New Year's Eve Campout At The Bentong Farm Sanctuary

The recent Christmas festivities had been an opportunity for me to rekindle and nourish old friendships, renew my resolve to work to improve animal welfare and environmental awareness and make use of the prescribed vacation time to carry out volunteer and campaign work. As you could see from Nicole's Christmas Blogpost, the only unfortunate side effect of the festive season was that it was also an opportunity for me to cultivate a pot belly.

In observing the spirit of the season, I organised a New Year's Eve Campout at the Bentong Farm Sanctuary to encourage my friends and associates in the City to visit and help out at the Sanctuary. Shahrul and Jorg have recently taken in another 20 dogs from the SPCA Selangor shelter that were reported to be on the list to be euthanised due to their age and limited rehoming prospects. Shahrul and Jorg's grim determination to save animal lives despite their limited resources earned my respect and admiration, and so a number of us rallied together to collect donations of pet food and pet supplies for the Sanctuary to make these dogs' final home a happy and comfortable one.

Some of the guests came to the Sanctuary as daytrippers, while some of us chose to stay the night and camp out. Some came as volunteers, but others who were less accustomed to animal care work needed time before they could commit to any challenging activity. Flexibility and autonomy are valued in our group, so everyone was allowed to contribute and participate in his or her own way, according to their comfort levels. And this, my friends, is the recipe to a successful and joyous New Year's Eve Campout!



Our first stop was CK Ice Cream House in Bentong Town, where I made short work of 5 scoops of ice cream -- peanut, vanilla, chocolate, pandan and yam!



My new friends, Melissa and Brigitte, aver that they found the directions to the Sanctuary from my blog! Hurray! So my blogpost did help me make new friends and the Sanctuary find new supporters and fans!



We convoyed to the Sanctuary after our ice-cream brunch to be greeted by the friendly dogs outside the Farmhouse!



My friend Audrey arrived with her friends Arthur and Yien Lee after I invited them via Facebook. The internet is, to me, unequivocally a force for good!



Audrey and Yien Lee hand out treats to the thrilled pooches.



Shahrul's husband and Papa to the animals, Jorg, reminds the dogs to behave in the presence of company.



My dear friend and fellow volunteer, Roli, reciprocated the dogs' unconditional love with hugs, kisses and kind words.



Yen and Roli take the erstwhile SPCA shelter dogs for walks on leashes as the said dogs are still nervous and not used to being free-range animals.



The Sanctuary's cats are bold, friendly and unafraid of dogs or people.



My buddy Serina would be pleased to see that her scratching post has been put to utmost good use -- the cats have scratched it to bits by now.



Shahrul and I prepare the dogs for their medicated baths and tickwashes.



Puteh was so afflicted with demodectic mange when he first arrived that he didn't have a patch of fur on him. See how good he looks now, after regular baths using Malaseb and Tacktick EC tickwash!



Roli cuddles his beloved Laika, who was scheduled to be euthanised for want of a new home. We are grateful indeed to Shahrul and Jorg for opening their home and hearts to the Last Chance Dogs.



My MNS buddy, Leo, helps to shampoo Hitam.



Sasha, no longer a stranger to the Sanctuary, helps to bathe Frowny.



These chickens, saved from slaughter, are free to engage in natural behaviour like scratching, dust-bathing and preening.



Ripe for the picking, these crispy and sweet jambu air, or "water apples" (Syzygium samarangense) entice us as we walked past the fruit orchards to the goat pens.



"I am the King of the Through!" announces a billy goat, while his companions look unimpressed by his unilateral declaration of sovereignty.



Safe in my embrace, J.C. (so named because he was born a week ago, on Christmas Day) bleats for his mother.



Here's looking at you, kid!



Free-range cows, also saved from slaughter, chew their cud contentedly in their enclosure after roaming the Sanctuary for much of the day.



Nancy's oldest son, Jien, demonstrates that you can actually hear a tortoise's heartbeat through its plastron.



Nancy (right) and her two youngest children play with the quarantined puppies behind the Farmhouse.



Ee-Tan, Roli and I make a fuss of Susu, a friendly 3-month-old retriever cross.



As evening falls, the smell of sweet potatoes roasting over a charcoal fire permeates the air! Nancy and her family had very kindly supplied most of the food for our cookout. Scalloped potatoes, noodles, cakes and fruit were some of the things we had for dinner.



Once most of the dinner things had been cleared away and washed up (by yours truly), it was time to toast, or rather, char, our marshmallows by the fire. Marshmallows are best toasted until they are brown and swollen -- that way, you can be sure that the outside will be caramelized to a chewy crisp, while the inside is creamy and liquid.



As the clock struck midnight, we yelled "Happy New Year" and released hot air lanterns to carry our wishes into the night sky.



The party continues inside the Farmhouse, far from the madding crowd of the City.



Nancy opts for a hammock instead of a conventional tent, and uses the shrine pillars for support.



For those who are too tired and too lazy to set up a tent or hammock, camping in one's car is cosy and comfortable enough an option!



The dogs are not ready to turn in yet and continue partying into the night. Speedy plumps for healthful apple cider vinegar since alcohol is forbidden from the Sanctuary grounds.



Dolly sure knows how to have a good time! Won't you join in our Dogs' Masquerade Ball too?



The party was a bit too wild for poor ol' Uncle Dog. And so we bid you goodnight, and adieu 2010!

May 2011 be a year of integrity and justice for our country, and abundance, joy and contentment for each of us!

A Lazy Saturday at the Bentong Farm Sanctuary

I had been so preoccupied with my commitments at work and with SPCA Selangor, the Malaysian Nature Society, and PT Foundation that I have been quite remiss in my responsibilities to Bentong Farm Sanctuary since our last visit there on August 31.

I finally had the good sense to call Shahrul sometime in October to determine if they needed any help in engaging veterinary services. Shahrul informed me that thanks to the goodwill of Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS), a team would be going to the Sanctuary on November 27 to carry out spaying and neutering of the cats and dogs at the Sanctuary. However, the Sanctuary was experiencing a shortage of cat and dog food. I apologised for not having visited in 2 months and informed her that I would be bringing friends and donations of pet food and supplies over to the Sanctuary on November 20.

And so on the morning of November 20, I gathered a troop of 7 friends (to be met later at the Sanctuary by a troop of another 7-8 friends) and we made our merry way to Bentong to spend time with Shahrul, Jorg and the animals.



It's good to be welcomed back to this quaint little town and the animal sanctuary that now has such an important place in my life.




We were escorted all the way in to the main building in Sanctuary by the dogs, who must have known that we were bringing them lots of food and goodies!

We unloaded hundreds of kilogrammes of pet food, human food (rice, canned food and other dry goods), pet supplies and veterinary supplements, much to Shahrul and Jorg's delight. The generosity of our friends knows no bounds.

At my prompting, Shahrul suggested going to a lesser-known ice cream parlour in town before the ice-cream gets sold out by noon, and so off we trooped in convoy after unloading the food and supplies and greeting the animals. We were so glad that Shahrul suggested this place, Kedai Ice Cream in Jalan Loke Yew, Bentong Town, because the ice cream, being partially hand-cranked, was delicious, and so very cheap! Even my blogging pal Keats and her fellow Sunshine Lady May, being good cooks and therefore connoisseurs of fine foods, agreed that the rich, dense, old-fashioned ice cream at this shop was lovely.




I was a picture of happiness when I received my scoops of grape, peanut and pandan flavoured ice cream!




Speech was unnecessary -- Leonard's facial expression said it all! "Hands off! This is my ice cream!"

The entire bill for the 9 of us humans and the 3 dogs waiting patiently in the cab of the pickup truck for their vanilla scoops came up to only RM31.00, which made us laugh with pleasure and surprise. Shahrul insisted on giving us a treat, despite our protests. The dogs, Dolly, Adik and Sri Devi, ate their ice cream during the ride back to the Sanctuary.




Back at the Sanctuary, two puppies who were quarantined in the kitchen yelped for attention. They seemed indignant at being locked in, while all the action was taking place in the living room and outdoors.




Outside the house, a placid billy goat made a meal of the water lettuce. The raised freshwater pond must have seemed like a buffet table to the goat.




Free-roaming roosters Captain Cook (left) and Handsome (right) are such confident and happy chickens that they didn't think twice about chasing or pecking us when we ventured too far into their territory.




Despite the afternoon heat, we all decided to walk to the stream after Nancy and her troops arrived. It was a long walk, but there is something special and memorable about walking with one's friends, surrounded by nature and accompanied by dogs.




The dogs and the cows meet in a friendly face-off! Who will give way, and who will prevail?




Young timber trees greet us like silent, sturdy green sentinels. The owners and trustees of the Farm Sanctuary had the foresight to plant fruiting trees and timber saplings to make the farm self-sufficient in the years to come.




We stop by the duck pond to feed the ducks and geese. All of them seem healthy and happy, but Jorg told us that a large owl, possibly a Malay Eagle Owl or a Buffy Fish Owl, has been killing and eating some of the ducks. However, due to the principles upon which the Farm Sanctuary was founded, nobody is allowed to trap, kill or chase away the owl. Ducks are part of a carnivorous bird's food chain, and all animals, predators and prey alike, have their place in the web of life.




We finally arrive at the stream! Shahrul gets in first and is joined by her beloved dogs.




Sasha and Meena are contented to just sit by the stream and watch the dogs play.




Hitam and Uncle Dog, who are the best of friends, are joined at their shady spot by Sri Devi.




We had a very late picnic lunch under the trees, due to the fact that we were full from all the ice cream and had spent a good many hours playing in the stream and with the animals. The farmhands cooked us a lovely meal of rice, raitha, dhall, eggs and vegetables, while Nancy and her family brought sandwiches, muffins and red bean dessert, and Keats brought belinjai crackers.




It's time to tidy up and bid our friends, two-legged and four-legged, goodbye! Until we meet again, dear residents of the Bentong Farm Sanctuary, we will be missing you and thinking of you often!

(All photo credits: Leonard and Yen)

Take me home, Country Road

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright."
~Henry David Thoreau


My friends and I celebrated Malaysia's 53rd National Day by spending the day at the Bentong Farm Sanctuary. I had given Shahrul and Jorg the assurance that I would be sending some pet supplies and animal food over, and had invited some friends along to help with bathing and tick-washing the dogs.

Marvin, Priya and Yen hopped into the Battletank with glee, Sasha agreed to help transport the goodies, while Teckwyn, Cindy and Cerys came in their own little car.



"Hello, here we are! Can you let us in, please?"





The farm dogs were thrilled to have the company of so many people, and could smell the treats we brought!



It's good to bathe the dogs while the sun is out. I apply tick shampoo while Sasha helps to rinse Dear Doggie off.



Shahrul sponges down Choclit with Tactick EC solution.



Sri Devi, the sociable yellow dog, waits patiently while Marvin and Priya hose her down.



Yen bathes Karuppi, a former SPCA dog who was going to be euthanised because she is black and unlikely to find a new home.



We're off to see the goats and make them an offering of sweet juicy carrots!



A veritable tongue-twister! This adorable cow loves rambutans and would eat them, hairy peel and all!



A carrot emerges from between the bars of the pen, and Mama Goat nibbles daintily on the unexpected treat. Baby Goat seems to prefer locally grown, seasonal greens.



"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.
~Osho"



It's time to feed the chickens. The chickens seem to love pecking on the carrots, too.



How many friends can you fit into the back of a pickup truck? Not as many as your heart could hold!



The dogs ran after the truck, tongues lolling, tails wagging, and though we feared for their safety, they seemed all the happier for the exercise.





It started to rain while we were feeding the ducks and geese.



Brownie the former stray dog seemed to think it was a pity that we were fattening up ducks that would never be eaten, and decided to help himself to one. We managed to stop him from catching any ducks, though.





Rain worshippers in their element!



No weather is so extreme that you can't enjoy a soak in an icy-cold stream.



Time for a feast of durians and rambutans after we come in from the rain!



The sun came back out and warmed up the earth by late afternoon. The chickens were happy to scratch for worms in the sodden ground.



We found Cerys enjoying the company of Adik in Jorg's pickup after the rain. It was probably warmer and cosier inside the truck cab than outside.



After a shower and a change of clothes, the friendly and hospitable farm hands treated us to a feast of Indian vegetarian food and brewed black coffee, which warmed us thoroughly.



... And off to the tortoise pond we go.



The tortoises paddled towards us in their happy placid way to accept the food we brought them.



Shahrul and Jorg's cat shelter had different levels to allow the cats to climb, hide and play.



These puppies were rescued from the DBKL (City Hall) pounds. 3 out of 5 had died of distemper, and so the remaining 2 had to be put in quarantine. I wish people would stop "rescuing" animals and sending them to shelters without vaccinating, deworming, deticking and neutering them, as this puts other animals at risk.





Nobody felt like going back to the city and returning to work after the enchanting day we had at the farm.

Shahrul declared that it was the best Merdeka she has ever had and asked us to come back soon. We all agreed that it was the best National Day celebrations we have ever experienced, far from the madding crowd of the city.

For what is independence and liberty, if not the freedom of assembly and association; the opportunity to make new friends and the privilege of having companion animals without the interference of the State? What is the essence of nationhood and good citizenship, if not the right to a clean and unpolluted natural environment, the pleasure of working in harmony with the Planet, the simple joy of connecting and communicating with animals and nature, and the pride of doing and accomplishing something good with one's friends, regardless of faith and ethnicity? And so on behalf of all the animals, people and plants at, and the friends of, Bentong Farm Sancutary, we wish you a Happy National Day and a pleasant week ahead.

(All photo credits: Marvin and Yen)