Dempsey, A Forever Pet

My family adopted ‘Stark’, who we have since named ‘Dempsey’ after Dempsey Hill, from the SPCA in September 2012. We had previously brought a shelter dog over from Australia however he sadly died of cancer which is why we adopted Dempsey.

When we brought Dempsey home for the first time he was very shy and nervous and would not step one foot inside the front door. We are a family that have dogs inside. We sat down inside the front door coaxing him in with treats. This was a slow period however we were persistent in having him with us as part of family inside. This took a few days of encouraging and now he is the first to come inside pushing past mum, dad and the kids!

We took him to our vet a few days after we had him home and had him tested for Tick Fever and Heartworm. He was negative for Tick Fever but positive (but very faint) for Heartworm. This was quite distressing after recently losing our family dog to cancer at the age of 9 years. However we did everything we were able to do – he went on aspirin to thin his blood so he could then receive two very painful injections to kill the worms, and then no exercise at the beginning to very limited exercise. This was over a 4 month period and poor Dempsey was going stir crazy in the house and running frantically around the house because he couldn’t go on his walks. But with everything we did we had him tested again and he was negative to Heartworm which was such a relief for all of us.

Dempsey is a beautiful dog. He is one of the family, very good with our 6 and 3 year old girls. He will sit patiently while they give him hugs, he walks to school and waits patiently at the gate to drop off/pick up, he sits for his food and waits for his kiss on the head before he eats (even from the girls), he lays on the girls’ beds at night during their reading time, and conveniently barks at the postman as if it is his job in life.

Now we are off to Houston, Texas and Dempsey will be joining us. Our piece of Singapore in Houston. One day we will move home to Australia making him a truly global loved family addition! Shelter Dog No More!

Danneil

Happy Zephyr

Zephyr (formerly known as Axel), whom we adopted on 20 August 2011, is the most beautiful cat I've ever seen, with gorgeous markings including an M (he was meant to live with me!) on his forehead and beautiful striped legs. When he sits up straight, he looks particularly dashing as his front paws match perfectly. He has a big personality and is definitely part of the household. Though he is not exactly a lap cat, he hates being left out of anything and will happily sit and keep you company, whatever you're doing. When you come home from work, he is a ball of purrs and affection and will follow you room to room, updating you on his day - he is definitely part Asian breed as he is incredibly vocal and chatty. He is the ultimate mischief maker, exceptionally curious and always ready to play. His favourite game is hiding at the bottom of the stairs and pouncing on anyone going up or down - the best part for him is varying what height he jumps out at so it's always a surprise. You can almost hear him snigger afterwards. We're pretty sure he is part kangaroo as he has incredibly springy back legs - as unsuspecting gekkos have learnt to their detriment! He is hugely independent but despite this, is a big fan of the odd cuddle when the mood takes him, which makes the purrs and affection all the more rewarding. 

Mair

Hobbs Hobbs, Too Cute To Resist

As someone who used to fear anything with fur and can move, it is many thanks to Hobbs Hobbs (a Holland-Lop rabbit previously known as Chomp Chomp which we adopted from SPCA in Aug 2012) that I have overcome my long-drawn fear of animals. Not only has this fear been conquered, I have also surprised myself with the intensity of love and care I now feel for animals.

As cliché as it may sound, Hobbs Hobbs has truly brought great joy and laughter to our family, and she never fails to surprise us with a new move of hers! Even in her day-to-day routine of eating, jumping and self-cleaning, her actions are too cute for anyone not to burst into a smile. She also knows how to relax and enjoy, usually doing so by lying 100% flat on her belly and head, with her legs all stretched out. She gets easily excited when fed with pellets and when we bring her down for her 30-min walk/hop-athon. Through her, we are reminded daily to treasure life in all simplicity, to laugh and smile amidst difficulties and challenges.

To all out there who fear animals, I'd like to share that I was once like that too. It was only after much persuasion from my husband to adopt a rabbit from SPCA that I now dare say that our lives have been enriched by her presence in our lives. I have underestimated the power animals can have on human beings, and I thank God for creating animals, for they definitely have the capacity to bring out a lighter side to each of us! To our dear Hobbs Hobbs, not sure if you know but each time I look at your sweet gentle little face and cuddle you, I am filled with simple joy and gratitude. Thank you for transforming my heart, from fear to one that's now filled with love.

Brandon & Samantha

Muttley, Who Walked Into Our Lives

My husband and I decided that we wanted to adopt a dog early last year. We had heard the SPCA was the place to start as there were plenty of unwanted & abandoned pets looking for homes. We met lots of dogs including puppies & older breeds of all kinds. One dog in particular caught our eyes with his adoring and loving brown eyes was called 'Bolt'. Bolt was 18 months old at the time and we heard that he had been at the SPCA for about five months. He had been living at a nearby cemetery and had followed a member of the SPCA back to the centre during a morning walk - basically volunteered himself in!

We decided to think about a couple of other dogs that we had also spotted during our visit to the SPCA however it was Bolt that we couldn't stop thinking about ! It was his sweet personality & deep brown eyes that did it for us! We decided that he would be the dog for us and proceeded to make enquiries for adopting him. The whole process of adoption was very straightforward and we found the staff at the SPCA to be very helpful. Even though they were extremely fond of Bolt, they were determined that he was the right dog for us.

We loved Bolt and bonded with him immediately. We decided to call him Muttley... it's now been almost a year since we adopted Muttley and we can only look back with fond memories of the joy that he has brought into our household. As much as he continues to do so, it gives us great pleasure to know that we have helped contribute towards giving him the happy life he deserved!

Carolyn

Willy & Breezy, Two Birds Of A Feather

Hey everyone! I always wanted cats since I was a child and finally this year
I managed to convince my parents to let me get a cat.The first thing that
came to my mind was going to SPCA and have a look at the cats there.

I was really excited,  like a child going on his first trip and the volunteers
there were helpful and answered lots of my questions. I went home and did my own research.Two days later,I felt it was time to see which cat I was
interested in and again I went to SPCA. I was looking around when I saw a
volunteer carrying this cat and immediately, it was love at first sight for
me and Willy. He was playful,friendly but a bit aloof. I interacted with
him and went home to discuss with my mom.

Two days later, it was the BIG day. We brought our carrier and went to fetch
Willy.Upon reaching our house, he was nervous but within two hours, he
managed to warm up to us. Two months has since passed, Willy has made everyone
happy as my family members look forward to seeing Willy when
they return home. Willy would start meowing with happiness at the door
whenever we start to open the door. We always laugh at his funny antics
like lying on the newspaper when my dad is reading it or burrowing his head in
the dustbin and having the smell of food on his head for days.

We felt that Willy would be bored at home during the day and we ourselves
wanted a second cat,so we adopted a black kitten called Breezy. We renamed
her BeiBei which means "darling" in Mandarin.This time round,I was more
experienced with introducing a cat to our home. Everything went smoothly,
including the introduction with Willy. They are now the best of buddies
and for us, its double the happiness and fun. I have since became a volunteer at
SPCA. Please do come down and visit SPCA and give these loving animals a
place in your heart and home!Thank you SPCA.
*The grey cat on the left is Willy and the black kitten is BeiBei(Breezy)

Yong Seng