The One About Inori

Have you ever walked pass a petshop window and lay your gaze on a CUTESY LIL’ PUPPY for more than 5 seconds. And before you know it, you are in love with him/her.

You walk in, pay a ridiculous price for it and you bring it home, not comprehending what you have just did.

What have you done?

You have fallen prey to money-faced-non-animal-loving bastards. I will not mince my words.

Let me explain.

A typical cute puppy from the window typically comes from a typical puppy farm.

Typical puppy farms or mills churn out puppies everyday. They work their bitches heat after heat after heat. Do they care if the bitches are mal-nutritioned? No. Do they care that the puppies are not of good quality? No. Do they care about the mortality rate of the dogs? NO! What do they care about then?

They care about how many puppies they can produce for profit. Bitch can no longer produce pups? Just leave her to die.

This post will not contain happy pictures of puppies. This post will contain pictures of cruel reality. If you cannot stomach it, please stop reading now. NOW.

I love collies. They have always been my dream dogs since I was a little girl. I forsee myself keeping collies for the rest of my life. And I’m a very proud owner of my mix collie, Benji. Therefore, the following images, do NOTHING to glorify this elegant and intelligent breed. I’m sickened to my bones.

Images taken from: http://www.therathole.org/critters/puppymill.html
WHAT DIGNITY have they left for the dogs?

How do these poor dogs have anything to do with the puppies in the window, you ask? Well, these are the very farms that would supply the pups to the petshops.

(Please read these stories before you accuse me of fabricating this whole thing: http://www.puppymillrescue.com/petstorehorrostories.htm)

Before you say that these only happens in America (since all the links I gave are American sites), let me tell you that this happens all over the world.

Wherever there is DEMAND for puppies, these people will be around.

I’ve worked in petshops before. I’ve seen these happening far too many times. Too many times, I see sick pups in the window being sold at ridiculous prices. Too many times, I’ve sold a pup with a heavy heart, knowing I had sinned. Too many times, owners have come back to the shop with the pups falling sick and demanding a refund.

And all this time? The poor pup’s mommy is somewhere cold and dark, sitting in a cramp and rusty cage, wondering when she’s going to be raped again.

All these, for the sake of money. For as long as there is the demand, there will always be backyard breeders, puppy mills and irresponsible petshops.

Then, there will be a whole colony of unwanted dogs in pounds/ shelters/ SPCA etc, waiting either to be adopted (lower chances, because most people buy from petshops, which in turn buy from puppy farms, which in turn would kick the unwanted old bitches to the pounds anyway) or to be put to sleep.

I do not hate people who buy puppies from petshops, neither do I hate puppies from petshops (duh). I just feel that if ONLY, everyone can read up intensively before they commit themselves to getting a ‘branded dog’, and adopting instead of buying, it would make such a great difference!

What big difference would it make? You may ask.

Ever heard of the story of a boy walking down the beach and throwing starfishes back into the sea? A man comes along and laughed at the boy.

“What difference would it make? There are so many of them!”

And the boy replies after he picked yet another starfish and threw that into the sea,

“Well it sure made a difference to that one!”

Adopted dogs are not bad dogs. I have many friends who can attest to that. Mixed breed dogs are not worse off than pedigreed ones either.

Do educate friends and relatives should they decide to have a doggy addition to their family. You never know what huge difference you can make to that one dog waiting in the shelter.

There are simply too many dogs, too little people who really really care. And those people who care, are really tired.

It has been an arduous week. I average 5 hours of sleep every night, feeding rat babies.

There were 3 boys and 1 little girl.

One boy passed on on the second day. Another passed on on the fourth day. I was left with two. One boy and one girl.

The lil’ girl has always been the smallest in size and she also had a broken fore leg. We all thought she would be one of the first to leave us but we were wrong.

I actually named the last boy Sebby (after a good friend I got to know through Gunbound).

Both Sebby and his sister loved to drink milk! They suckled fervently.

The baby girl got into a fit of laboured breathing once. We placed her under oxygen. Once again, we thought that she couldn’t make it again. I remember praying to God to let her live because if she didn’t, Sebby would be so lonely.

Miraculously, God answered my prayers and she once again, managed to pull through.

One night, I had a dream (no, not the Martin L.K type). I dreamt of my maternal grandmother who had passed on when I was 15.

If there is anyone in the family who loved animals as much as I do, it would be her. Many times, she would bring in stray injured birds to care after. She once asked me to get her mealworms as pets. She also cared for my chicks and my rabbits.

In my dream, my mom and Lulu were with me. We were walking along a corridor of a n HDB flat. The corridor was filled with incense smoke and red alters (my granny was a Buddhist). Somehow, I knew which flat to turn into.

On an old sofa sat my beloved grandma. She looked like how I first recognised her when I was still a baby – young. She did not have as many wrinkles nor as much white hair nor as fat as she was in her later days. She was all smiles when she saw me. All I could say was,

“Ah Ma!!! Ah MA!!! AH MAA!!!!!!”

As I shouted for her, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I miss her alot. And oftentimes, I still cannot believe that she was no longer around.

In her ‘flat’, there was a cage.

In the cage, were two rats. These rats were adults, all fat and healthy. They also had wheels to run in. I vaguely remember myself playing with them in the dream.

When I woke up (to feed the rat babies), I found my pillow damp. I must have cried in my sleep.

As I fed Sebby and his sister, I thought that perhaps, the two rats I dreamt of with my granny were them. That perhaps, they would grow to be big and strong.

Yesterday, Sebby and his sister took a turn for the worse. They suddenly refused to drink their milk. They became so shriveled up due to dehydration. We had to administer subcutaneous fluids for both of them. I rushed home to feed them with the older formula which they loved more.

Both of them struggled and once again, refused to drink. Sebby was clearly suffering. He was pale, weak and limp. I cried to see him in such pain.

My thoughts then were, “Why did God have to let him suffer? Why couldn’t God just take him away? He’s so young and innocent.”

My boss replied that it is a dying process. God doesn’t give us easy ways all the time. It doesn’t mean that God wants them to suffer, but it’s the choices that we made and the outcomes of it. Be it good or bad, we have to accept it, because it’s a choice we made.

Sebby left us past midnight this morning.

All the time, we thought that the only girl would not make it. All the time, we were wrong. The smallest, injured, most dehydrated one has outlived the rest.

It hit me that the rats in my dream, are not Sebby and sis. It could have been the two boys that passed on earlier. That my granny is looking after them for me.

Many people wonder why I go through so much to care after a bunch of pests.

When God made Adam, He made him the steward of animals. Jesus may not have resurrected animals. Jesus may not have healed crippled animals. But all the same, He loved animals as He placed his children to be their guardians.

God loved us so much He gave us animals as our earthly companions. Companions that understand us.

To sidetrack a lil’, Benji, Chiyo and Kelly (my cat), are so sensitive to my moods and feelings that they have been very supportive of me this past week.

Benji hugged me as usual. Chiyo seldom hugged me but did so willingly this morning. She also planted many kisses (licks) on my face. Even Kelly, snuggled right next to my cheek at night. We slept cheek to cheek.

We have 60 to 100 year to live. Dogs have 10 to 20. Rats, 2 to 3 at the very most.

What is that small fraction of their lives compared to ours?

Why do I help them? Because I feel that it is my duty. They may be pests to millions of other people. But to me, it’s a life. A life that God created.

I am no saint. But I have decided what I want my life to be – to be a steward to our animal friends. And I will try my utmost best.

Little girl, try your best.

And little boys, it’s been a wonderful, enriching encounter. You always have a special place in my heart, just like my grandmother does. And therefore, you are always close to me.

Today, I was happily pottering around at work when I saw my colleague coming in with something pinkish in her hands.

*GASP* 

RAT BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently, a little boy found the baby sizzling like teppanyaki near a wall of the coffeehouse near my workplace.

My boss told me to get Evaporated Milk.

While we were syringe feeding the lil’ fella (he’s a boy), the boy (the human one) ran in and shouted that there were more.

So my colleague and I rushed to the crime scene where the boy was and true enough, there was ANOTHER rat baby against the wall!

We picked that one up and *PLOP* came another! It was like a  Rat Baby Dispensing Machine! We figured that the wall was hollow and Rat Mommy must have built her not-so-secure nest behind that wall.

Sigh. In total, we have FOUR Rat Babies. They are about only a day old.

They squirm and screech in their high pitched voices. They have to be fed every two hours.
I found out that rats (as well as other rodents, cats and dogs) would lick their babies to stimulate their pooping and peeing. As foster moms, we have to do that to the foursome too.

‘Cept that we don’t lick their genitals. We have to use wet cotton buds to rub their tummies and bummies.

They are with me for the night. I don’t think they’d survive though. Very slim chances of them surviving. Will try anyhow.

There goes my beauty sleep.

Will take more pictures later. They’re not exactly photogenic though.

Snooooozzeeee 

One bright and sunny day, Inori and Benji took an hour-long walk back home from a friend’s place.They were walking along happily until Inori, as usual, got lost.

With dog in tow, she tried to find her way back to home sweet home. Then, she spot a cute brown puppy, sitting beside a white van.

She kneeled beside her dog and said to him “Look, Benji! Dog!”

Benji, the half-blind dog, did not look.

The shy puppy decided to hide under the van.

Sighing, Inori continued to walk on, searching for the way home.

As she walked past the van, the lil’ brown pup dashed out and started to jump, not very unlike a kangeroo, beside Inori and Benji.

*Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing!Boing!Boing!Boing!Boing!Boing!Boing!Boing!* went the lil’ brown pup.

“Whoaaaaa!!!!!!!”, went the very lost Inori.

*Blur look* went the Benji.

Inori continued to walk and shortened Benji’s leash so that he would stay close to Inori. Lil’ brown puppy decided to follow Inori and Benji.

Inori, is very lost. Inori has stray puppy following her. Inori is panicking. Inori called animal welfare groups and individuals but no-one had the means to help her. Inori still lost.

Inori decided to ask for directions.

Inori: Which is the right way to my house?

Passer by: Oh.. *points in direction* just go straight and WHOOOAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Inori: I’m sorry, that’s not my dog.

Passer by: *Disgusted look*

Inori:

Finally, she found herself on familiar grounds with two dogs in tow. One familiar and clean. One strange and very dirty.

She stepped into the lift and secretly hoped lil’ brown dirty puppy wouldn’t trust her enough to enter the lift with her.

But no. Lil’ brown dirty puppy entered the lift happily. Kids, please do not enter the lift with strangers. You never know when they will cut off your limbs and sell it to curry stalls or pet-food manufacturers.

Lil’ brown dirty puppy also self-invited her dirty self into Inori’s humble abode. Immediately with a swift swoop (?!?), Inori scooped lil’ brown dirty pup and dumped her into the toilet.

Lil’ brown dirty pup panicked and started to wail. She wailed as if she were being cut up to make puppy stew. Inori hurriedly took tick shampoo, puppy shampoo and a towel and rushed into the toilet.

Lil’ brown dirty puppy was scared. Inori bathed lil’ brown dirty puppy.

Water rinsed off the puppy in shades of brown and grey. Thrice.

There! Lil’ brown clean puppy emerged!

Inori, at that time, was a poor poor bumming lazy-bones. Therefore, she did not possess any camera of any sort. Therefore, lil’ brown clean puppy did not have any puppy photos taken.

Inori and Nad gave the name “Chiyo” (千代) to the lil’ brown puppy. It meant longevity in Japanese. Chiyo was only 4 months old then.

To cut the story short, Inori told Nad as well as Daddy that she would rehome Chiyo after she was sterilised.

Time came when Chiyo was sterilised and ready to go to her new home. But Inori couldn’t bear to part with Chiyo. So Chiyo, became part of Inori, Nad and Benji’s lives.

Heeheehee

Then one day, disaster stuck. Chiyo suddenly lost strength in her hind legs. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t even sit up from down position. Soon, the paralysis spread from the hind legs to the front. Chiyo was like a cripple.

Inori carried Chiyo to and fro the vet every single day for daily intraveneous dose of medication. Inori also carried Chiyo out for fresh air every day. She tried to hold Chiyo in squatting position and told Chiyo to poop and pee. But a single tear rolled down Chiyo’s face and Inori started to cry too.

With God’s Amazing Grace, Inori and Nad found jobs and money to support Chiyo’s staggering vet bills.

After 10 agonising days, 2 vets, very expensive x-rays and treatments, Chiyo could stand up again. She started to walk very wobbly at first. But she gained her confidence again.

With her brother Benji by her side all the time, she soon had the strength to run like the wind as she always did before.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, Chiyo might have been abused when she was a puppy before. Up till now, she’s still mighty afraid and wary of strangers. It is not easy to gain her trust and love.

Mommy, can they drown Benji so that I can have you all to myself?

Adversity struck again when one day, Inori’s ex-employer brought Benji and Chiyo out for a walk.

The dogs were let off-leashed to play in the fields and Chiyo was spooked by something and she dashed off across a busy road. She then ran up a hill and nobody could catch up with her. She went missing.

Days and days of pain and worry and wait. Inori, Nad, Benji, Timmi and Lasse (Nad’s dogs), camped on the hill, went to neighbouring streets to paste posters. God sent help again in form of kind people whom Inori barely know. They helped almost everyday after their work, combing the areas with their torches and braved the mosquito bites. They distributed flyers and was there for Inori all the time.

On the 18th day, Inori got a call from an old man who spoke only mandarin. He was a guard of the old swimming complex at the foot of the hill, which was no longer in operations. He spotted Chiyo wandering in the old swimming compound. Her loose blue collar with a tag was still on her.

Inori rushed down to the swimming complex. Weeds have overgrown and the pool was only left with dirty rainwater. It was a very hot day and Inori almost had a heatstroke. It was no use. Chiyo was no where to be seen. Anyhow, Inori informed Nad and Nad assured that he would check things out after his work.

After work that day, Nad bought two burgers to munch on and he was thinking that one burger could be used to lure Chiyo out. He walked towards the gates of the swimming complex. And he saw Chiyo trotting around the pool and in his excitement, he downed the second burger as well and called Inori.

Inori rushed to join Nad shortly after with a bowl and two cans of dog food. Both of them stood outside the gate, peering in. For the first time in weeks, Inori saw Chiyo and she started to cry. Which triggered a slap from Nad.

“Get yourself together! How can you get Chiyo if you are crying?”

Ok.

The guard was not around. So Inori and Nad had to scale the gates. *Ouch* They walked in slowly and quietly. After awhile, they started calling Chiyo’s name.

Suddenly, Inori saw a familiar figure hopping in the bushes on the hill. *Boing! Boing! Boing!!!!*

Inori ran to the foot of the hill with Nad and started to call out her name. Finally, Chiyo ran down towards them and started to cry. She cried the most sorrowful doggy cry Inori and Nad had ever heard.

Chiyo looked from bowl-of-food to Inori’s hand and bowl-of-food to Inori’s hand again. Then, Chiyo decided to lick Inori’s hand before gobbling down the food. For 18 days, Chiyo had eaten little or nothing.

18 days of starvation.

Chiyo finally came home. Reunited with her brother, Mommy and Daddy. She could finally sleep in peace.

snnnzzzzttttz

Chiyo is a rough player. No matter who she plays with, she would always play rough.

Beware your face if you are horizontal while playing with her. Because;

ouch

She is also an excellent guard dog and she feels proud to be in charge of her owners’ belongings and property.

Chiyo no play. Chiyo guard bag.

Chiyo may look ugly to many people but to Inori and Nad, she’s always the loyal and faithful lil’ doggy. She’ll always be our little girl. And we’ll be the best parents we ever know how to her.

Hey you guys! Ok, I promised to write about my pets, so this is the post about my first dog, Benji.

Loooookit his haaappiii face!!!

Since young (I still am young anyway) I’ve always wanted to keep a Collie. Inspired by some Hong Kong drama series whose title I can no longer remember, I wanted a female Collie named Chloe. And Chloe has to be of the color Blue Merle.

I know, someday, I will still get to own a Blue Merle Collie named Chloe.

But I digress…..

Benji is possibly a mix between a Shetland Sheepdog and a Collie. Reason being that he has a face shape and body structure of a Collie, but not as big as one. He was bought as a Shetland though. I’m not complaining!

He was adopted from a very nice couple whose lil’ boy had asthma. I had him when he was about eleven months old.

Benji’s previous name was………………………………………………… *drumrolls*

DAFFY

The only reason I can think of that anyone would name their dog Daffy, is because they have children who love Daffy the Duck.

Anyway, Benji took to his new name pretty well. Then again, he responds to any damn name you call him.
You can even call him “Sissy” (which, incidently, suits him to the TEE), and he would come running to you and shower you with all the doggy love.

I told you he is a sissy!

If there is one thing you should know about Benji, is that he loves everybody in this world. Absolutely. Everybody. Absolutely.

It’s like all the love in the world has squeezed into his teeny (as compared to the world) doggy body. And every pore on his skin is oozing out this love.
In fact, he is SO AFRAID that his love will not be recipocated, that he often plonks himself on peoples’ laps, prompting them to hug him, touch him, caress him, kiss him, etc etc etc.

Point to note: He isn’t exactly a toy breed. And, he is also very furry. So said people usually walk away with fur in their mouth and a broken thigh bone.

Another thing you guys should know about Benji, is the way he expresses himself.

Normally, dogs go woof woof, or bark bark, or arf arf arf! or yip yip yip yippity yip, or roarrrrrr!
Benji, has a different, unique way.
He often goes chirp!Chirrup! Chirp Chirp chirrrrp~!
Yep! He tweets like a canary!
Variations go tweet! Tweety tweet! Cheep cheepcheep!
People, he TOTALLY sounds like a bird!!!!!!! He sounded like these duckling I had when I was little!!! Oh duckli……………………………oh wait, ducks…Daffy……

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Such enlightenment!

He seldom barks. Only when totally necessary (like 3am in the morning when he sees a bunch of dried flowers hanging near my bookshelves and although it had been there for ages but this is the first time he notices it and he has. to. warn. mommy. by. barking. suddenly. because. hey! Flowers!)

But yeah, Benji’s a great dog to have around. When you need lotsa licks and love. He will be there for you.

He’ll be four years old end of this year. That’s 28 years in dog-years. Time flies.

And oh, he also has a cataract in his right eye.

Both his ears used to be tipped, which is the desirable trait in Collies and Shetlands. But when he had the cataract, his right ear became upright, as if to compensate for his impaired right vision.

After hair-cut

Well, that’s all I have to say about Benji Boy. Since it’s still the year of the dog of the Lunar calendar, let’s Benji wish you a lovely dog year. Whatever’s left of it.

That hat was hand-made by my ingenious Daddy. Who’s the pretty boy now?