TheWongDogs

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!"

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

Till next year! For now, I think Cole will be sleeping the next two days away!

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

❤ "From 9am to 6pm – The SOSD Flag Day 2014 Experience" was Posted On: Monday, 10 November 2014 @01:15 | 0 Wong comments ✿

Treat Of The Week: Pawlicious Mooncakes

By now, many people would know that I have been looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival this year. More than just mooncakes for myself, is the choice of getting this popular annual snack for Cory and Cole.

The Wong Dogs went back to an old favourite and ordered Pawlicious’s many different flavours available.

“Since all of our food is human-inspired, why can’t our four-legged friends have mooncakes?” argues Jaster, who bakes these creations.

Besides a new flavour (lamb!) this year, Pawlicious decided to use organic whole wheat flour (rich source of calcium, iron and fiber), making this year’s mooncakes more nutritious for all their doggie customers.

Paw parents, you guys totally cannot miss is the addition of Snow Skin Mooncakes! Though Jaster is tight-lipped on revealing how she came up with this popular delicacy, she tells The Wong Dogs that the process was no walk in the park and required time for her to perfect the recipe.

In fact, this tough cookie nearly gave up though she is now glad that she didn’t. “It was difficult as I decided to do away with shortening due to it not being food for dogs. Icing and sugar was also omitted making Pawlicious’s Snow Skin Mooncakes totally safe for all our canine customers,” she explains. This year, Pawliicous introduced Potato & Cheese as their latest addition to the range.

When I cut open the traditional mooncake, you can obviously see that there is no stinging on the filling and each piece is chock-full with meats. As for the snow skin version, the colouring is derived from ingredients that include beetroot, purple sweet potato and cranberries.

What The Wong Dogs realised was the difference in packaging this year. Granted it is not something you will get from a high-end mooncake brand, but definitely beats plastic boxes, right?

Obviously enough, Cory and Cole gobbled their portions as if they weren't fed for days (the greedy buggers)

The boys had their fill and now, their furry friends such as Sam, Pecan and Buxley will be getting a portion too! Will your pet be chomping on a mooncake this year? Well, there is always next year and from what Jaster revealed, there are many more interesting flavours to look out for!