Sophie lucked out when she was adopted by Su-Lynn and Sashi Nair. Photo: Su-Lynn Nair
Holidays are wonderful and there’s nothing better than puppies. But pets are living beings that come with a huge responsibility. Some animals are left to linger in shops for months, along with other unsold merchandise, while other furry gifts find themselves on the streets within days or weeks of the festival.
Sophie and Lucky experienced these horrors but these two very lucky pets got a second chance.
Rehabilitating dogs and then finding them a forever home is a gruelling business. It takes fortitude, money, knowledge, patience – and is therefore a labour of love.
Cheah Siew Yenn who runs FurrenzPets, a cage-free boarding facility in Selangor that also produces BARF Biologically Appropriate dog food and pet treats, adds a third string to her bow as a part-time rescuer.
Two years ago, after Covid, she came across a little dog in need. “Sophie was stuck in a shop window for almost a year,” she says. “She ended up with a lady who then gave her to me.”
Sophie is an attractive West Highland terrier with snow white fur and big eyes. Nicknamed Westies by their fans, these small dogs are clever, energetic and very social. They were bred to chase rats and other rodents on Scottish farms, which means they are adept hunters with tonnes of energy.
“They’re adorable but they’re also famous for skin troubles and for being noisy,” Cheah sighs. Accordingly, she set about looking for an adopter who would be aware of these issues and able to deal with them.
Roughly one in four Westies suffers from atopic dermatitis, a kind of eczema that causes broken skin and fur loss. It is managed with lotions and care, but it does require keeping a close eye on the pet and putting in the time, should it happen.
“I lucked out because my childhood friend Su-Lynn Nair came to visit,” Cheah giggles. “She met Sophie and the two hit it off. But because of the breed profile, Su-Lynn went off to do her research. It took her a few weeks – but she kept coming back to visit Sophie and play with her.
“Also, Sophie is white. It’s a very pretty fur colour but it entails a lot of maintenance, brushing and washing.”
As Cheah suspected, Su-Lynn had fallen in love. In December 2022, just before Christmas, Sophie got her forever home.
“Sophie is doing really well,” Cheah says happily. “In fact, she’s settled in so well that sometimes she doesn’t remember me until I remind her!”
Despite the successful Christmas adoption, Cheah is against them in principle.
“I’m not a fan of gifting dogs; I think the whole family needs to be in on the decision,” she says. “For example, I have two Great Danes up for adoption now. They were gifted to someone when they were puppies. The people involved didn’t realise how much they cost to feed!”
Cheah’s Christmas wish is clear.
“Animals are not presents, you need to invest time and money over some 15 years,” she points out. “This is why responsible breeders won’t allow it.
“Adopting pets is like having kids. You do it when you’re stable in your career, and you don’t travel too much. You can’t leave dogs or kids alone 12 hours a day, can you? There’s daycare for dogs but it costs. Also, Christmas is followed by Chinese New Year so if you travel, finding a safe and happy sitter or hotel for pets costs a fortune.”
For Lucky, a Poodle in Selangor, life started very badly. Last year he was abandoned in front of Paws animal shelter.
“He was in bad shape,” Edward Lim, Paws shelter manager, says briefly. “He had skin issues, matted fur, but he was in good spirits.”
As Lucky was still young, around a year old, Paws took him in, hoping to clean him up and rehome him.
They washed him, tended his skin, groomed him, and three weeks later, just when they were looking out for a new forever home, the owner came to claim him.
Most shelters have rules that forbid them to return animals dumped by owners, but this owner presented a dilemma.
“He was a young college boy,” Lim explains. “He showed proof that the dog had been his, and said that his parents had thrown the dog out.”
When Lim questioned him, the young man said he had talked to the parents and they promised to keep the dog if he could get him back.
Lucky is fat and happy after a rough start in life. Photo: PAWS/Edward Lim
With thousands of unwanted pets stuck in shelters, and many more thousands euthanised because there just isn’t space for them all, finding homes today in Malaysia is harder and harder. Perhaps that bleak picture played its part because Lim agreed to hand the dog back.
It was a decision he soon regretted.
“Just a few months later, close to Christmas, that dog was back,” Lim says with frustration. “The poor thing was in pampers! And these were so soiled that we had no idea how long he’d been left that way.”
The poor little Poodle’s skin was in awful condition, infected by close contact with faeces and urine.
“I was furious. I blamed myself,” Lim says.
“We took him in, treated him, and while we were healing his wounds, we decided the poor dog had had enough. We named him Lucky, and we gave him a special job as Resident Dog.”
Unlike the abandoned pets who live in enclosures, waiting for their chance at a forever home, Lucky roams the premises freely.
“Lucky welcomes visitors, and he’s so friendly that everyone likes him,” Lim smiles. “In fact, he’s such an attractive little dog that we’ve had offers of adoption. We have said no because he has a good life here.”
Lucky has special food, and at night, after a busy day as acting as canine ambassador and goodwill officer to visitors, he sleeps in the staff quarters.
“When we moved to the new Paws address, we added new staff quarters,” Lim shares. “The old ones were shabby. These are new and nicer, with beds and aircon. At the end of the working day, Lucky trots off with the staff. They all adore him and he is spoilt by all of them. He sleeps there every night.”
Like all Poodles, Lucky is clever.
“Teach him once and he knows,” Lim marvels. “Lucky can sit, shake paws and he walks beautifully on a leash.”
Lucky gets special treats every day, thanks to the adoring staff, so for Christmas he’s bound to get presents.
Lim has bigger ideas for his ideal gift. “I want the public to adopt more animals,” he says earnestly. “Dog adoption has dropped drastically, by 60 to 70% in the last two years, compared to before Covid.
“I think the drop is partly due to lifestyle. More people live in condos which don’t accept dogs or pets. People with homes and gardens are older, and many cannot commit to caring for a cat or dog for 15 years, which is the pet’s average lifespan.
“So please, if you have a garden, or a pet-friendly condo, and you can care for a pet like it’s a family member, please adopt. Dogs and cats love us, and they want to be our friends, just as they need us to be friends to them.”
Think twice before gifting a pet
In films, a puppy or kitten is a cute gift. But in real life, we’re dumping a 15-to-20-year commitment on a friend that includes at the very least an annual vet visit, monthly flea and tick prevention, and food that isn’t cheap.
For dogs, there is a three-times-a-day walk – not fun when you’re tired! For cats, there is the daily litter box filled with pricey litter.
Also, there is training, and the chewing and clawing that is perfectly natural behaviour for dogs and cats. You will have chewed shoes, clawed sofas, and fur on every surface. Plus, you must learn about animal behaviour and basic animal health.
Like parents love their kids through two or more years of nappies and disturbed nights, panicked visits to the doctor for common ailments followed by years of outlay for school uniforms, doctor visits, special milk and so on, animals lovers take the burden of care and cost as part and parcel of their love for their furry family member.
So live animals do not make for kind gifts; they’re too much of a burden.
Adopt Me
Sunset is about three years old, neutered, vaccinated, dewormed and on tick prevention. This sweet young boy is playful, affectionate and very loyal.
Photo: Shannon Lam
Sunset is free to a good home. Interested adopters, please contact Shannon (012-222 4368) to view at Sungai Long, Kajang, Selangor.
