Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Embracing Another Milestone: First International Adoption

The Stray Puppy
One rainy day, a stray puppy squeezed through the gate, and sought shelter in the porch of a house in Cheras. Its mother whimpered anxiously, out in the street, in a vain attempt to call for her sole puppy to follow her. And, it was this fateful day that marked the beginning of something beautiful - the duo's journey to the Land of the Free.

The Mama Dog
The family spotted the puppy in their compound, and alerted MDDB. Our Rescue Coordinator attended to the distress call. Both mother and son were later caught in an initial plan to rehome the puppy and TNRM (Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage) the mum.

An unexpected turn of events, when the stray puppy's intelligence caught Diane Levinson's attention, led to the first International Adoption of Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better. Not having the heart to break the strong, enduring bond between the mother and son, the mama dog that was then released as part of our TNRM Project was captured again, and reunited with her puppy. The mama dog and her puppy were named "Mama Chinta" and "Toby" respectively.

Mama Chinta and Toby
The two spent several months in their first foster carer's home where they were vaccinated and desexed. They were later transferred to our Rehabilitation Coordinator's home for crate training.

Crate Training
Soon enough, this mother-son pair was ready to fly to their new home in San Bruno, Northern California.

On the Way to Cargo KLIA
In early July, Mama Chinta and Toby finally met Levinson for the first time at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Levinson Greeted the Inseparable Pair at SFO
Upon arriving home, Toby instantly warmed up to his human family. Mama Chinta, on the other hand, was shy; she was hiding in her crate most of the time, and would only venture out for food and toilet trips. Both were hostile towards their adoptive canine siblings - Yodi and Mose.

Nonetheless, with great patience, Levinson brought Mama Chinta out of her shell, and helped the two newcomers find their place in her household pack.

Toby and Mama Chinta Running in Their New Garden
Sharing a Bed
Their Comfy Little Corner
With Their Canine Sibling - Mose
Toby with His Canine Sibling - Yodi

More videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ujZxnK588
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wsl2FEZznM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juu4MuKmPcg