Benjamin Tan with his son Zuqas, and their dogs Blacky and newly adopted Zudy (right). Photos: Benjamin Tan
Benjamin Tan, a real estate negotiator in Puchong, Selangor, has loved dogs his entire life.
"My parents adopted Poppy, a mixed mongrel, when I was a baby, so we grew up together," he shares. "One day, when I was about seven, I was wandering around and I went too far.
"I was looking around, a bit lost, when a strange dog appeared. It was barking and aggressive. As it lunged at me, attacking me, Poppy turned up out of nowhere. She defended me and chased the dog away too. I had no idea she was even there, or that she'd followed me."
Poppy and Benjamin were super close in every way. Aside from protecting the young human, when Poppy got pregnant, she let the little boy touch her puppies.
"Everyone else had to stay away but she trusted me," Tan remembers fondly. "For me, that was incredible. It was over 30 years ago, but it's always stayed with me."
Poppy died of old age when Tan was a teen, and with school and work, there was no time to have another dog.
However, 13 years ago, when Tan moved into his own home, his mind went straight back to the happiness of his youth.
He bought a Poodle, Blacky, from a breeder, and then Bibi, also a Poodle. Blacky is still with the family, 13 years old and quite the senior dog, while Bibi passed away last year.
"It's important to have two dogs so they're never alone, they need dog friends," Tan says. "My wife and I see so many strays and it breaks our hearts. So we talked and we decided that instead of buying a pedigree, we would give a homeless dog a home."
The Tans went to a pet fair in Mid Valley where they met Brenda Chia, a volunteer with Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better.
"We told her about ourselves, about Blacky, and we asked if she could recommend a female dog," Tan says. "Honestly, there are so many dogs wanting a home, I think I might have had trouble picking one and disappointing the others. So we asked Brenda to choose."
Chia selected Tini, a medium-sized lady, and introduced her to the Tans.
"My son Zuqas fell in love," Tan grins. "He is eight and really good with animals. He renamed Tini Zudy so that their names are a match."
Ex-strays tend to be traumatised, and Zudy is no exception.
Zudy is shy and gentle, and Benjamin Tan believes she will be a good family member once she fully settles down.
"She's extremely timid," Tan observes. "For the first three weeks, she didn't make a sound. We suspected she might be mute. It would have been OK, she's family, not a guard dog, but the silence was a little worrying. Also, she was shaking all the time."
It was the first time the Tans had ever seen such a timid dog.
"You never know what kind of cruel treatment dogs have had," Tan says sadly. "Poor Zudy was too scared the first few days to even eat."
The family were gentle with the new pet, and their efforts have been successful.
"She's warming up," Tan reports. "She's eating happily now, and for the past week she's begun to approach me, asking me to pet her. However, she will need a lot more time and love. My vet told me that trauma might take six months to get over."
Zudy is shy but incredibly sweet and gentle.
"My son pets her but she's still very timid so they're not playing yet," Tan says. "We're taking it slowly because we don't want to pressure her. We also have a rabbit and fish, so Zuqas is good with animals. He is very patient and gentle with her. They'll be great friends; it just takes time."
Buying or adopting fully socialised happy dogs is quite different from taking a canine trauma victim into the family. But Tan is very happy with his decision.
"Zudy is extremely gentle. Once she's settled, I think she’ll be a good family member. And as a bonus, she's so pretty. She's going to be beautiful when she's relaxed and confident."
Having gone through the process of settling a stray in recently, the unexpected or difficult parts are fresh in his mind.
"Zudy is just shy, she isn't difficult exactly, but it's critical to promote trust and that takes time and a bit of skill," he muses. "I'd say that a dog like her is fine for someone who has experience but maybe not for a person who's never had a dog.
"I think the key to being a responsible pet owner is to treat them like a new family member. Dogs are loyal and loving. They really understand us. They know when you're sad, happy and they're incredibly empathetic. You can see in their eyes how they feel. And when they're badly treated, they really suffer.
"When you buy or adopt a dog, it's important to treat them like beloved family members. Think twice before you take on the responsibility. It takes a lot of time every single day. My time is flexible so I can do it. But if you have fixed hours, and it's going to be too much, then don't take it on because the dog will feel very lonely and depressed."
Adopt Me
Otis is four months old, born in March 2023, which makes him a Pisces pup. This little boy has had his first vaccination and is dewormed.
Photo: Brenda Chia
Otis is active, playful but shy. He'd love to be a companion dog to a single person or to live with a family.
Interested adopters, please contact Brenda in Petaling Jaya at 012-231 6963.
