Give them a roof! :D

What would you say if we told you we were mulling over investing in a roof for the shelter? A permanent, transparent roof that protects our dogs from the cold winds and pelting rain and yet doesn't prevent the rays of the sun from shining through?

Would you say it is a luxury that we can ill-afford?

A canvas roof is not a roof. A canvas roof is a sheet that collects water when it pours. It sags with the weight of the water, teetering precariously, sometimes giving way from the weight.

We give the bottom of the canvas a good hard shove after the rain has stopped and water comes splashing down in torrents. The wet cement floor beneath successfully becomes even wetter.

We don't know when the government will take back the land. We don't know how long, beyond the expected 4 years, we'll be staying at our current location.

But does that make the need for a proper, sturdy roof any less essential?

We take our roofs for granted. Be it a 1 bedroom studio apartment, the usual 3 to 5 room HDB flat, a condominium or terrace house, we are provided with roofs over our heads. We can easily escape from Nature's wrath whenever we please and retreat into the safety of our homes. We come out again when the rain dies down and the sun starts to peek through the grey.

Unlike us, the dogs are and will be at the shelter for most of their lives. If the shelter cannot provide a basic amenity such as protection from the rain, how ironic that it is called just that - a shelter. We believe a roof is not only necessary, it is critically so. The health of the dogs, the hygiene of the place and all the things we strive so hard to achieve would be jeopardised if we continue to languish without a proper cover for the dogs.

We got a quote from the contractor who helped put up the metal fencing you see at the shelter.

$3900 is the magic number.

Please join us in building a roof for Gentle Paws.

People always marvel at the power of community. We totally agree. One person can make a limited difference, but together we are a force. If 390 ordinary, average people like you or me donate $10 each to our Roof Fund, think of what we can do for our furkids! And if you can't afford it, no worries. The power of the community also involves the power to inspire. If you are financially tight, you can do your part by helping to spread the word. We would very much appreciate it. Your help is intangible but it goes a long way.

I have no idea how many people read this blog. But I do know that many people aren't. Most don't even know we exist. So if you could help tell them about our Roof Fund, that would mean the world to us.

If you're interested in contributing or if you simply have questions to ask, please feel free to drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com with the title "Roof Fund".

They always talk about how we should bring the house down, but hey, now's the time to put a roof up! With your help, we know it is possible. We are awaiting responses with our fingers tightly crossed. Here's to the roof and beyond!

Posted at http://gentlepaws2010.blogspot.com/2010/07/woof-woof-roof.html

Sponsor a Dog today at Gentle Paws :D

Do you ever wish to have a dog, but because of your lifestyle, your other commitments or housing constraints are prevented from having one? Or do you simply wish to contribute to a meaningful cause? The Sponsor-A-Dog (SAD) Program is a program designed to bring you closer to our dogs by allowing you to get to know one of our dogs better and help sponsor it to give it a better life.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM ABOUT

The program involves a contribution of any sum a month to aid in the caring of a particular dog. The amount of contribution is really based on your own discretion. We usually receive sponsorships ranging from $10 to $50 a month. Though we hope that this program can help cultivate a close and lasting relationship between sponsor and dog, this remains purely voluntary and sponsors may opt out of it should any problems, financial or otherwise, arise. Also, due to the tight constraint of funds, we are accepting more than one sponsor for each dog and we seek the understanding of potential sponsors.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

The sum contributed will generally go towards the daily needs of the dog. First up, it will help sponsor its daily meal at the shelter. This usually consists of rice, meat, anchovies, vegetables and kibbles. It will also go towards the purchase of shampoo or needs of the common pool of dogs. It might also go towards payment of any medical bills the dog incurs should it happen to fall ill.

ACCOUNTING TO THE SPONSORS

We will keep you updated about the dog you decide to sponsor and you can come down to visit him/her any time you wish. If the particular dog has any re-homing opportunities, we will also keep you updated.

CONTACTING US

If you are interested in participating in our program, please do drop us an email at farmwaylove@gmail.com. We will then forward you a catalogue of our dogs containing the necessary information to help you make your decision! Thanks for giving us your time!

Posted at http://gentlepaws2010.blogspot.com/2010/03/sponsor-dog-today_17.html

Help the shelter dogs

Posted at Gentle paw:

Today, we are going to talk about health.

When you or I get sick, we feel horrible. And then we make a trip to the doctor's. It is an automatic mental jump. We don't have to think twice about it. When our pet gets sick, however, we hesitate a little. This could be due to high veterinary costs or the time and effort involved in transporting the pet. But we eventually bring the poor dog to see the vet because we can't bear to see it so miserable. After all, it's our pet and we love it.

Now when a shelter dog gets sick, it seems like the idea of bringing it to see the vet becomes a little ludicrous. Shelters are supposed to work on tight financial budgets. Between rent, food and other medical costs (such as sterilisation and vaccination costs), shelters cannot afford to be racking up exorbitant veterinary fees. In many shelters around the world, dogs that fail to get adopted after a suitable period of time are euthanised. This is the supposed "cure-all" solution that saves on food, shelter and medical costs all at once.

But that's not how we work. As we have often reiterated, shelter dogs are not second class citizens. They didn't ask to be a shelter dog. By some twist of fate, they were born just a little unluckier than their counterparts with good homes and great owners. Since we've taken our dogs into our shelter with open arms, we are going to do all we can to provide some sort of a home for them. Not the best, certainly, but the best that we can give. That includes making allowance for visits to the vet and chalking up the requisite expenses from the consultations. After all, isn't this what responsible rescuing is all about?

Recently at Gentle Paws, we've had an alarming spate of health issues befall us. It has been a rough time for us because, essential as it is, going to the vet costs.

First, we have Deckie, our furry orange boy who seems to prefer humans to dogs. Deckie has been warded at the vet's for some time now. He was bitten on the ear by another dog at the shelter. The infection of that wound triggered his autoimmune disease, causing his cells to attack healthy tissue and his muscle to detach from his skin. Deckie had to undergo a couple of surgeries to fix the damage wrought on his body. But it appears that he is now well on the road to recovery. Because he is terrified of the other shelter dogs, the shelter is no place for rest and recovery. Deckie has to stay at the vet's until his condition stablises, whereupon one of our volunteers would bring him back home.

Next, we have Diya (below right), one of Dior's three lovely daughters (the other two being Donna and Dyana). Besides Donna, the liveliest and most active of the three, people tend to overlook the other two. If you take the time to get to know them, you'll find that Diya and Dyana are two of the most loving girls at the shelter. When you make soft pitiful whining sounds as I've been taught to do, they will walk towards you, cock their head, look at you, then proceed to lick your face quite tenderly.

Diya was one of the few dogs we have yet to sterilise. Last week, we decided to bring both her and DakDakDei for the procedure and bid goodbye forever to any unwanted pregnancies. Little did we expect the trip to be a futile one. The procedure could not be administered to our dogs because blood tests revealed that they were tick fever carriers. While DDD could be discharged, Diya had to undergo a blood transfusion and was hospitalised for a day. Both dogs have to be put on a special diet and would have to head back to the vet for another review after a month. If you see Diya looking a little listless, do stop by to give her a pat on the head. She is barely even 2 years old and she needs all the love she can get.

Next we have Bobby, our oldest citizen at Gentle Paws. He used to be fierce and a little aggressive but oh how he has mellowed over the past two years. Just ask the volunteers who have been down for our PAW program lately... Bobby is one of the easiest dogs to handle and a joy to walk. But lately, he is easily tired. To add on, he has not been eating and his stomach has grown increasingly bloated. Could it be his kidney? Or what about his liver? Worried, we sent him for a full body check-up. This set us back by about $600 but did not reveal anything abnormal with our dog. Meanwhile, we can only keep our fingers crossed and keep close tabs on his condition.

Moving on, we have Darwin. Darwin is a boarding dog. This means that his rescuer pays for his lodging at our shelter each month. He was once a stray roaming the streets and he was absolutely terrified when he first arrived.

One look at Darwin and you'll realise that his bones protrude and his posture isn't like that of a normal dog's. A visit to the vet revealed that indeed, Darwin is no normal dog. He is a miracle dog. According to the vet, Darwin completely dislocated his right hip when he was younger. This means that his hip joint was entirely displaced from its socket. This could be due to a bad accident on the road or a nasty fall, we will never know. But because dislocation took place when he was still young, his body miraculously formed another socket for the displaced joint. Darwin has now got to undergo an operation to remove this extra portion from his anatomy because the pain is causing him to hunch quite a bit. Post operation, Darwin will be able to lead a normal life aside from a slight hop or limp when he walks.

Finally, a complete shocker we received in the past week has to do with our pretty miniature bull terrier you have heard so much about lately - Xena.

We thought that the worst was over for her but a few days after Furry Day, we received a call from the vet with some very bad news. Turns out that, the full body check-up that Xena underwent earlier revealed an enlargement and even hardening of her lymph nodes. There was also some bleeding in her abdomen. Lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes was highly suspected.

Just so you know, lymph nodes are small, circular organs found throughout our body and are used as filters to trap foreign particles. They form an essential part of our immune system. Whether lymphoma is treatable or not depends on the type and stage of the disease. Following the vet's advice, we have sent Xena's samples and biopsy to the US to be tested. This will take about 10 days and we are now currently still waiting anxiously for the results. We have also arranged for a potential foster home for Xena because the safe haven of a real home is critical to her recovery.

We didn't see this coming at all. No amount of planning prepared us for a cancer stricken dog. Treatment is going to cost. Each session of chemotherapy is going to cost $500. The chemo protocol is approximately 25 weeks long, so the complete treatment is going to cost us $12,500. This is a whopping sum of money. No, strike that. This is a completely scary sum of money. But you know what? If the vet advises that Xena undergo treatment, we are going to go along with it.

$12,500 sounds overwhelming, but we are going to take things one step at a time. $500 a week isn't so bad. There might be a lot of critics out there who violently object to our choice to treat cancer. But you must understand. Xena came back to us after 10 long months. Silly as this may sound, isn't this fate? We cannot leave her in the lurch now and not try.

Perhaps the lab test will come back negative. Perhaps our worries will be for naught. But we need to plan and we need to prepare. Should the worst come true for us, it will be a long battle ahead. If we set up a Xena fund, would you help?

Where our expenses are routine and predictable, we can act to deal with them. We take in dogs on boarding basis to supplement the rent. We scout around for pet food manufacturers for food nearing expiry and are no longer for sale. We launch the Sponsor-a-Dog program to help prop us up a little.

What sucks the most and hits us the hardest is when we can't predict. Because when we cannot predict, we cannot plan. Such health matters are a good example of what we face every month. Some months are better than others. This particular month doesn't look too good. But we're waiting with bated breath, still carrying out the hope that maybe Xena's case is nothing but one big fat false alarm. Let's keep our fingers crossed...

posted at:http://gentlepaws2010.blogspot.com/2010/07/health-matters.html

Help Dimmie the GR

Please Help Dimmie?

ep‧i‧lep‧sy [uncountable]

a medical condition affecting your brain, that can make you suddenly become unconscious or unable to control your movements for a short time

Have you ever encountered any one with epilepsy? Have you encountered any dog suffering from that condition? Dimmie (since renamed Zara), a two year old golden retriever, has been afflicted with this condition all her life. Her eyes would roll back and she would convulse and thrash about, sometimes even banging herself against the walls of the room. Dimmie was a one-time shelter dog at our previous location. Because of her condition, we entrusted her to a kind fosterer. Dimmie is not well again. We sent her to the vet and it cost us a whopping $2,500. Her fosterer, a cancer patient, cannot afford to pay the bill. A volunteer at Gentle Paws has kindly paid the bill first. $2,500 at one go is a huge sum for any one to afford. We are currently desperately seeking contributions to repay the volunteer. Please contact us at farmwaylove@gmail.com if you are interested in helping us out. We will provide further details, such as the scanned copy of the bill from the vet.

If we are not there for Dimmie, who will be? It is not fair why some dogs are born with such afflictions while others get to have a home, a family, love and warmth. Please help Dimmie. She is now back at the shelter with us because her fosterer can no longer cope. You can visit her at the shelter before you decide whether or not to help out. We sincerely hope you do. Thank you.

Posted at http://gentlepaws2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/help-dimmie.html
Last update: 21 april 2010

Please help this cat with half her face GONE!!

"Lara was found with half her face missing, rotting and smelling very very awful. The smell was so bad that the vet had to put on vic's vapourub on her mask while in surgery and still the smell seeped through.

She was missing for 2 weeks before she appeared when the feeder went on her feeding rounds. She was very skinny and hungry, trying to eat, but was unable to as the pain must be terrible. Managed to trap her and sent her to the vet. She has been a cat at Little India for many years and was only recently sterelised about 2 months ago. Its not fair that she has to end up this way. Seeing that she is still trying to eat and has such strong surviving spirit, decided to bring her to the vet and see how it goes.

The vet had to do 2 surgeries to take off the dead skin on her face. Half of her nose is gone, her lower eyelid and some part of the mouth. After the first surgery, she began eating on her own the third day and has gone on from strength to strength. For the second surgery, the vet put a tube through her oesophagus directly to her stomach so she can be tube fed and her face wouldn't be dirtied which may cause further infections.

She would need multiple surgeries to reconstruct her face. Parts of it which do not have skin for the new tissue to grow will will be vulnerable to infections. She also need daily cleaning for her face, which she is tolerating quite well! She also needs to be indoor after this, so she would need a home too. So far the hospital bill is coming up to $1000 and she will still need to stay there for quite awhile. The vet estimate that she would need another $1000 at least and more for the reconstruction of her face.

I'm looking after many cats at the Little India area and has already brought many of them to the vet.
If you could help with Lara's medical bill, or a home for her, please contact me at 9397 8890, or you can email me at vik_pet@ymail.com. I don't have regular email access so may be slow in my reply.

Lara is currently at Animal Docters, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, Blk 108 #01-96 Tel: 6451 4531

Thank you. "

Last update: 23 march 2010

Posted at: http://www.catwelfare.org/node/2314