Official Photographer - Bernard Wee
Offical Groomer: Awesome Pawsome
Fetch-Box Singapore
From 9am to 6pm – The SOSD Flag Day 2014 Experience
When Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) sent out call out
for volunteers to participate in this year’s Flag Day, I knew I wanted to be a
part of it. But more than just asking people for donations on my own, I knew from
the start I would do it with Cole by my side. Besides being adopted from SOSD, I knew
participating in this event with him will make for a very powerful image when
we make our way around Orchard Road. Hey, he needs to do his part for all his brothers and sisters who have not found their forever homes yet. :)
 |
| Collecting our Tins. Photo credit: SOSD |
 |
| Photo credit: SOSD |
Throughout the nine hours, I was constantly talking about my
first days with Cole to what he is like now; peppering it with information on SOSD’s work and should they want to know more and get the full experience,
to head to the National Youth Park.
9am
Seeing as how most of Orchard Road should remain empty till
about 11am, I decided to park myself outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Being a
major train interchange had its perks and there were no lack of willing donors.
I even had two people donating $50 notes here!
 |
| Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
1pm
After lunch and giving Cole a much needed break, it was time
to get back into action. And I knew the perfect place... Civic Plaza outside Ngee Ann City where the Subara MediaCorp Challenge was happening
 |
| Photo Credit: URA |
One thing I learnt while Googling on how to maximise your
Flag Day experience, was to park yourself outside convenience stores like 7-Eleven.
People are bound to have small change, right? There were so many who
came to me saying, “I don’t want all my coins, can I give them all to you?”
4pm
It was time to wind down and honestly, the tin can was
getting super full (and heavy!) with Cole getting a quite bored that we were in
one area for so long. With that, it was time to bring him for a walk around
Orchard Road and ask for donations before we ended at 6pm. By then, anyone who
even threw the slightest of glances at Cole, will have me asking if they would like to
donate… many were willing to!
Of course, there were quite a number who wanted to ask if he is up for adoption. "Sorry folks, you are one year too late!"
Of course, there were quite a number who wanted to ask if he is up for adoption. "Sorry folks, you are one year too late!"
It was heartening to meet throngs of people who were so open
and willing to find out more and it serves one cornerstone point in the entire
experience – if you love what you are doing with a mighty passion, who has time
to be tired? I certainly felt mentally awake the entire time!
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Forest Loo Lim |
Unfortunately, it is no easy task to handle a 22kg dog and
ask a bunch of stickers with the collection tin at once, hence no personal
pictures on my side. But…! I am blessed to have friends who managed to snap a
couple of shots! Thanks to everyone who came down and picture credits go to
Jaster Ngui of Pawlicious and Sam Forest Loo Lim’s mummy, Ke Ying!
 |
| Pawlicious Pawsicle starting from $3.50 |
Oh, and yes! How could I forget our dear Jaster who gave an appreciative
Cole NOT ONE BUT TWO PAWCICLES! But of course, he deserves it for being patted,
prodded, hugged and stared at for nine hours, right?
Photo Credit: Pawlicious
Oh, before we left, this group of photographers asked if they could borrow Cole for a shoot they were doing with a model. I wonder... Whose look book will he appear in...
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, dogsofinstasg, flag day, gathering, mixed breed, pawlicious, save out street dogs, singapore special, sosd, sosd flag day 2014, the wong dogs
Knight - An American Making Singapore Home
Nine years. Almost a decade since
I first met Simo Kuar at the then Singapore Fashion Festival 2005. It is
surreal how we still keep in contact through the years, even when she went
along with her husband, Karam Singh to the United States.
Then came about Knight and Simo
says it was love at first sight back in August 2012.
“I was at PetSmart (a
huge warehouse for pet products) when I saw an attached animal shelter which had a couple of
puppies for adoption. That was when I saw Knight at eight weeks old who was
abandoned with his mother and sister at the state capital. We are not sure what
his bloodline was though he seems to have German Shephard, Bernese Mountain Dog
and probably a little Australia Shepherd. All this doesn’t matter as we love
him all the same,” she says.
When it was finally time for Simo
to return to Singapore, it was never a question whether Knight was to come back
to the little red dot with her. But transporting a pet via plane is no easy
task.
“There were tons of paper work
regarding his health and there those from EVA Air, which were all in Mandarin!
It was less of a headache when Karam’s colleagues rendered their help,” says
Simo.
But it was not paper work that
was their biggest problem but the flight home. “Knight was in a crate for
30-plus hours from Seattle, transiting in Taipei before reaching Singapore. We
even lined his crate as we didn’t think he could hold his bladder. But he
actually didn’t poop or pee till reaching Singapore’s quarantine centre where
he relived himself for a good 10 minutes,” says Simo.
It has been six months since
Knight has been in Singapore and he is slowly adjusting to life here. “He
obviously has issues with the heat! Also, he misses his friends back in the
States as he saw them almost every day. But he gets quite a bit of attention,
especially when he plays ‘fetch!’ at the field. People just stop and watch!”
Labels: american special, dog park, dog rescue, dogs, dogsofinstasg, knight, mixed breed, park, picture, portraits, singapore special, stories
National Black Dog Day - Recognising Cole's first benefactor
Yes, The Wong Dogs took a short
break! But get ready for more entries and reviews. Looking forward for our very
first invite to an event next week which we will cover ASAP!
 |
| Vivien with Cole who is now 19 months old. |
National Black Dog Day falls on 1
October. Naturally, Cole should commemorate the event with a cute picture,
right? Instead, The Wong Dogs thought it best the snapshot be shared with his
first fosterer, Vivien. I might have adopted Cole back in August last year, but
Vivien, a dog trainer with Rao Canine, has been there every step of the way and it is only befitting that she
is recognised for being responsible for his sturdy mental foundation. Yes, Cole
has never gone through the terrible puppy stage (seven months to about 18
months) and has made having him such an easy addition into the household.
 |
| Photo edited with Vscocam |
For this year’s National Black
Dog Day, my wish is black canines, both mongrels and purebreds are seen in the
same light as dogs of other hues. Too often, black canines are often overlooked
for a variety of reasons. For example, reasons given is that the colour black
represents evil, scary-looking or even not photographing as well (people, have
you heard of photo-editing apps??)
Happy National Black Dog Day! And
of course, to many more happy days with your furkids!
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, dogsofinstasg, happenstance cafe, mixed breed, mongrel, national black dog day, rao canine, singapore special, the wong dogs
Race For A Cause - Sheffield Retired Greyhound Fund
"At a Greyhound race in Sheffield, England. I donated part of my winnings to the Retired Dog Fund. The money helps to finance their daily needs till they get adopted or pass on. The Greyhound above is currently seven years old and has completed almost 200 races!" - DennisFX on Instagram
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, greyhound, greyhound race, pets, pictures, stories
Save Our Street Dogs Flag Day 2014 Is Back!
Come 9 November, Save Our Street Dogs(SOSD) will be heading back to SCAPE for their Flag Day! This time, The Wong
Dogs will be involved as full-time volunteers and it is our way for Cole to
give back a little to his home shelter. Yes, Cole was under the care of SOSD
volunteers before he came to me.
This year’s theme is called ‘A New Start’ and
it signifies SOSD’s seemingly never-ending work in the rescue of Singapore’s
strays, with a hope that they are given a chance at a start for a better life.
We hope to see all our friends
taking part in this meaningful event!
9 Nov 2014
Youth SCAPE Park
11am to 5pm
9 Nov 2014
Youth SCAPE Park
11am to 5pm
Would you like to volunteer?
Click on the link here to express your interest. If there are issues with the website, simply email fundraising@sosd.org.sg and someone will get back to you!
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, miniature schnauzer, mixed breed, pets, puppy, singapore special, sosd
In His Last Days – Barabas The Senior Singapore Special
I still remember Save Our StreetDogs (SOSD) Siew Tuck Wah telling me the story of how he had come across a rescue case just before a Christmas party in 2012. As with any social media-attached person today, I had already noticed on my newsfeed that he had undertaken another rescue case during the public holiday.
Not just any
rescue case but a senior dog that had been badly abused by his previous owners
and sent to be put down (Who in their right frame of mind would want to put
down their dog during the Christmas period is beyond me!).
Also, Barabas came with a gaping wound at his head that was already heavily infested with maggots. To top it off, this senior dog was wary of strangers and would snap at anyone who came near him. Even the vet said that “this was the worst maggot wound she has ever seen”. With such an image flashing across the video, imagine how much worse it was whenever Barabas flicked his ear and maggots would be flung across the room?
Also, Barabas came with a gaping wound at his head that was already heavily infested with maggots. To top it off, this senior dog was wary of strangers and would snap at anyone who came near him. Even the vet said that “this was the worst maggot wound she has ever seen”. With such an image flashing across the video, imagine how much worse it was whenever Barabas flicked his ear and maggots would be flung across the room?
Barabas was the kind of case
which rescuers hope but deep down know it is not easy to find a home. There
were appeals for him to be adopted. But it was not easy and SOSD knew it.
Honestly, there were few who would have been capable of handling a senior
canine that needed so much medical and personal attention. Sensing it from the
get go, Siew went the extra mile and opened his home to yet another furry
friend. It took many months and from what I remembered, lots of quality kibble
and BARF meals before he was fit to live at the SOSD shelter.
In recent months, his health took
a turn for the worse and Siew decided that it is only right that Barabas be staying in a home setting during his last days. I could not help but shed a
couple of tears as Barabas moved uncomfortably from his many ailments while
being fed his daily meds. But Siew made sure his every waking moment was
comfortable and it was heartening to see the people gathered at his final send
off before being cremated.
“From the day he came to my home to recuperate, Barn Barn has always been my dog. I hoped I had acknowledged that earlier. If I had, I wouldn't send him back to shelter after he recovered, only bringing him back during his final days,” said Siew.
“From the day he came to my home to recuperate, Barn Barn has always been my dog. I hoped I had acknowledged that earlier. If I had, I wouldn't send him back to shelter after he recovered, only bringing him back during his final days,” said Siew.
The video ended with the
following quote:
“A pet is for life. Who are we to
take away the lives of such beautiful creatures, whose unbreakable spirits put
us the shame?”
Looking at Cory and Cole today, I dread the time when they might possibly go through any sort of illness. I do ask myself, "When the time comes, how ready will I be to let them go?" I do not have the answer yet. But one thing I am sure and all my pet-loving friends will agree - in our furkid’s last days, we would give our all to send them off in the most proper and meaningful way possible.
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, mixed breed, musings, singapore special, sosd, stories
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.
