Cemetery Dogs - Oscar's Updates

HOPE Dog Rescue http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/
Pets Wellness http://pets-wellness.blogspot.com/

Please join us at HOPE DOG RESCUE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOPE-Dog-Rescue/245909795437201?ref=ts

After my encounter with Beano (read more here), I realised that there's so much to be done for animals and so much more in my own capacity that I can help out. I therefore, started to volunteer for HOPE Dog Rescue and my 1st assignment was to ferry Oscar to the vet for his follow-up consultation.

Oscar is a 6 month old stray puppy that stays in a cemetery (more about Oscar). HOPE came across him when they were carrying out their sterilization project there. Oscar is suffering from Dermodectic Mange and 2 of his siblings had already died a slow painful death from it. He is the only 1 out of the litter left now.



Meet little Oscar. He was so terrified the whole time I was there, he stayed almost motionless in the carrier.



His body is so raw and it's bleeding in some areas



My heart was heavy with despair while I edited these photos. It must be sheer torture for Oscar.

Oscar's little paw. Open sores cover parts of his body.

His skin is dry and crusted

I know HOPE had their hands full recently with Beano and Babu suffering from canine distemper. And on the night that I was sending Oscar to the vet, I learned that they were rushing a kitten, with an eye nearly popped out, to the vet too.

I am grateful to the kind people from HOPE for not giving up on these strays. An easy option would have been to put them to sleep because treatments are expensive. But they had never withheld treatment just because these are strays.

In addition to keeping Oscar, Beano and Babu in your prayers, I'm appealing to all to help in whatever way you can. If you have a car, perhaps you can volunteer to ferry the pets around. Or perhaps foster a dog.

Story and photographs by Esther Low.

Note from Fiona : Oscar has been warded at Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic (Bedok) since Tuesday as he was not eating, drinking and feeling rather down. He has been put on drip and will be discharged today (Friday). We thank Esther for fetching Oscar to and from the vet.

Oscar will be heading back to the kennel this evening. We thank kind sponsors for paying for his stay at the boarding kennel. We appeal to anyone who has some space at home to please foster Oscar, even if it's for just a few weeks. His skin needs constant cleaning and proper care. He is a young puppy and has been through so much. He has lost his two siblings, we can't afford to lose him as well.

Oscar has ringworms as well, so ideally the foster needs to be someone with no pets at home or to keep Oscar separated from their pets. To help, please sms / text Lily at 9880 6082.

Glue Traps: were glue traps created for efficiency or for our twisted entertainment?

Original Sources:

Firm fined but ‘not wholly responsible’ for cat’s death: AVA

SPCA calls for ban of glue traps

I never knew that glue could be so dangerous, look at the poor cat's expression. Glue traps are usually placed indoors for rodent control and pests caught on these boards are thrown away with the traps, leaving the trapped animal to suffer for days, subjected to starvation and dehydration.

Now I know how people don't like rodents and pests, but that is for sure a really inhuman way to get rid of them by letting them suffer for days. It just goes to show that human nature at its core is not very human at all.

According to the SPCA the cat was found in Blk 527 Jurong West Street 52, by people who had been feeding the cat on a regular basis. The cat was found to be caught in a glue-trap board about 4 by 5 feet in size which contained an excessive amount of glue. Imagine the distress the cat was in. 

The name of the company and amount fined was not revealed.  But AVA said that its investigation revealed that the firm was “not wholly responsible for the state of respiratory distress” that eventually led to the cat being put down by a vet from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). It went on to state on its Facebook page that: 

AVA has reviewed the use of glue traps with the National Environment Agency (NEA) which licenses pest control companies, and concluded that a ban on the use of glue traps could adversely impact the effective handling of rodent situations in Singapore. This could potentially result in hygiene and disease problems. Nonetheless, to ensure that non-target animals are not caught in glue traps, AVA and NEA have reviewed the existing guidelines on the use of such traps, and will be issuing a revised set of guidelines.

In its response on AVA’s Facebook page, SPCA added that its staff “did their best with what was available”. They had removed the cat from the glue board, placed it on a plastic bag and onto a pet carrier before transporting it to the clinic. 

There are a few issues I have with this scenario:

1. Glue traps are inhuman period, for its intended targets or non-intended unfortunates. Imagine having to suffer for days before you actually die, of pain, stress, dehydration and agony. We, as humans are really creative, but I wonder were glue traps created for efficiency or for our twisted entertainment?
2. Who in the world with enough common sense would put a cat covered in glue in a plastic bag? It obviously would aggravate the situation for the poor critter. And how was the plastic place on the cat for it to be totally covered in glue when it was only partially covered in glue from its legs, enough for it to have that expression. 
3. Although the company involved did not kill the cat, it definitely caused the misfortune and SPCA just made it happen. Both parties are at fault.
4. Is anyone bothered by the size of the glue trap used? I mean, for a cat to get caught in it when it is meant for rodents tells alot.

It's just sad that such things happen. And even sadder that no action is being taken to ban glue traps. Like I mentioned earlier were glue traps created for efficiency or for our own twisted entertainment?