Registry Of Societies on the 3rd July 2002.
The ASD Adoption & Rescue Centre (ARC) was established in June 2007 and is situated in rustic Lim Chu Kang. The ARC will complement ASD's current network of foster homes and has a comfortable capacity of 54 dogs. The ARC will be run on the philosophy of helping dogs that are sick or injured, and healthy, happy puppies and dogs with good temperament who stand a good chance of adoption. The centre is not run as a shelter nor a boarding facility as it is hoped that there will be a quick turnaround time for the residents there to be adopted out and for new dogs to come in, ultimately resulting in increased adoption rates.
If you care for the poor souls out there, and would like to make a difference in their lives, you may want to contribute, be it monetary, food, medicine, or equipment etc to help in the running of ARC. You may visit this website for more details: http://www.asdsingapore.com/
Thank you.
