Adopting Dogs

The Lambeek family was looking for a friend for their dog, Toby. They had found out about a charity event at east coast park where different dog shelters would come to the big splash and showcase some of their dogs. They came across a fenced area from one of the shelters, which contained 3 small puppies. One of which had bad scars on its body. They asked the representative volunteer about the small black puppy. She said that it was found at sand dunes near Tampines, and she was found with severe maggot infestations. The Family imediately fell in love with the sturdy little puppy, whos name was Charcoal. They questioned if this dog would be a suitable playmate for Toby, as it looked as if it would grow to be quite big, and Toby was small for his size. They agreed to take her for a week trial. After a week they had already formed quite a strong bond with Charcoal and couldn’t give up on her, so they signed the papers and she was all theirs. They changed her name to Maisy.

This story is a good example of helping animals that are really in the need of it.

An expert’s knowledge was certainly needed, therefore I spoke with Christine, a volunteer from Causes for Animals Singapore (CAS) she said that the local society in Singapore have a superstition that black dogs are a bad omen, and it would ensue a death in the family. Most locally found dogs are cross bred, meaning that it could be a mix of many different breeds of dogs, therefore the exact breeds of a cross-bred dog can be indeterminable. So many dogs are found on the streets every year, so why not help one out and give it a loving home to feel safe in. Of course some dogs may have had horrific memories of humans attacking them or hurting them, which might affect their behavior in a bad way. The dog might be nervous around people at first, but later they will warm up to people.

Being a dog owner can have a lot of advantages, for example people who own dogs are much happier, and are less likely to suffer from depression than people who have no pets. This is because touching someone, produces Oxytocin, the love hormone. It is produced by touch and love, this gives someone good energy, and they feel loved. So, what is it that dog shelters actually do? They go out in search of animals in distress, or they might get a call from anyone that a kitten was found in an industrial tube (true story) or a lost, whining and starving puppy was sighted lying at the side of a path. Sari Lambeek, mother of the Lambeek family, says that she notices a slight difference in behavior between the two dogs that she owns (one pedigree, one cross-bred), her cross-bred dog, Maisy has been nervous around humans, especially big men, for 3 weeks, and for Toby, the dog that they got from a very young age, took no time at all to warm up to them.

Dog shelters will always be looking for the oppurtunity to give a dog/cat a secon chance at life. It is also a possibility to sponsor a dog at a dog shelter. This provides money to give that dog food and nicer beds and toys. Many animal shelters have websites, where background stories and images can be viewed, and that is where donating, and sponsoring can be done. Volunteering at your local dog shelter can also greatly help the dogs. Some things that volunteers do at dogs shelters are walk the dogs, feed the dogs, play with the dogs, wash the dogs, and more, and belive me, it is fun. So drop the search for a breeder, and find a local dog shelter instead and find a trusty companion that would appreciate your love and care.

By Casper