An unpublished letter of Dober to the press by HG
''A month ago, residents at Jurong West St 61 found Dober, a big-sized mongrel, wandering aimlessly in their neighbourhood. He was weak, hungry and had a raw, open wound that nearly sliced his tail in half. Frightened and in shock, he nevertheless displayed strong affinity towards humans, pointing to the likelihood that he could be one of the many victims of the recent spike in pet abandonment, triggered by the revised AVA ruling on dog licensing and imposition of heavier penalties.
Moved by Dober's plight, the kind residents rescued Dober and rushed to find him a safe shelter where he could recover from his injury. With the consent of the dog club formed by residents, Dober took temporary shelter at the dog run in the estate.
In the following few days, Dober received treatment at the vet, had his tail amputated, and returned to the dog run a new dog. Residents came together, chipping in donations in both cash and kind. Some built him a makeshift shelter of wood planks and canvas. Others took turns to nurse him back to health and worked hard to find him a new home. Everyday, residents came down to the dog run to visit the dog which they played a part in saving. Friendships were forged between man and dog, and among residents who had never known one anotherʼs presence until now. The neighbourhood suddenly came alive in the atmosphere of goodwill and cohesiveness.
Unfortunately, the goodwill was short-lived. The RC Chairman of Pxxxxxr Zone X, who returned from overseas and came to know of the incident, issued a stern warning to the resident volunteers to vacate the dog from the dog run immediately or face dire consequences. He refused to listen to their pleads to let the dog stay for a few more days until suitable accommodation is found. He did not acknowledge the views of the majority of the residents who had no issue with the dog which was enclosed in the dog run that cause no nuisance at all.
Left with no choice, the helpless residents moved the dog to a temporary boarding place and funded its boarding while seeking a home or shelter for it.
This is not the first but nevertheless touching tale of how a mongrel brought together a whole neighbourhood in so short a time, fostered the spirit of camaraderie and active citizenship that the Government has been trying to promote through RCs. Yet ironically, it is the RC Chairman who is undermining such community spirit through his high-handed approach towards the matter.
Tolerance and understanding are values of especial importance in a small society like ours. Disputes or differences can be overcome if everyone learns to use a little more patience and empathy. RCs front the delivery of such values through their roles in HDB estates. Yet many a time, we question if RCs truly exemplify the values that they are tasked to promote. Residents do not need another authority, they need a human figure that they can respect and turn to for advice and help. It is time the Government recognizes that it has to first open the hearts of the RCs before the latter can learn to open the hearts of residents.''
Moved by Dober's plight, the kind residents rescued Dober and rushed to find him a safe shelter where he could recover from his injury. With the consent of the dog club formed by residents, Dober took temporary shelter at the dog run in the estate.
In the following few days, Dober received treatment at the vet, had his tail amputated, and returned to the dog run a new dog. Residents came together, chipping in donations in both cash and kind. Some built him a makeshift shelter of wood planks and canvas. Others took turns to nurse him back to health and worked hard to find him a new home. Everyday, residents came down to the dog run to visit the dog which they played a part in saving. Friendships were forged between man and dog, and among residents who had never known one anotherʼs presence until now. The neighbourhood suddenly came alive in the atmosphere of goodwill and cohesiveness.
Unfortunately, the goodwill was short-lived. The RC Chairman of Pxxxxxr Zone X, who returned from overseas and came to know of the incident, issued a stern warning to the resident volunteers to vacate the dog from the dog run immediately or face dire consequences. He refused to listen to their pleads to let the dog stay for a few more days until suitable accommodation is found. He did not acknowledge the views of the majority of the residents who had no issue with the dog which was enclosed in the dog run that cause no nuisance at all.
Left with no choice, the helpless residents moved the dog to a temporary boarding place and funded its boarding while seeking a home or shelter for it.
This is not the first but nevertheless touching tale of how a mongrel brought together a whole neighbourhood in so short a time, fostered the spirit of camaraderie and active citizenship that the Government has been trying to promote through RCs. Yet ironically, it is the RC Chairman who is undermining such community spirit through his high-handed approach towards the matter.
Tolerance and understanding are values of especial importance in a small society like ours. Disputes or differences can be overcome if everyone learns to use a little more patience and empathy. RCs front the delivery of such values through their roles in HDB estates. Yet many a time, we question if RCs truly exemplify the values that they are tasked to promote. Residents do not need another authority, they need a human figure that they can respect and turn to for advice and help. It is time the Government recognizes that it has to first open the hearts of the RCs before the latter can learn to open the hearts of residents.''
Labels: Animal Welfare
posted by Ky at
2:20 AM
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