IN THE NEWS

Above: Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better volunteer
Clarance Chua with mascot Sharmini Popiko Sasha.
— K. K. SHAM/The Star

Saturday April 11, 2009

Champion of the oppressed

Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better http://www.malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/

Log on to this site, and you will be greeted by Sharmini Popiko Sasha, a female mongrel who is the face of this project which champions the welfare of Malaysian canines.
It even says on the top of the blog that: “this blog was created by a dog to help other dogs”.
Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better came about because one of the directors of Community Development and Integration Initiative (CDII) — an NGO dedicated to welfare programmes for the poor, needy and disabled — couldn’t stand seeing so many homeless dogs roaming the streets.
“The project became a reality last year after an incident in which a dog was dragged out through the gates of an empty house by local council workers in Subang Jaya,” explained Clarance Chua, a volunteer.
“That’s when we decided that these helpless creatures needed a voice, someone to look out for and stand up for them. We mostly rescue dogs from the local pounds, as well as off the streets, and bring them to our panel clinic where they are neutered, vaccinated and treated before being put up for adoption. We seek adopters through advertisements as well as through adoption drives,” said Chua, 30, a lawyer by training.
Recently, they held a successful adoption drive at NZX Mall in Ara Damansara, and this has convinced them to persevere with the programme. There are a number of local issues that they are currently trying to address.
“We are troubled by the way stray dogs are caught by companies engaged by local councils. A large number of these dogs have collars! This raises a question as to how the dogs ended up on the streets.
“We have also rescued pedigrees which were abandoned because of genetic skin disorders. We hope the local authorities will take note of unlicensed breeders who are flooding the market with pedigrees through pet shops.
“There are even a few pet shops that offer mating services! This is like operating a canine prostitution den. We hope the local authorities will seriously look into these issues instead of expanding their dog-catching activities,” said Chua.
Chua has one important advice for all canine owners: “Please neuter your dogs, and please adopt a homeless animal instead of buying one. The breeding will stop only when the buying does”.

PINKY'S STORY

The stone that was removed from Pinky's bladder

Pinky not wanting her photograph taken

Pinky's surgical wound

Pinky after surgery

Pinky in recovery after surgery

This is Pinky and she was rescued from the Setapak pound. We believe that Pinky was a breeder's dog who was dumped on the streets after she became too old and too sick. When we found her, she was urinating blood due to a stone in her bladder and this could be why she was dumped. Pinky has a nice personality and she shows determination whenever there is a need to do so. This was reflective one day when we were taking pictures of her and she became fed-up of the camera. She turned her back on us and remained in that position until the photo taking stopped. Pinky underwent a major surgery to remove the stone which was probably calcium deposit. She has recovered and been adopted by a retired couple and their daughter. She has also been named Buttercup and we are very happy that our Pinky has finally found a family that will love her to bits.

UPDATE

Dear all,

Just to let you all know that we have partially updated our blog and in the process of streamlining our operations. Firstly, Community Development and Integration Initiative (CDII) will make the Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better project its main focus.
CDII was incorporated in 2004 as a non-profit company – also known as a company limited by guarantee – to carry out community based projects.
It was incorporated under the Registrar of Companies (ROC) and not the Registrar of Societies (ROS) because of a couple of reasons such as:

a) The administration and management of entities registered under the ROC are handled by certified company secretaries and chartered accountants. This is as opposed to organizations under the ROS whereby the accounts and annual reports are prepared by the members themselves.

b) The directors of CDII wanted a chartered accountant to audit the organisation annually for more accountability and transparency.


Our upcoming plans include setting-up a website, which we have already purchased : http://www.malaysiandogsdeservebetter.org/ which will be up in about a month or so.
We hope to earn some income via advertisements to go towards the high veterinary bills we are faced with in our quest to rescue, vaccinate and neuter as many dogs as possible before finding them homes.
We will also be opening CDII to members of the public and a membership drive will also be organised – most probably during our next adoption drive.

In the meantime, we have more dogs coming our way with people calling us and alerting us about dogs and puppies, which need our help. We have no other choice other than depend on your generosity.

Those who want to donate could do so by making out cheques in favour off:

Community Development and Integration Initiative Bhd

and mail it to:

c/o No 48, Jalan Jeriji U8/75C, Bukit Jelutong, 40150, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Or bank into:

Community Development and Integration Initiative Bhd

Public Bank Account Number: 3151793708.

For further details please call 019-3576477.

ALI

ALI NOW

ALI BEFORE

This is Ali.
We named him after the Muhammad Ali,( the one who used to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, Remember?) because we thought he was a Boxer X. However, we were told by someone who knows dogs well that he's a cross between a Bull Mastiff and a Rottweiler. Just like all the other dogs that we rescue, Ali too has a sad story. His owners had put him up for boarding at a pet shop and abandoned him there about six months ago. The address and phone number they provided were fake and the pet shop people were saddled with Ali whom they did not want at all. Luckily, they were kind enough to hold on to him until they found someone who would take him. When one of our volunteers went to the pet shop, she found Ali to be very frightened with his tail between his legs. He was removed from there and brought to Klang where he has been vaccinated pending neutering. He is currently being fostered and when he was let loose, the first thing Ali did was to romp around and get dirty. We are happy to see that he is no longer afraid and wags his tail while he continues his romp. Please help us help Ali.

Would you like to be Duke's human?

This is Duke and he was rrescued from the Setapak pound. He was wearing a collar when we found him. He understands English and is well-behaved. We find him depressed and I think that this is because he misses his humans. We are however, not able to find his humans and are now hoping that someone will give him a good home and help him get over the hurt. Pleaase write to malaysiandogsdeservebetter@gmail.com or call 019-3576477 if you think you can help Duke.

Remember Rottie?

Rottie just before he was rescued off the streets.
We wrote about Rottie several weeks ago after we were alerted of his plight by a kind Samaritan. He was apparently constantly abused by some people from the neighborhood where he lived. Rottie has since been rescued and is now being treated for heartworms at the clinic. He has already been neutered and we are looking for adopters or sponsors for Rottie. Here’s a narration of what had happened:

“I was born in such a malicious way. My father, A Rottweiler went wondering on the roads not accompanied by his owner and met my mother. From the rumors I heard, the owners of my father watched happily while my father copulated with my mother who was a stray.
Months later I was born. Unfortunately, my mother was viciously dragged away from me by the spiteful dogcatchers. I managed to run and hide myself in some bushes, where I felt my little heart break into pieces, as I silently watched them drag my mother away. Her eyes locked with mine momentarily. I feared for her as I coiled myself together and cried silently because I know, I’ll never feel those playful bites and the love of my mother again.
How long could I just stay there in the shrubs all alone and hungry? I started wondering around. I walked for days, looking for food. I started digging up food from garbage bins and did not realise that I angered people by doing this. I only wish that they understood that I didn’t do it on purpose – I did it because I was hungry.
One day a wicked man caught me and broke my front left paw. I watched him injure me, wondering what I did wrong. I howled in pain, I begged him to stop but it was too late. My bone could be seen, I couldn’t feel my paws anymore.
I cried wondering what I did wrong. For months I suffered in pain. It’s been almost 6 months now since I injured my leg. I walk with a slight hobble. I wonder why people abuse and hurt me. They hit me because I seek shelter under their cars. I wonder why I can’t have a decent home? All I need is a roof over my head and some food. Am I asking for too much? I’ll offer you more than you can imagine. I’ll protect your house. I’ll make sure no one gets in without your permission. I won’t make much noise. And I assure you that I’ll be your faithful companion. Just give me a home, that’s all I ask for…. …all I need is a chance…and a home…”

Rottie front limb which was snapped by the cruel man.

Rottie at the clinic - neutered and being treated.

Anyone, interested in adopting or sponsoring Rottie can call 019-3576477.

Patches, the grateful lass

When we rescued Patches from the pound - she lay her head on the lap of her rescuer throughout the car ride to the veterinary clinic. We could clearly see that she was grateful to be given another chance to live. At the clinic, she made it a point to walk around and lick the hand of everyone who was instrumental in rescuing her. Soon after, she was down with parvo and once she recovered - she was hit with distemper. Just as expected, she fought with all her might to live on and Patches is today healthy and ready to be adopted. She may not be much of a looker to many but rest assured that Patches is beautiful inside and will make anyone adopting her love her with all their hearts. In return, we guarantee you that Patches will forever be grateful and will show her gratitude with unconditional love and loyalty.

Victor The Hero

This is Victor and he is a hero. Victor was rescued from the Setapak pound and he was frightened little pup when we got him. To add on to his suffering, Victor was infected with the distemper virus soon after his rescue and had gone through hell. The infection was so bad that it had even clouded his eyes. We were told by the vets attending to him that they were contemplating putting him down. But Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better adheres to a no kill policy and we wouldn't hear of it. Thanks to Dr Edmund Yeoh, who took-up Victor's treatment, the plucky puppy managed to fight the disease. We would also like to thank a couple of our friends who administered some homeopathy treatment as well. Victor is a happy and strong boy today because they had given their best to heal him. Victor currently needs a home and we also welcome anyone willing to sponsor Victor until he is adopted.

REMEMBER SISTER DOBERMAN?

The day she was found more than four months ago. Sister Doberman, who has be named Luca, was a bag of skin and bones and suffered from a severe case of mange, heartworms and malnutrition.
This was taken two days after her rescue. With food and shelter, Luca showed us that she was a fighter and wanted to live. She fought very hard to get better and seeing this, we gave her our best.

This is Luca about a month after her rescue. A daily meal of rice, chicken liver and carrots managed to bring a lot of positive changes. The attention shown by the staff of the veterinary clinic where she was admitted also helped to heal her emotionally.

Luca about a month ago. Healed of her wounds, she was undergoing heartworm treatment when this photograph was taken.

These two pictures of Sister Doberman a.k.a Luca was taken about a week ago just before she was sent for a holiday at a foster home. She is still undergoing treatment for heartworms and her next shot is scheduled in May. So, we thought it would be nice for Luca to take a break from the clinic's cage for a bit. Luckily, someone living nearby the clinic has offered to foster Luca for a short while. The fosterer says Luca has a good appetite. Since she has been treated for all her health issues, Luca's characteristics have emerged. She appears to be a playful, friendly and gregarious girl. We are currently looking for someone to adopt her. Meanwhile, we also welcome any form of sponsorship for our Luca.