Even Dogs Have Smarts!

When I came back yesterday, I saw my dog being tied up. Turned out that my mum caught him peeing upstairs and she banished him downstairs. To prevent trouble, my maid tied him up. The poor thing was whining and barking when I returned.

Today, my maid was off, and she tied up my dog before she left the house, with his food and water near to him. However, the poor thing was barking and whining so loudly! He even lost his voice but still barked and whined!

I wanted so much to untie him, but was afraid my mum would be unhappy, so I went to the kitchen to stroke him and comfort him. But the moment I was out of sight, he started barking and whining again. In the end, it was my parents who could not take his barking any longer and untied him, to which he immediately rushed upstairs to see me.

However, my mum still insisted he had to stay downstairs. I had no choice but to bring him down again. I had to tie him up again so he would not run around. But the moment I was out of sight, again the barking and whining started.

Finally I could take it no more. I figured since my mum just did not want him to run around and do his business everywhere, I thought as long as he was not free to run around, that would be alright. So I took his leash and brought him upstairs. I held on to his leash and later on tied it to the door of the study.

Problem solved! He stopped barking and whining! Despite being tied up upstairs, he stopped all his barks, because he was around! That is why I love him, because he is so sweet and endearing! My mum saw him being tied up, so she did not say anything even though he was upstairs.

The next problem is, would he want to come into my room at night and sleep? My mum is of course not in that favour, but I know my dog wanted. So before I went to sleep, I went to the kitchen and saw him, and he was wagging his tail so excitedly! I brought him upstairs with the leash and all, and guess what? He ran up the first flight of stairs like usual, but when it came to the second flight of stairs, he started creeping up very slowly and stealthily. When he went by my parents' room, he again crept very stealthily, but once past that, he ran again!

Wow.. smart dog! He knew how to keep himself out of trouble too! But does that mean he also knows my mum would scold him and I would not? Hmmm... must start disciplining this fellow again before he gets too out of hand!

A Dog Spa?

Since my maid is away, it is my responsibility to take care of my dog. I have always been taking care of my dog, but since she is away, I have to do it full-time on my own. Today was supposed to be his shower day. I tried to get him to shower, but he ran away two times.

 

Finally I called out to him and brought him to the bathroom downstairs. He wanted to escape again but I shut the bathroom door. I started rinsing water all over him. After so many years, he knows the proper procedure, so he just stood quietly while I rinsed him all over.

 

Then I applied his shampoo all over him. Yes, dogs have shampoo too, for their coat. I had to apply the shampoo all over, starting from the top, going to the bottom, and especially his paws. After that, I had to rinse him out thoroughly, and he started shaking away the water, splashing onto me, after I finished rinsing.

 

This is not the end. Next comes the conditioner. Like humans, the shampoo is to help clean his hair, but the conditioner is to help make it soft and shine. I applied the conditioner, and massaged it all over him. After applying, I went to massage him again, all over his body, starting from his back to the sides to the front to his tummy.

 

All throughout, he just stood there quietly, knowing the procedure. I then waited a few minutes, then started massaging him all over again. Finally I rinsed him out thoroughly again. This time round, after rinsing, he shaked all over again and went to the door, indicating that he knew that was the end of the shower.

 

I did not use a towel to dry him though. He would run around and rub himself all over on the floor mats, intending to dry himself. A few hours later, after rubbing and shaking, he was almost completely dry. He smells so great and his hair is so nice, soft and silky!

 

Seems that the massage really works! Even a dog has a spa, now who can do a spa for me?

Old Dog ...

My beloved dog turned eight last week. I wanted to take a photo of him but he is always so camera shy and will run away whenever he sees me approaching with the camera or phone nowadays. Smart dog!

 

He is now an old dog. I remember when I first brought him home, he was barely two months old and now he is already eight years old. Time flies so fast! In human age, he can actually be my father!

 

The other day I told my mum how old he actually is, and she said, "He is old now. Look at him, he is not as active as before and only lies around being sluggish." Yes, he is old, but I hope he will live a very long and good life, and keeping me company until the end of my days!

 

I love you, Cookie!

Distressing News Over A Week

This post is a bit late, as I was busy with the Youth Olympics, then it was back to rushing assignments again. In any case, last week, within a week, I came across two cases which really depressed me.

The first was on a dog being bashed to death. Apparently, it was done by someone mentally unsound. He threw and hit the dog against the wall, and the dog died of internal bleeding. I am always full of anger whenever I hear of any form of animal abuse! What made it worse is that the unfortunate dog looks so much like my own dog! How can I then stand anyone killing a dog?

What made me angrier was that there were eye witnesses! There were actually people who went to see what the commotion was about, saw the guy killing the dog, and just stood there and stared without doing anything! If it was me, I would have rushed to save the dog, no matter what happened! What was the worst that could happen? I could get beaten up by the mad man, but I would not have died from injuries, because I am so much bigger size than that poor dog!

Have the people here become so robotic that if no one told them, they would not take the initiative to do something right? Is something cruel happening in front of them just a show to them?

Some time ago, I wrote about staring incidents, where people witnessed an accident and the poor guy was lying bleeding on the street, yet no one went forward to help, and all only stared and did nothing, as if staring could help the poor guy get back to life. By the time the ambulance came, it was too late to save him.

This case of the poor dog is the same - people just stared without doing anything. Or is it because they deem that a dog's life is not valuable? Who is to judge which living thing's life is more valuable or not? Personally I much prefer a dog. A man can let you down, but a dog will always be loyal.

When men cheated me and played me out, my dog was the one who comforted me when I was down, who stuck with me when he knew I was upset, who tried to be nice even when I was angry and lost my patience, who waited for me and bounded up whenever he heard me coming back home. Just looking at him perks me up.

I believe most, if not all, people who have ever owned or currently have a pet will feel the same way. So I can never imagine how anyone can ever have the heart to kill a dog, or just witness a dog being killed without doing anything about it! In my opinion, these people are all equally cruel and under the law, they can be considered accomplices to a murder!

Just two days later, there was news about a gunman holding a tourist bus hostage, and the ensuing riot caused about eight deaths. People I know are in an uproar over this matter. Alright, he was dismissed, he felt frustrated, he was in a fury, but did he think he was the only one who was in that position? How many people have been dismissed from their employment?

Even my company had cut headcount and quite a number of my former colleagues were asked to go, just like that. They did not do anything wrong. So in this case, would they then have to take the company hostage and threatened to kill the rest of us just to get their jobs back? In what way could this help their situations?

Reading articles like these really sadden me, that human beings are supposed to be the most intelligent of the animal species, yet some behave more cannibalistic than other animals around.

The Story Of A Hero

In recent years, the movies I have watched do not tug at my heartstrings anymore. They are just that - movies, where one sees for leisure.

Yes, I have come across good shows. Most of the shows I have watched either leave a warm after taste or they inspire me or they make me feel good all over. Still I do not get emotionally involved like I used to, even though there are a few shows that really touch me.

Until yesterday. I actually sobbed my eyes out in the theatre. I could not stop crying until my dear had to whip out his handkerchief as well as use his sleeve to wipe my tears away. I daresay almost everyone in the theatre were crying too. I felt as if someone turned on the taps in my eyes and could not turn it off.

So what triggered off all the tears? We went to watch the dog show Hachiko. Initially I did not intend to watch until I discovered it was starring Richard Gere. Plus the show is about a dog and its master.

The puppy in the poster looks so adorable and I cannot really resist Richard Gere so we decided to watch it, thinking it was another feel-good kind of show.

How wrong I was! The story is actually based on a true story of how an Akita puppy found its master. It followed its master to the train station every morning while the guy went to work, and would be there at five every evening to greet its master back from work and accompanied him home. Rain or shine, snow or hail, it would always be there.

One day the master passed away and did not make the train home. The dog still waited for him faithfully. Even though it might or might not have known its master would never be coming back, it still went to the station every morning and evening without fail to wait for its master.

Needless to say, word got around and the dog became famous. It went under the care of the people around the station like the station master, hot dog vendor, the butcher, the bookstore owner, who gave it food and water.

This went on for the next ten years until the dog's own demise. Its master never came back and the dog never saw him again. Now the spot where the dog waited in front of the station has a statue erected in its memory.

How can anyone not cry after watching the show? I think there was nary a dry eye in the theatre when the closing credits came on. My tears started flowing down even in the midst of this post!

To me, the dog is a true hero. Its love and loyalty to its master exceeds even the kind of true love one human has for another. All the more I simply cannot fathom why some people can bear to abuse animals or treat their pets badly. At least a dog will not bite the hand that feeds it, which is more than I can say for certain humans!

Yesterday after watching the show, I went home and hugged my dog. I am letting my dog sleep with me from now on, no matter what my mum says!

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In Tandem ....

Last Saturday morning some of us went on a cycling trip along the East Coast. For someone who cannot really cycle, I had to ride tandem. I brought my dog along and we put him in the basket of the tandem then we proceeded to ride.

We rode from McDonalds (around the middle of the whole East Coast beach) to Bedok Jetty (around the end) for a pitstop. After that we continued on from Bedok Jetty all the way past the Sailing Centre, past the SAFRA Clubhouse and golf course, past the coastal point to almost to the point of Changi, the furthest east of the island. Can just imagine by the time we started to cycle back to return the bike, I was feeling sore all over already!

But it was great working out. I have not exercised for so long that I must really start keeping fit. My dog was also so excited that all he could do was look at the scenery passing him by, keeping quiet in the basket and looking out without a single sound!

By the time we returned the bikes, we had cycled for more than two hours. I thought I would feel wobbly but luckily, I was still steady after having both feet on the ground again. My dog was also happy about having his feet on the ground that he was walking around excitedly!

We then proceeded to the hawker centre for brunch. After the two hours or so of exercise with burning of calories, in just half an hour we put back all the calories! Who said exercise helps one to lose weight then? ;-p

Hot Housekeeping Day!

It had been a few very hot days! So hot that my entire house is emitting heat! So hot that my dog ran away when I tried to shower him with the hose (fixed to the tap at the backyard) because it spewed out boiling water! Talk about having hot water without even boiling it!

Normally my dog is pretty well-behaved when it comes to his bath. He would just stand there, not moving, while we splashed him with tap water, scrubbed him, and splashed him with tap water again to wash his shampoo off.

But last Saturday, he ran away the moment the water touched him. I was puzzled, but when I came in contact with the water, I knew why. It was boiling! He had shampoo all over his body, so in the end I had to carry him into the kitchen bathroom to use the shower hose to wash him off.

Again, the shower hose spewed out hot water! Finally I had to use a plastic wash basin, fill it with cold tap water and rinse him off before he was satisfied. Poor fellow! He must be wondering why I subjected him to such "torture"!

It was too hot to even clean the house properly. I was assigned the upper level since my maid is away on home leave. I specially stayed home on Saturday (partly due to the late night partying on Friday night and I did not reach home until four in the morning on Saturday) so I could clean the house, but it was just too hot!

In the end my dear came over and he volunteered to mop the floor for me. What an angel! My mum even commented that the floors are pretty well-cleaned, although if she knew who was the one who cleaned them I am going to be in trouble!

Bird Brain!

The day before we left for our trip, something funny happened at home. I came back and saw a parakeet (or was it a cockatoo?) perched on one of the windows! Apparently it flew in when the sky was raining heavily, perched on the dining room chair where my grandma was having her dinner, got chased off by my grandma, then flew to the kitchen and got chased by my dog, and finally perched itself on the window in the living room!

It is a white bird with a greenish crown. A pretty fellow if I must say, although I had no idea if it is a male or a female. It started looking left and right, sometimes with its crown opened. My maid fed it some bananas and it regurgitated some out.

When my mum came back, she was surprised. However we had no time to be concerned with a parrot. My suspicion was that it probably belonged to someone but got loose somehow and found “solace” in our house? In that case, I wonder who that bird belonged to?

It was still there the next morning when we were about to leave. Thus my mum said if the bird intends to stay, we have to adopt it and feed it, as well as buy a perch for it. Come to think of it, what does a parrot eat anyway?

Anyway, when we came back today, the bird is gone. The owner came looking for it with its partner, so the moment it heard its partner, it flew to the owner, and that was how it was found! At least the owner takes good care of it! Here are some pictures which I took of the bird!

My Bundle Of (Furry) Joy

My little baby is so cute! Alright, he is no longer a baby, he will be almost four this year. My parents are away so I allowed him to sleep in my room at night. He lounged around on a rug on the floor as I did not allow him to climb onto my bed. He was pretty well-behaved, just lie down on the floor and slept soundly.

When morning comes, he would jump onto my bed, looked at me, then licked me all over my face and hands just to wake me up! I would then open my eyes and saw his forlorn brown eyes looking at me, with his tail wagging and his pink tongue sticking out. I could not help smiling to myself! That was a sign he needed to go, so I would open the door and he would bound downstairs to announce his arrival of a new day!

I love him so much! He is such a bundle of joy to my otherwise problematic life! I would not mind being woken up like this everyday for the rest of my life!

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Oh Baby Baby ....

I went for a family gathering earlier on to celebrate my cousin's baby's first month. Before that, I went to buy dance gear for my upcoming classes. I bought a leotard (which will be in stock in another two weeks), ballet tights and leather suede pointe shoes. I have gone up a size from XS to S for my leotard (luckily I have not reached M), and the tights are XL, for those 1.55m and above. My shoe size has not gone up though, I am still wearing 3.5! Can imagine just how small my feet are.

When I arrived at my grandma's place, the baby was sleeping in the pram throughout, so peacefully and blissfully, unaware of everything that is going on around him. How I wish I can be like that too, to just sleep and not bother about anything that is going on! As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss!

A baby is really a miracle. One cannot ever imagine that something that started out as the size of a full stop (period) will become something that is so beautiful, so good to look at, a real angel. How in the world can something so heavenly exist? This makes me yearn so much for my own child. I really cannot wait for the day when I can finally have my own family!

My cousin is very protective over her child. She did not allow me to carry or touch the child. I was a bit disappointed as I wanted so much to carry him in my arms and looked at his beautiful form, cooed him to sleep, smile at him. I can gaze at him the whole day and not feel tired at all!

My cousin remarked that her dog has also been rather protective over the baby, as if it feels itself as its "elder brother". The dog is really treated as their son! I always thought I treat my dog very well already, but compared to my cousin, I feel so ashamed, as she even sent it to dog training, bought a birthday cake for its birthday and even doggie clothes for it! Compared to this dog, my dog is like a stray. :-(

On a side note, my brother taught me the radiocommunications code used in the army (as well as internationally). It is amazing that there is a word for every alphabet! So the "new" A-Z will be :

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet (how can I ever forget this?)
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo (again, how can I ever forget this?)
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whisky
X-ray (is there supposed to be a dash in between?)
Yankee (with or without the 's'?)
Zulu

In this case, my name should then be Charlie Echo Lima India Alpha Juliet Alpha Charlie Quebec Uniform Echo Lima India November Echo Lima India Mike. Too long for my liking!

A Catch Up Session

My best friend really knows me! But then, we have not maintained a close friendship for twelve years for nothing. She is the one that knows what I am thinking, how I feel and the reasons I do certain things. If no one else understands the way I function, she is one who does.

We were chatting on the phone last night as a way of catching up. She told me that my ex would be holding his church and dinner ceremony in July, and asked if I would be going this time. So I asked if he asked her to ask me, and she said no. She just wondered because I kept changing my mind over attending his solemnisation last year.

I asked if she would be going, and she said if she is free that day, of course she will go. My reply to that is, if I am free that day, I will go too. She then asked if I would feel awkward, because after all, I did not attend his solemnisation was because I was not able to bring myself to witness it.

My reply to that? Honestly, of course I would feel weird. Who would not? She also felt a bit uncomfortable attending her ex's wedding two years back. But it is his choice after all. If he thinks he is much happier with her, then so be it. If he still takes me as a friend, then the least I can do is to be happy for him.

My best friend then told me that it has been so long, and now that he is married, I too should just move on and settle down myself. She can really read my mind! It is not that I have not moved on (well, perhaps a very minor teeny weeny tinge still cannot really let go completely), but the reason I am still not married is not because of him. It is because no one has proposed to me.

Perhaps no one loves me enough, or deems me worthy enough to want to be committed? Or else say will sure commit, but makes me wait. Wait for how long, I wonder? Until I am in my thirties, forties, until I am old and grey? If the guy is really committed in the first place, why wait?

I am not talking about if we were still students, then of course have to wait. I am talking about guys who already have established their careers, abundant savings and in a relationship for a few years. Why still wait? Guys are different, they can wait, even until middle or old age. A woman, once past thirty, her market value goes downhill, especially if she wants to have kids and raise a family while she is still young.

My best friend also told me that her boyfriend's mother may want to give away his dog. She asked if I am willing to take the dog. She said that if they are going to give away the dog, they rather give to someone who will love and take care of the dog. Again, she knows me so well!

However, my mum only allows one dog in the house. She said if it is my own house, she does not care even if I run an animal farm, but in her house, she allows only one dog. So too bad, even if I want the dog so much, I have to respect the rest of my family members too. Same goes for my best friend. Even though she loves the dog to bits, she has to respect her family members as well, since her mum is allergic to pets, and her grandmother is scared of dogs.

I asked her if the parents want to give away his dog, why keep it in the first place? She said he got it because he wanted the dog, and just adopted it without telling anyone in the family until the day he brought the dog home. But I feel (and she agrees) that anything to do with a life should be discussed fully with all the members of the family.

Everyone must agree, take turns in taking care, treat like a family member, and not just take and then chuck aside after a few years. It is so traumatic for the animal in question. Worst thing is to keep a pet, then realise there is no time to take care, and just dump it at SPCA like that.

Which is why the SPCA also always advises the public not to keep a pet on an impulse. Decisions should be made by every member of the family, because as long as one family member is not warm to the idea, problems like this will suffice. I only wish the dog can be re-homed to somewhere good. The SPCA should only be the last resort after all efforts of re-homing have been in vain.

A Dog's Life

My name is Cookie. I am two years old today, which makes me a pre-teen in human years. This picture was taken when I had just finished cutting my hair. See, do I look handsome?

My father is a pomeranian and my mother is a shih-tzu, which makes me a toy breed. That accounts for my mild-temper. I will not dig around the garden and destroy the flowers, or get soil all over myself, or bark at anything and anyone. Rather, I am a lap dog. I can sit down quietly for hours. I love sitting down together with my family! I love to keep them company and show them my affection.

I was actually an unwanted puppy. My parents gave birth to eleven of us. Their owners then started selling my brothers and sisters away. No one wanted me as my hair is dark, and have a black snout.

I was supposed to be sent to a pet shop and later to the SPCA. I was only two months old then. But when my mistress knew about my fate, she begged the pet shop lady to let her keep me. The pet shop lady know my mistress very well as she will pop by once in a while to play with the other dogs there.

My parents' owners then said if she wanted me, she would have to fork out S$350.00, as my brothers and sisters were sold for S$450.00 each. My mistress paid a total of S$500.00 just to rescue me. And got a big scolding from her own mummy for paying so much just to get a dog. Which is why I love her so much!

I hope my mistress can be happy. Sometimes I see her crying to herself. She dared not cry in front of her daddy and mummy. When that happens, I will go up to her and lick her tears away. There was once she was on the sofa and sobbing her heart out. I wondered who had bullied her and made her cry?

I climbed on her and hugged her. My front leg was too short to go around her whole body, but I used my paw to stroke her. I looked up at her with my forlorn eyes. I wanted to tell her that I get upset when she is upset too.

My birthday is just two weeks after my mistress' birthday. My mistress and her maid take very good care of me and I love them very much. They always buy the nicest food for me when I am good and bring me to the doctor when I am sick.

But I hate going to the doctor! My butt will ache each time after a trip! I think doctors are very sadistic creatures who like to torture me by pricking me with something sharp! And I hate it! But my mistress always tells me it is good for me. How can anything painful be good?!

My mistress and her maid allow me to lounge around in the living room. I had even gone upstairs and stayed around her legs when she was on the computer. However, when her mummy is around, back to the kitchen I go. She does not like dog hair all around the house, so she confines me to the kitchen and outdoors. :-(

But I like to jump on my mistress' lap when she is reading on the sofa in the living room. I can get close and cuddle up to her. But now her mummy told her to stop me from jumping up on the sofa, so each time I do that, she will carry me down on the floor.

I wish I can have a girlfriend. I have been playing with two female retrievers down the street, a golden retriever and a yellow labrador retriever, but they are both too big for me. I wish I can have a girlfriend my size. There is a female shih tzu the other side of the street, but she is too young for me.

My mistress says she is going to bring me to be neutered. No way! It will be too painful! I can hardly bear the thought of it!

I hope my mistress brings me good treats today! I have tried to behave myself to the best of my ability! My favourite food is Solid Gold. It comes in a golden packaging for adult and silver packaging for puppies, but my mistress never liked it. She said the food contained lamb, and that lambs are too cute to be eaten.

However, this is the only brand of dog food I eat, thus she has no choice but to continue buying for me. She tried changing my diet to Pedigree before, but I do not like the taste of it and I seem to be allergic to it as well, as I got sick after taking it.

Her mummy told her to stop spoiling me. She said I have to learn to eat anything that is put in front of me, be it chicken bones, rice, minced meat, and even fish and some vegetables! I do eat chicken bones and rice, but hate the rest!

I am lucky to have this mistress. That is what all her friends say too. She always gets upset whenever she sees dogs and cats being tortured and abandoned, and she always comes back depressed whenever she goes for her once-in-a-while volunteering stint at the SPCA.

So I must stick with her, and not let her down. No one can bully my mistress, not when I am around!

The Joys Of Having A Pet

My little furball is really the light of my life. He perks me up when I am down. Especially nowadays he can sense that I am feeling depressed, so keep sticking to me. He will jump on my lap when I am on the sofa, and I have to bring him down as my mum does not allow any dog hair on the sofa.

So he started curling up and lying down at my feet, licking my toes and fingers at the same time. What will I do without him? Even my dad commented yesterday that he seems to stick to me so much lately.

Dogs are very cute animals actually, in all sense. They are like little kids wanting affection, and giving their utmost loyalty and affection and love. The way they look at you, the way they greet you, it makes you feel warm after a hard and stressful day.

For instance, when my friend shaved his Maltese as her hair was getting too long, she went into withdrawal symptoms. She hid in her basket, and refused to come out and greet anyone until her hair has grown back. It was as if she knew she looked ugly, so did not dare to face anyone.

Just like when my dog had a haircut yesterday, he actually looks more presentable and neater. And it was as if he knows he looks better, so keep showing off to everyone that he had a haircut. My dad commented he looks nicer, and my maid said he is now a handsome dog.

And he has an ego too. When I called him by his name several times, he refused to respond. Then I called "Handsome Boy", and he quickly turned around and licked me. What a vain creature!

All my friends who own dogs concur with me. Some did not want a dog at first, but they helped save some strays from being put down. But after that, they, too, said that they are glad they kept the dog, as having a pet really lights up your life.

A Pet Is A Lifetime Of Responsibility

Some time ago when I was surfing the SPCA website looking for strays to adopt, I came across this touching article which brought tears to my eyes. A pity I did not save or print it out, so when I went back to the website later, the article is no longer there. The story reproduced here is entirely from my memory. I try as much as possible to remember every detail.

When I was a puppy, your world consisted of only me. You expressed anger whenever I messed up the floor, but always forgave me and gave me a tummy rub when I looked dopey and apologetic. You carried my photo everywhere and showed me off to all your friends.

Later you felt you needed a human companion instead. So you brought home a lady who has no affinity for dogs. Still, I welcomed her into our home, as long as you were happy. But while I used to be able to roam all around the house, now I spend most of my time shut up in the kitchen.

When the human children came, I was just as excited as you were. I wanted to take care of them, protect them, be their mother too. But you and your wife were afraid I would hurt them, so kicked me aside whenever I went near any of them.

Your attitude had changed. You no longer played with me or took me out for walks. Even when your friends asked if you had a dog, where in the past you would take out my photo and show me off excitedly, now you would just mumble a “Yeah” and changed the subject.

Then the inevitable happened. You received a job posting to another town. Which means you had to move with your family to an apartment that would not accommodate a dog. But I believed you would never abandon me.

When you brought me out onto the car, I was so excited. I thought the old times had come back where you would bring me out for a spin once in a while. When we reached the dog pound, I was confused. Why were you bringing me here?

You handed me over to an officer and said, “I am sure you can find a good home for her.” Then you left without even looking at me. When your son cried saying, “Daddy, I want my dog! Don’t leave her here!” you soothed him by saying you would buy him his favourite toy. So that was all I was – a toy, and you taught your son that my life could be exchanged for a mere toy.

The officer kept me in a cage, all the while shaking her head and remarking that you had probably known about the move for quite some time, yet never bothered to find another home for me.

Time passed. Each time someone came, I was so excited thinking that you had come back for me, or even someone who would be willing to take me. When I saw the newcomers being brought back instead, my heart sank. The officer fed me very well, but I had lost my appetite long ago. I missed you and wondered when you were coming back for me.

But I know the fate of a middle-aged dog, even for one “with papers”. We would always be overlooked in favour of younger puppies that could be trained from young. Month after month passed with me seeing all the other dogs being taken away and no one wanted me.

One day, the officer brought me to the vet’s office. I saw her holding a syringe in her hand. She started to stroke me with tears in her eyes. She comforted me, telling me not to blame her for what she was about to do before injecting me with the syringe.

I felt my head spinning. My eyes were starting to close. The vet continued stroking me and crying. I gave a final swipe of my tail just when my eyes closed to tell her that I did not blame her. It was my master who had abandoned me, who had caused my death.

This story was written by an anonymous person, reflecting the fates of thousands of dogs in the American Dog Pound every year. It was written from the point of view of a typical dog, with a typical owner.

I really feel for the dog. I cannot imagine ever abandoning my Cookie or my cousin ever abandoning her dog. I cannot understand why some people want to have dogs only to abandon them later on.

The moral of the story is, if you want a pet, make sure it really is for a lifetime. Treat it with the utmost care like how you will treat a child. To adopt a pet then abandon it after a while is the cruelest and most irresponsible act ever.

Dog Lovers, United

Imagine what flu can do to you. This illness seems to have knocked all my senses back together. I seem more alert than before, my brain cells are functioning normally again, and my creative juices have been unleashed full scale again. My ideas are flowing like never before.

I have finally moved to a bigger threshold. Excerpts of my entry a week back - the one on my Name post - has been published in Tomorrow.sg! I still cannot believe it when I saw the post there. Thanks so much, Lancerlord, for helping me submit the post! Now my readership has increased by leaps and bounds! And thanks to my readers who have left their own two cents' worth, I get to know that my name is not that bad after all (not that I have ever said it is bad). But when you start hearing names like Yeong Kam Lan, Chow Chee Wai and Goh Fak Yew, well, there is really nothing for me to complain about. I only hope these good people do not grow up with an inferiority complex.

I met a new acquaintance for lunch today. I never know there is another guy so into dogs like me! We spent almost the entire lunch hour discussing our favourite breeds and the maintenance of certain dogs. He was talking about his beloved Schnauzer, and I was talking about my own mixed Shih Tzu Pomeranian. He deduced that my dog had both characteristics, as it will stay on my lap quietly like a Shih Tzu, but will also tend to bark loudly and noisily like a Pom. I told him about my favourite breed - Maltese and Old English Sheepdog.

Incidentally, I read somewhere that this couple who got together because both love dogs, actually organise outings for singles who are dog lovers to help them find a mate while out walking their dogs. Seems like matchmaking efforts have literally gone to the dogs.

Anyway my new friend and I had a very interesting discussion about dogs and their habits. A pity our lunch hour is so short. He said he may give me a call for another lunch appointment again. I am looking forward to it; I want to continue our interesting discussion on the different dog breeds and their habits!

Maltese Maltese Maltese!

See, my favourite breed of dog! Cute right? No, this is not my dog (unfortunately). It is my friend's dog, but I always love this breed. This will be the dog I want to have in my own place next time.

A Pet By Any Other Name .... (In Memorium)

I stopped by a pet shop to buy dog food and a new collar after mass yesterday. I saw 2 very cute Shih Tzus belonging to the owner of the shop, as well as a hyper Jack Russell and a black Scottish Terrier belonging to the business partner. I always like going to pet shops. I can source out a variety of things for my dog (which my mum remarked that it's getting to be a real spoilt pampered pooch), but most importantly, I can get to see and play with all the cute dogs in the shops.

As you can probably guess, I am an animal-lover. I am a life member of the SPCA. Dogs are my favourite animals. During a trip down to the SPCA earlier this year, I witnessed how owners abandoned their pets. Some of the dogs and cats showed signs of abuse and neglect and I really felt for them. I went away feeling so upset. I came to the conclusion that much as I love to volunteer at the SPCA regularly, I cannot do it as it will take a toil on my mental state if I go away crying all the time.

I have wanted a dog ever since I was very young. But we only got our first dog after my 'O' Levels as my parents wanted to be sure I can be old enough to take care of a big responsibility. She was given to us by a former colleague of my mother's. It was a cross Japanese Spitz. She was white with a curly tail and a bit of black spots around her body. We called her Happy. She was with us for 2 years plus until one day, she went out for one of her regular exercises and got knocked down outside my house. When that happened, I cried for a whole day. We had her cremated and I kept her collar and leash for old times' sake.

The second dog we had was given to us by my friend. He was in the army then and found a litter of puppies in camp. As they were going to be picked up by the SPCA, he decided to "kidnap" one and knowing how I would drool over the puppy, he gave her to me. My mum, for all her originality, decided to call her "Happy" again despite our protests. She only lasted 3 months. She was sleeping in the driveway when my parents' car ran over it.

Our third dog stumbled into our neighbourhood so I decided to adopt it. He was a mongrel called "Nicky". However, he grew too big and fierce. My parents would not mind a dog as long as it is not too hairy, big-sized or fierce. I was made to give him away to the SPCA. I refused and argued with them countless times, until in the end, my dad called the SPCA to cart him away when I was out one day. I never spoke to them for a few days after that.

Our fourth dog stayed with us the longest. One of my neighbours had a litter of puppies. We decided to adopt one. He was cross-breed but since his parents were small-sized and short, my parents assumed that it would not grow too big and adopted him. We called him "Lucky". He was smart and lively, always awaiting me at the gate whenever I came home for me to pat him. He was with us for almost five years until he went out for his regular exercise last October and never did come back. We had no idea what happened to him. My maid and I searched everywhere for 3 days but to no avail. I can only pray that he had found a good family to stay with.

My current dog was bought from a pet shop in late January. He was a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Pomeranian. He is small-sized and with strangely not much hair, considering his parents' breeds. He is very smart even as a puppy. He is my most beloved Cookie! My mum always joked that I treat him like my own child. After losing so many dogs, I really became very protective of him as I do not want anything to happen to another dog of mine.

A pet is really a lifetime of responsibility. What the SPCA said is true – get a pet only if you are ready and willing to care for it for life. It is very traumatic for the innocent pet if you are going to abuse it as it only wants to please, and will have no idea what it had done to deserve ill-treatment.