A cacophony of high pitched barks and whimpers greeted us as
we stepped into the SOSD’s Shelter a few
weeks back. The friendlier dogs were jumping while others (those on
rehabilitation) were wary as we walked past. (We were told not to stick our
fingers into the cages or stand too close to the gates.) The family was there
that morning to understand a bit more of the work that SOSD does as we recently
became a fosterer to a puppy which we picked up from SOSD.
They say that the eyes are windows to the souls and I can’t
agree more. A walk through the shelter and you can sense the struggles and
confusion some of these dogs have gone through.
As we walked from pen to pen and peered into their eyes, each
dog seems to have a story to tell.
Maddox
(above) has a fantastic temperament. Rescued from AVA last year, Maddox
has proven to be really gentle and friendly and he is now a regular fixture of SOSD’s
outreach team. The team also brings him to schools to show the children just
how friendly and gentle street dogs can be. Having done so much for educating
the public and to give a “voice” on behalf of his other friends in the shelter, ironically
he has remained, till this day, not adopted.
Beancurd
(above left) was rescued in from AVA when she was just 3 months old and has
since been waiting for a home.
Hers is a bittersweet story: she was one of the few lucky ones that escaped unscathed when she was quarantined with a dog that later came down with the Pavorvirus. Though lively and loving, the irony is that she was the only one left of the whole batch to have yet found a home. There were a few times where was nearly adopted, but it has not quite worked out.
Hers is a bittersweet story: she was one of the few lucky ones that escaped unscathed when she was quarantined with a dog that later came down with the Pavorvirus. Though lively and loving, the irony is that she was the only one left of the whole batch to have yet found a home. There were a few times where was nearly adopted, but it has not quite worked out.
And essentially that’s what SOSD aims to do – to give these
dogs a second chance in life by rescuing these street dogs and educating the
public. This is where a few of SOSD’s teams come into the picture with its re-homing team and the outreach team.
This tour we registered for started with a talk by Tony and
Ashlee (below) who were our shelter tour guides that morning. Tours typically start at 1130am and
because SOSD is managed by volunteers, so email confirmation may only be sent
out 2 – 3 days prior to the tour.
Above pic: Tony with Ashlee
While waiting, we saw volunteers taking the dogs out and
walking them. Tony shared that the dogs are walked 4 times a week by volunteers
who head to the shelters on weekdays too.
Above: Moomi with her ‘handler’ for that morning. She is
part of the Ubin Trap and Neuter project which you can more about here.) After the talk, we were
brought into the shelter.
Above: Inside Unit 15/16 (There are another 2 units 13/14 which we
visited for a short while too)
The operating expenses to run a shelter are very high and
the highest the shelter has ever incurred in a month is $30,000! That was for medical cost
and includes vaccination and sterilization. Because of these high costs, money
is spent carefully and repairs made, only when necessary.
(Above pic: painting
work done only on the lower half of the gate which comes into contact with the
dogs to manage expenses)
I could also tell that Dumpling was really surprised at how
“basic” the shelter is. At its best, the shelter is “functional” but of course that can’t
be compared to the comfort that of a permanent / foster home. The shelter tour
brought across a message that is certainly more concrete in the little one’s
mind – Adopt, Don’t Shop.
What I was happy to see was a dog run that is outside the
shelter where the puppies and dogs have a chance to roam and run a bit.
Additionally, it is also a ‘neutral’ meeting ground for a potential fosterer /
adopter to meet and observe the new addition to the family.
Above: SOSD’s dog run
It was an hour well spent for us and definitely for the
kiddo. In fact, she was sharing with me that if there’s a chance, she would
talk about the shelter visit and our fostering experience for her school’s
“Show and Tell”.
As SOSD is a registered charity (founded in July 2011, it is
funded solely by donations. Here’s some numbers and ways you can help:
(Information provided by SOSD Singapore)
To understand more about the work and events that SOSD does,
you can follow their Facebook
page.
Disclaimer:
This is neither a sponsored post nor were we compensated for it. All opinions
expressed are entirely ours though the dogs that you see on their website and at the adoption drives can be yours. :) You can
visit the adoption page here.
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