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Page 1 of 4  Is this the way I was meant to live ? I have been hungry all my life, people treat me with scorn, contempt and abuse and it is so hard to find food. Other street wise dogs who have lived this life longer are so fierce to me and they refuse me any. I try my best to be as fierce but it is not my nature, my last fight has my face throbbing with pain, but no one will help me. I am starting to smell bad and I try to plead with them for help, but the people avoid me like the plague and add more injury with their boots and shoes .. Dear God, who will help me ???  When Lim Eng called to report a serverly malnutritioned dog in Sin Ming with 'a hole in his face', we didn't understand the extent of that statement. In our cosy protected world of cars, condos and credit cards, it was hard to fathom the extreme hardship that some living beings have to deal with and the cruelty dealt to them.
While we prepared to receive the dog, Lim Eng was having a harder time on the ground. Duke, as we named him, though gentle and docile, was understandably wary. Despite his condition, he was able to elude efforts to collar him. Lim Eng watched helplessly as Duke tried to get sustenance from the nearby coffee shop only to get kicked and abused. But her determination paid off after 1 week of tailing him around and feeding him to gain his trust. She was able to collar Duke and send him to the clinic.  When we got to the clinic, it was not only the sight of him but the smell that assaulted our senses. Half of the right side of Duke's face was gone, it was just a mess of rotting flesh and dripping pus. And the smell was so overwhelming, it was hard to breathe. He was all skin and bones, every single bone in his body could be seen and there were bald patches of skin here and there. We don't know how Lim Eng had the courage and stomach to handle Duke, but it must have been her overwhelming compassion and desire to help Duke that propelled her and we can only thank God for people like her. Despite his condition, Duke still managed to wag his tail and come to us. He was weak and frail and his eyes told of uncountable days of suffering and pain. Given his gentle and docile nature, he must have lost out in fights with other dogs for food to survive and the untreated wounds had become infected. He seemed to know we meant him no harm, for he allowed us to stroke him and to reassure him that all will be well.
| (This is the 'mild' version of Duke's pics, click on this link to view the actual pics; be advised that this is not meant for the queasy or faint hearted; the pics are not meant to shock but to portray reality as it is) |
On that very night, he was operated upon to remove all the rotting flesh. Fortunately, no major functions were impacted by the extent of his injuries, 'he will just be a messy eater'. He stayed at the clinic for about a week for observation before we brought him to his foster home. Amazingly, his wound continued to heal fast and well, and he allowed us to clean his wound without much fuss. More amazingly, he began to exude enthusiasm and happiness, wagging his tail and even shaking hands ! This led us to believe he was abandoned when he served no more purpose ... All went well for about 2 weeks before his condition deteriorated. He started bleeding from the nose and became very quiet. A rush to the vet found his red blood cell count to be dangerously low at 16 counts vs the normal healthy count of 37. He was given antibiotics but did not respond to them. Tests confirm that his bone marrow was not producing red blood cells. When his count dropped to 8, he was given a blood transfusion and expensive human hormone drugs in an attempt to kick start his system.  At this point in time, the 12th of Dec, his count remains critically low at 16, but he is stable and perkier and looks forward to his 3 daily walks by the vet assistant. He is on vitamins and iron to boost his red cell count but his future will depend on his fate. For the rest of us, all we can do is ensure that he receives all the help he needs, and to let him know that in his harsh world, there is a thing call love, and should he depart, he will do so with dignity, respect and all the love that we can muster for him. If you would like to help Mr Duke Holey with his medical expenses or in any other ways, please call us at 92590698 or email us at
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. Alternatively, contributions via cheque can be made payable to : Action For Singapore Dogs Society and sent to : ASD c/o Ricky Yeo
Blk 402 #06-246
Clementi Ave 1
Singapore 120402 Pls indicate 'for duke's treatment' behind the cheque together with your email so that we can send a receipt. << Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >> |
