:. Lucky

I just want to cry when I see this dog. When she first appeared on my street two months ago, she was ravenously hungry, very thin, prepared to fight for the few crumbs of rice I put down for her.

Her left ear destroyed. What pain in her face!

Her ear was almost completely eaten by maggots which were feasting on the gangrene. Her back had no hair as if someone had thrown boiling water over her.

Her back had no hair!

As I reached out my hand, she allowed me to touch her, then pick her up and take her under my house. This means that at some earlier stage she trusted another hand that had betrayed her. I asked myself how could anyone allow a God-created animal to get into this state? Where did she come from? Her pretty face indicated she was once a cute little puppy. Did she get sold at Gaya Street, the slave market for pets of all kinds!? How long did her new owner care for her? A week? a month? Two months? She is still young, and plays like a puppy. But she has had at least one litter of pups. Where did she give birth to those?

What happened to the pups? In what state was she when she gave birth? And now, she was on the road to death? I called her Lucky, because it is indeed her luck to have come into my street. Since then, she has been spayed and vaccinated. She sleeps outside my front door. She has responded well to love, trusting again the human hand that let her become diseased, neglected her wounded ear, gave her nothing to eat. She loves to be with other dogs, and people, but it seems other dogs in my house regard her as a foreigner.

Playful and happy!

Likewise the dogs on the street treat her as if she was from another clan. I like to think there may be another human somewhere who would love and respect her, but it seems to me there aren't many of that kind of human. Could I be proved wrong? I would hope so. I would gladly give her to the right person. In the meanwhile she may stay in my shelter. I am not the only one running a mini-shelter for God's abandoned creatures. Shelter for animals should have been set up in Sabah a long time ago to help the authorities concerned to help minimize the stray problems. But it seems the authorities reflecting society are too busy feathering their own nests! There is no room in their nest for such a one. The problem of stray dogs around the city and beyond is pathetic and a reflection on the society. The Mayor's statement appeared in the Daily Express dated 7 July 2009 that KK will soon have its shelter give some hope and perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel! But until today we are yet to hear of its progress. Perhaps someone reading this is prepared to donate a piece of land to help the animals who patiently put up with ill-treatment and neglect.

Contributed by Sylvia and sent through SPCA KK.

SPCA KK's comments on the above article
Lucky is just one of the countless strays that are the result of Irresponsible Pet Ownership (IPO). Strays do not happen overnight - they are the result of negligence and irresponsibility of owners who allowed their pets to breed uncontrolled or simply refused to even think about spending any money towards the cost of spaying a dog - their own dog!

It is with such mindset that innocent animal lives become the victims of the atrocious behaviour of a society, our society, to which all of us belong. Injuring, maiming, suffocating, poisoning, scalding, paralyzing...the list goes on and on - and all because we did not care enough to take the first step - by spaying/neutering our pets. The procedure is safe, the cost negotiable - the effects, long lasting. We need your help in keeping the stray population down. Please spay/neuter your pets to prevent unwanted births.

Like Lucky, SPCA KK has a number of rescued, abandoned and surrendered animals currently being fostered by caring individuals. If you are keen on getting a pet, please consider those presently under our care. Every animal you adopt means one less stray on the street - adoption does save lives!

Visit our website www.spcakk.org/adoption and help us help those who cannot speak for themselves.

Our guidelines on adoption are simple and friendly. They are meant to protect the welfare of all the animals under our adoption program. They can be found on our website. SPCA KK.

Posted by webmaster on 27 Dec 2009, Sun