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Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.

Henry David Thoreau

- Monday, October 21, 2013 @ 12:00 PM
I made the decision to reserve my opinions until the findings are out.  ST reported   today on Tammy's previous owner's conflicting statements.

ST Headlines 21/10/13 :
Owner stands by decision to put down dog
She says it was not wanted back, but her text messages tell different story

Source : http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore/story/owner-stands-decision-put-down-dog-20131021

I'm so tempted to blog about this.

While some would just brush this incident aside with the mentality, "It's just a dog", the issue has developed into a huge controversy among many animals lovers here.  

Do correct me if I'm wrong but the following appear crystal clear in the writeup :

1) The owner did not honour her word (which I believe was also made in the form of a contract) with Ada Ong, Tammy's former caregiver.
2) She ignored Ada's text messages regarding Tammy's status and in fact lied to the latter and gone ahead to put the little innocent canine to sleep.
3) ST has yet to clarify The Animal's Clinic's protocol on euthanasia.

The accused family had expressed that they are now worried about threats from angry animal activists on their lives, especially their kids.  I fear more for the direct consequences of the parents on their children, who had been and will be subjected to unnecessary duress as a result of the former's lack of integrity, lies and absence of clear common sense.  They will now grow up and be known as the expat kids whose parents had murdered an innocent puppy when there was the simple alternative to return Tammy to her original caregiver.   Yes, I do admit that parenting is no walk in the park.  What I simply do not condone is irresponsible parents who send wrong messages to their children and in this case, their actions now beamed all over the media for the nation to devour.

I hope they learn their lesson.  I hope they apologise - if not for their sake, Tammy's but for their kids' sanity.   This is not just an appeal for justice for Tammy but also for the robbed innocence of young children through dysfunctional parenting which is so common among educated families in a highly stressful city like ours.

I hope we will all move on with a clearer appreciation of animals' rightful co-existence in our highly competitive society that has little tolerance for mistakes and those that stand in the way of its relentless pursuit for excellence and success.  I hope that the authorities will scrutinise animal rights with the measure they do to the welfare of foreign workers, the elderly and the handicap and that the people in power will tighten all inconsistent and discriminatory practices within the industry.

That would be my Martin Luther dream, of course, for our 4-legged creatures in Singapore.




Owner stands by decision to put down dog

She says it was not wanted back, but her text messages tell different story

Tammy was put down on Oct 7. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF PRISCILLA TAN

A WOMAN who had her seven- month-old mongrel Tammy put down for aggression has defended her decision, claiming the person she got it from did not want to take it back.
Ms Alison McElwee, who was criticised for ignoring the rehomer's pleas to return it, said in a statement: "The rehomer suggested placing (Tammy) in a long- term boarding home" and "did not want to take (it) back".
She alleged that Tammy bit her four-year-old daughter and two adults.
Ms McElwee said the "difficult decision" was made after "considering the safety of (her) two young children and the quality of life Tammy would have in a long-term boarding home". Tammy was put down on Oct 7.
However, Tammy's rehomer Ada Ong, 35, dismissed Ms McElwee's claim as "impossible", citing texts and the adoption agreement signed by Ms McElwee on June 1.
The agreement obtained by The Straits Times states that Ms Ong had to be notified if Tammy could not be cared for.
Ms Ong said: "I said I'll take Tammy back no matter what. But as she was almost full-grown, I would have to board Tammy until a new home was found. She said she would discuss the matter with her husband before telling me when I can take Tammy back."
This took place in the first week of October. On Oct 6, Ms Ong sent Ms McElwee a text message asking if Tammy could be sterilised before boarding. There was no reply.
Ms Cathy Strong, founder of Animal Lovers League (Pets Villa) where Tammy was to be boarded, confirmed that Ms Ong had approached her.
"I only asked that the dog be vaccinated and sterilised first," Ms Strong said. "Why would Ada ask if she could board Tammy if she had refused to take her back?"
On Oct 8, Ms McElwee told Ms Ong via text message that she had found "somewhere" for Tammy and that "she left yesterday afternoon". She also said that the family "will not put (Tammy) in boarding, so we found her a new home". Ms Ong was then told to "leave it at that".
A worried Ms Ong made two trips to the McElwees' Clementi home on Oct 8 and 9 before discovering that Tammy had been put down days earlier.
She posted Tammy's story on Facebook on Oct 11, and it has since been shared 900 times.
The McElwees stated that they "regret the uproar this episode has caused" and are "concerned by the reaction from certain members of the public".
The statement added: "They ask that the public respect their perspective and stop threatening their and their children's safety - whether in person or online."

Pet euthanasia: Who decides, and why

Published on Oct 21, 2013



PET euthanasia is proving a grey area for some veterinarians, with only a general code of ethics and their own judgment guiding their assessments.
While all clinics The Straits Times spoke to said they generally euthanise animals only when treatment fails to relieve their suffering, many said they accept requests to euthanise aggressive pets posing a danger to owners.
These cases are assessed on their own merit, they said.
Protocol for animal euthanasia was called into question after the recent death of seven-month-old mongrel Tammy. Its owner and a vet at The Animal Clinic deemed it to be aggressive - a claim disputed by furious animal lovers.
The clinic's managing director, Dr Lennie Lee, who has come under pressure to reveal its euthanasia protocol, told The Straits Times it will put down aggressive pets that "become a threat to the safety and lives" of humans and when behavioural therapy and treatments have not succeeded.
At the Animal Recovery Centre, an animal is put to sleep only if it has "no hope of rescue" medically. Director Jean-Paul Ly said: "Killing an animal, no matter how nicely, is still taking away a life."
Amber Vet's principal surgeon, Dr Brian Loon, noted there are often times "where the decision is grey both for the owner and veterinarian". He added that each case has to be individually assessed.
The same approach is taken at Namly Animal Clinic which has, on rare occasions, accepted requests to euthanise dogs found to be aggressive and dangerous.
One of its vets, who declined to be named, said: "If you refuse, where does the dog go? Some place them in a shelter, but would their quality of life be considered good... in a small kennel?"
Dr Daniel Sing of Toa Payoh Vets added: "Once an owner is bent on it, it is difficult to persuade them otherwise."
Vets do not take the decision lightly and always consider the backgrounds of the owners and pets. In some cases, said Namly Animal Clinic, the owners have trained their dog, yet it continues to endanger them.
A code of ethics for vets issued by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and posted on both its website and that of the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA) states that euthanasia must be considered "to prevent unnecessary suffering" to an animal.
The code is "vague" and open to different interpretations, said Dr Ly. The SVA did not respond to media queries.
An AVA spokesman said pets are euthanised for various reasons, such as to alleviate their suffering, or if they are aggressive. "The decision to euthanise a pet is made by its owner after consulting a vet... The vet must examine the animal and assess that euthanasia is necessary."
Seven animal welfare groups including Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) have drafted a set of guidelines for pet euthanasia.
ASD president Ricky Yeo said: "Consent must be sought between different parties - the shelter from which a dog was adopted or the dog trainer - before an animal is put down for aggression."
BACKGROUND STORY

AGREEMENT NEEDED
“Consent must be sought between different parties – the shelter from which a dog was adopted or the dog trainer – before an animal is put down for aggression.”
– Action for Singapore Dogs president Ricky Yeo. The animal welfare group has drafted guidelines for pet euthanasia

LIFE LOST
“Killing an animal, no matter how nicely, is still taking away a life.”
– Animal Recovery Centre director Jean-Paul Ly

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Stomped - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 @ 8:12 AM
I think the unimaginable.
My new FB canine befrienders suggested it.
Yes, they have been STOMPED.

Stanley sorely misses `sisters' Sprite & Spunky.
3 Sep 2013


They had gone missing overnight on 24/8, Saturday along Flower Road (Kovan area) while the owner was overseas. Both Jack Russell Terriers were adopted and are extremely friendly with people.


A Spunky lookalike (above) was spotted around Lentor Loop off Yio Chu Kang in the middle of the following week. It is possible that the slimmer feisty explorer had separated from her doting and more dominant sister, Sprite, might have reached that area by now.


The older Sprite sometimes suffers from periodic fits which will safely run its course on its own or when cuddled and the very affectionate Spunky will lick her sister non-stop to assure her that everything will be alright.

 Kindly contact Stanley Ho at 93388547 if you have spotted or taken in any of these lovely girls.



More pics of Sprite & Spunky can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/stanleyah/media_set?set=a.86742715904.79459.584285904&type=3

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Furry Friend - Monday, September 2, 2013 @ 10:15 AM
A tiny furry body appeared outside my neighbor's fence. From where I was during a commercial break from the Ellen Show, I bolted from my seat to get a better view.

It was a chocolate brown poodle. She paused for a moment, staring past the gate as if anticipating a friend to greet her. Taking a few more steps, she soon arrived at the gate to my residence.

A gentle middle aged lady was at the end of the leesh.  She allowed four paws to pause as long as the latter required infront of my gate.

By this time, I was standing at the threshold of my house and watching the proceedings, hands clutching the Life! section of the morning's papers.  Be still my beating heart.  

The gentle poodle sniffed a little here and there at the gate.  Then it looked up and noticed my presence at a distance.  Our eyes met briefly before she continued to survey the garden.

The owner flashed a smile at me.  I returned her gesture as best as I could.  Perhaps they could sense that something was amiss - some bubbly friends missing from the picture.  Perhaps their morning walk was a little incomplete too.

Soon, the little one trotted along and was on her way.  

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'just dogs' - Saturday, August 31, 2013 @ 8:17 PM
I heard some yelping earlier on my prowl-jog ard my estate. At some points along my route, I called out their names in the hope, just the slightest possibility that they, having been taken in by some neighbors, would hear me and come rushing to the door/gate with my daily multiple tireless dose of JRT fervor.

I stood opposite Kovan Residences, aching my ears to find some familiarity in that cry that had echoed across the stretch of tarmac. I actually called out repeatedly : Sprite! Spunky! I stood there and heard what sounded like a reply or a regular sad refrain from a bored canine in the captivity of a flat. Drivers slowed down and peered at the direction where I was staring - no where specific as I was not able to spot any enthusiasm among the pocket units sprawling before me. Tossing between glimmering hope, growing despair and even a mercurial coagulation of acceptance of reality, I called out in vain to empty wounded yelping with no sighting of any tiny spirit out there. Finally I walked off.

It was tough. It was rough - all too razer raw to contain within.

At a quiet spot by a huge drain, the myraid of what if-s reared their ugly heads to mock me. Think it's easy to man up and let go of 'just dogs'? The world would stop to rake through a hay stack if a human child goes missing. I'm thankful for strangers and some friends who stood by to encourage the heart. But this devastation is perhaps more overwhelming than putting January to sleep years ago. I headed home trying to make sense of all of this.

Sprite and Spunky are NOT 'just dogs'.

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SPRITE & SPUNKY MISSING - @ 3:19 PM

SPRITE & SPUNKY MISSING 














Hi. My 2 girls have gone missing from the house last Sunday while I am overseas. They are both Jack Russell Terriers and are extremely friendly. Posters have been put up by my cousin around the Kovan area (34 Flower Road). We have also contacted SPCA and AVA. 

More pics of Sprite&Spunky can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/stanleyah/media_set?set=a.86742715904.79459.584285904&type=3

If anyone has any sightings of them, please contact myself (93388547). Appreciate!

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