Seems to me like this couple of weeks will be remembered for making sedition charges all the rage. First, blogger-activist Raja Petra was remanded and charged with sedition for calling for justice for the brutal murder of Mongolian beauty Altantunya. The exhortations in his blog would, at most, amount to libel, but the prosecution saw it fit to invoke the archaic, misunderstood and draconian law against sedition. Next, Member of Parliament Karpal Singh (‘outspoken and brash’ only to those who disagree with his views) had a police report lodged against him, also invoking the ‘offence’ of sedition, for questioning whether the appointment of the state religious leader is the prerogative of the state executive or the Sultan. Wonderful. Suddenly everything’s seditious.
Well Done, Gentlemen of the Ruling Coalition! You have just convinced us afresh of how small-minded, unintelligent, weak, easily threatened and prone to paranoia you all are. Thank you for continually giving us reminders to vote Opposition again in the next General Elections.
On another note: World Environment Day will soon be upon us again and the local dailies are doing their bit by running special feature stories on the environment. One of the journos from The Star had contacted Dylan, a former MNS branch committee member, who had in turn given her my contact details. The journo wanted to interview me in the capacity of Green Living coordinator, and so I agreed. I had expected the interview to be about the top priorities for environmentally conscious consumers, and not about my efforts as an individual, but in the end, she did end up asking me many superfluous questions about my personal actions. I don’t think readers want to read about what a lawyer does with her light fixtures and vegetable peels. I would think readers would want to know what activities have the highest impact on the environment and learn about the feasible and affordable alternatives to these damaging goods and practices.
Funnily enough, we devoted an entire half-hour of the interview to the topic of composting. And only a few hours ago, I had issued a very long and elaborate reply to a query on kitchen composting on the MNS Yahoogroup. Suddenly everyone’s asking me about composting. What, do I look like an expert in rotten things to you?
The interview was over in 1 ½ hours and I can only pray The Star would have better sense than to misquote its interviewees and put us in a bad light like the New Straits Times did last year for its environment pullout.
Thursday, 15th May 2008, was Pixie’s second birthday. My little boy turns two! I brought out the party tableware that evening and gave all 16 cats a treat in his honour. Each kitty received a bowl of tuna mash, topped off with a swirl of Hi-Vite and a piece of Pitter-Patter cat candy. Well, the cats enjoyed their treats so much that we had to cope with fish breath for the next 12 hours.
Halle’s babies polished off their portion and ate a good part of their mama’s share as well. Somehow they managed to get food all over themselves in the process. Now how did that happen? Is it possible that they licked their paws immediately after eating and anointed their foreheads and backs with the food? Keisha’s babies are not quite a month old but they know gourmet food when they smell it, and wobbled and crawled all the way to their mama’s food bowl to have a taste. I love all my kitties much more than I can express in words.
The Malaysian Naïve Art Showcase is on at the Central Market Annexe Gallery, so I went over to browse during my lunch hour on Friday, 16th May. You can view some of the images here: Malaysian Naïve Art Showcase
There must be something about two-dimensional drawings, technicolour trees and disproportionately huge birds, fish and butterflies, because the gallery was quite packed when I arrived. Everybody seems to love art that is charmingly simple on its surface but has hidden meaning and depth. The last such naïve art exhibition I visited was probably in 2002 or 2003, at City Square.
Anyway, there’s a fair bit of excitement in the parental neck of the woods. The parents have decided to adopt the puppy (first named Bear, then renamed Buster by Jessica) rather than leave him at the SPCA at the mercy of germs and infections and callous visitors. Well, it’s now Friday and Jessica will probably be bringing the puppy to me tonight, so it’s time for me to go back to the ‘Quarters, clean the place up and make room for the puppy.
Covert Operations, Over!
Friday, 16 May 2008
Monday, 12 May 2008
Mothers’ Day Weekend
Saturday, 10th May 2008 – Sunday, 11th May 2008: Mothers’ Day Weekend
Woke up early to feed and clean up after the kitties before heading on off to the MNS HQ for a brainstorming workshop conducted by our immediate past Branch Chairman, Anuar. I brought Felicity with me, as I would be going to the SPCA after the workshop and would try to find her a good home.
The workshop was productive and offered many interesting brainstorming strategies. As an incentive for creativity, Anuar offered prizes for 2 of the sessions. Rick won one for thinking up the highest number of uses for a paper clip. I won the second one for thinking up the most improvements to the standard shopping cart. Felicity lay curled up against my shoulder because she kept disrupting the sessions when left in the pet carrier to play with her jingle ball.
The workshop was over by noon and we thanked Anuar and left. I arrived at the SPCA around 1230h and set up Felicity’s cage in front so visitors could see her. She was happy to play with her ball and I told her I would be back soon.
Rose was there bathing dogs and cleaning cages already, and asked if I wanted to tickwash dogs with her. I made a large tub of Tactick solution, grabbed 5 leashes and set to work with Rose, bathing, rinsing, grooming and tickwashing dogs. We did all the dogs in Sick Bay, Kennels E & F and Appu’s Bay. There were a few gunk-filled ears for me to clean and a few sores to be medicated, but apart from that, there were no indications of injury or serious illness. Dr. Pushpa informed me that the garlic I bring every week is working very well, as the number of worm, tick and parasite infestations has gone down significantly (Note: Garlic is not toxic to pets unless given in large quantities continuously).
Reve came over to Sick Bay to call me out as there was a potential adopter for Felicity. They seemed like very nice people but were not truly committed to keeping a ‘common cat’ like Felicity. The trouble is, most of the visitors enjoy Felicity’s company and are quite willing to play with her, as she is a friendly, intelligent and healthy young cat. However, they came to the shelter hoping to get a Persian, Siamese or Bengal cat, and are not keen to bring home a ‘common tabby’ that they could not show off as status symbols. I am sad that breed discrimination is preventing Felicity from finding a good home. However, I would much rather find her a family that wants and loves her wholeheartedly, than foist her on someone who prefers pedigrees and will later abandon Felicity for a Persian. I will try to find her a home via e-mail appeal, and failing that, I will find a way to keep her without the housemates going ballistic over our growing zoo.
FELICITY, AGE 3 ½ MONTHS
At 1700h, Rose and I washed and put away the pails, tubs, clippers, scissors and other dog cleaning and grooming paraphernalia. I got to work cleaning the shelter. I soaped, scrubbed and disinfected the Admin/Reception area, the kennels and the catteries while the dogs were out playing in the shelter compound.
Again, a few visitors turned up after closing hours to surrender their cats. I explained our policies and euthanasia rates to them and advised them to take responsibility for neutering their pets. I made them promise to make appointments with the Spay & Neuter Clinic and reminded them that their cats’ lives are in their hands. These are mostly simple-minded folk who are horrified at the idea of euthanasia and it didn’t take long for me to persuade them to neuter and save the lives of their animals instead.
Finished cleaning the shelter, showered, put Felicity back in the Battletank and bade goodbye to Reve, Rolled on back to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters, tidied up, fed and cleaned up after the kitties and drove on over to the supermarket to buy Bulla Low Light 98% Fat Free Vanilla Ice Cream for Mom.
Crammed the ice cream tub into the beer cooler I keep in the Battletank and barreled back to the parental home in time to wish Mom a Happy Mothers’ Day at the stroke of midnight and hand her my gift of a chintz-patterned box of healthy treats.
Mothers’ Day was a pleasant affair. I cleaned the parental home, spring cleaned my bedroom, bathed Amber, checked the Battletank’s oil level and took Amber out on a car ride and walk. The Twin and his Girl arrived in the late afternoon and the Twin helped Dad troubleshoot the parental laptop.
We went out for Mothers’ Day dinner at the country grill which doesn’t play any country music and has Bangladeshi waiters who couldn’t even tell us what it was they had just brought to our table. The quality of food made up for the service and we had to agree that we enjoyed the dinner very much. We came home to the highly anticipated ice cream, which I served with peach slices. We instant-messaged Big Bro and got to see his new apartment thanks to the webcam. He showed us his bandaged arm and illustrated the bone inflammation for us. We waved our ice cream glasses at him and Sis-in-Law as they yelled Happy Mothers’ Day. The parents haven’t left the laptop alone since the day they acquired it and I foresee many happy hours of video-chatting friends and family.
I finally washed up, packed my things, kissed Amber goodbye and left the parental home at 2300h. Arrived at the Quarters to find that Jake had already fed the cats, bless his heart. Cleaned the cages and litter trays, did the laundry, swept the floor and went to bed flanked by Daisy and Pixie. It’s been a satisfactory weekend, although not incredible.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Animal Charities’ Inside Scoops
Wednesday, 7th May 2008: Serina dropped by the Bachelor Officer’s Quarters on Monday and handed me 6 bags of cat kibbles, a basket and sack of cat food pouches, pet toys, vitamins and supplement and all sorts of other good things for Project Second Chance. I was very touched, and I’m sure the cats are too. However, I had to confess that there was much more pet food than I had an immediate need for, and asked if I could share it with the Independent Pet Rescuers. Serina, ever generous, agreed because she acknowledged that the Independent Pet Rescuers work very hard at rehabilitating and rehoming animals nobody wants.
We could, of course, always donate some of the things to the SPCA. However, as SPCA is a registered charity and is the oldest and most recognized animal charity in the country, they have no shortage of donors and sponsors. The Independent Pet Rescuers run pretty much on donations and on the salaries of its volunteers and coordinators, who provide for the animals that live in their care. The Indies also work far harder at rehoming their animals than the SPCA does, because of their strong aversion to euthanasia. I will, however, defend the SPCA by explaining that we receive close to a thousand animals each month and are able to find homes for only approximately 10% of them, even with our publicity and outreach efforts.
Anyway, I contacted Sherrina on Tuesday and arranged to meet up with one of her Rescuer-Volunteers, Carnea, and her mother Julia, outside Secret Recipe on Wednesday, so I could hand them 3 bags of cat food, a bag of kitten wet food pouches, and a large stack of newspapers.
The 3 of us ended up sharing news on all the animal welfare groups operating in the country, whether registered charities or personal initiatives. It seems there is a lot that is not right with many animal charities, and then there are self-proclaimed rescuers who take in too many dogs and keep them in appalling conditions. There were also many misconceptions about the SPCA that I had to correct, for example, that we blacklist certain adopters, or that we do not allow renters to adopt. All these rumours were not substantiated, and I told Carnea that there is often more to the story than meets the eye.
If only all the time and energy poured into misinformation, slander, badmouthing and backstabbing could be channeled instead to true animal welfare work, there’d be a lot fewer strays out there. Animal rescue work isn’t a competition of who comes out looking best in the media. It is a competition of how well we can work together to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in need and push for legislative reforms to protect animals. When there is care and protection for the animals, everyone wins.
We could, of course, always donate some of the things to the SPCA. However, as SPCA is a registered charity and is the oldest and most recognized animal charity in the country, they have no shortage of donors and sponsors. The Independent Pet Rescuers run pretty much on donations and on the salaries of its volunteers and coordinators, who provide for the animals that live in their care. The Indies also work far harder at rehoming their animals than the SPCA does, because of their strong aversion to euthanasia. I will, however, defend the SPCA by explaining that we receive close to a thousand animals each month and are able to find homes for only approximately 10% of them, even with our publicity and outreach efforts.
Anyway, I contacted Sherrina on Tuesday and arranged to meet up with one of her Rescuer-Volunteers, Carnea, and her mother Julia, outside Secret Recipe on Wednesday, so I could hand them 3 bags of cat food, a bag of kitten wet food pouches, and a large stack of newspapers.
The 3 of us ended up sharing news on all the animal welfare groups operating in the country, whether registered charities or personal initiatives. It seems there is a lot that is not right with many animal charities, and then there are self-proclaimed rescuers who take in too many dogs and keep them in appalling conditions. There were also many misconceptions about the SPCA that I had to correct, for example, that we blacklist certain adopters, or that we do not allow renters to adopt. All these rumours were not substantiated, and I told Carnea that there is often more to the story than meets the eye.
If only all the time and energy poured into misinformation, slander, badmouthing and backstabbing could be channeled instead to true animal welfare work, there’d be a lot fewer strays out there. Animal rescue work isn’t a competition of who comes out looking best in the media. It is a competition of how well we can work together to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in need and push for legislative reforms to protect animals. When there is care and protection for the animals, everyone wins.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
SPCA Weekend
Saturday, 3rd May 2008 - Sunday, 4th May 2008: SPCA Weekend.
Woke up at 0740h upon receiving a text message from Susan T. that she was free to come and help out at the SPCA today. Picked up my weekly 2 kilos of peeled garlic to be cooked in the shelter animals' food from the wet market and went to the foodstalls to see if they had any stray cats for neutering under Mission Help. The kind stallowners had managed to capture a grey tabby for spaying, but as one of their staff was holding on to the cat, she (the cat) clawed and bit her captor so fiercely that the poor girl screamed and had to let the cat go. After putting antiseptic from my First Aid Kit on the girl's wound and checking that she was okay, I left some cat food for the stall owners and told them that I would bring them a cage next week.
Put Felicity in the carrier to see if I could get her adopted this week. I would hate to have to say goodbye to her, but if I were to keep all the strays I found, I'd have no time, energy or funds left for my rescue work. I would much rather Felicity be adopted by a good family. I just hope they'd want to keep in touch with me and let me board Felicity from time to time if they want to go away on vacation.
Swung round to Bangsar to pick Susan T. up. We arrived at the SPCA around 1130h. Set up Felicity's cage and put up a sign stating her medical history and the fact that she is for adoption. Susan and I started walking the dogs from Kennel A, 2-by-2. Upon our return, I bathed and tickwashed the dogs, as Susan was not used to bathing dogs.
The Twin arrived around 1300h, bringing Bear (the fostered puppy) back for vaccination. Prasan waited in the car while the Twin surrendered Bear. Both of them were quite emotional about having to part with the puppy. Prasan's family did a great job with Bear, as he had grown much bigger in just 3 weeks and was a picture of health. The Twin took a frightfully long time explaining Bear's needs, likes and dislikes to me. As though I didn't know how to look after a dog!
I put Bear into an oversized, cavernous carrier on loan from Dr. Pushpa and resumed my animal care duties. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Susan had overcome her fear of bathing dogs enough to bathe and tickwash the dogs while I was dealing with the Twin. Well, miracles happen every day! We went on walking, bathing and tickwashing dogs until it started to rain. Susan and I then took a quick lunch break while waiting for the rain to let up.
It was still drizzling when we got back to the shelter, so we decided to clean the shelter instead. I made 2 pails of soap and disinfectant solution for our use. Susan and I cleaned the Catteries, the Maternity Kennel, Kennels E, F and G, the Puppery, the cooking area and the central area.
In the evening, Reve let the dogs out to play in the shelter compound while Susan and I cleaned the Reception/Admin area. Halfway through our cleaning, a Malay lady came with her daughters to surrender her cats. Apparently she knew nothing about neutering and had let her 2 female cats breed. Now she found that she was unable to look after all the cats and had to surrender them. Before I could talk to her, Reve started shouting at the lady and screaming things about "Muslims saying it's a sin to neuter pets but sending many, many cats to be put to sleep". The lady and her daughters started crying and apologising. It was clear that like so many members of the public, they have no knowledge of the harsh reality of animal shelter euthanasia rates. They had obviously thought, in good faith, that the SPCA was the right place to send animals that they could no longer care for. After all, the Malay name of the SPCA is "Persatuan Menolong Haiwan", i.e. Animal-Helping Society. The lady then asked for her cats back but Reve would have none of it. Susan asked me to intervene, and although I know better than to mess with Reve when she's angry, I intervened anyway. I know Reve wouldn't stay angry with me for long.
I explained to the distressed lady and her daughters about the animal surrender rates and the percentage of those euthanised. I showed them around the shelter so they could see how crowded our kennels are. We have grossly exceeded our limit of animals housed in the shelter and although we have executed new strategies including having outreach and adoption booths at shopping centres, the surrender rates still exceed the adoption rates tenfold. I then talked about the benefits of neutering and gave them our shelter literature on the neutering of cats. The lady and her daughters agreed to bring their cats home and have a neutering appointment fixed within the week. I gave them my number and business card in case they encountered any problems with the Neutering Clinic staff. I apologised on behalf of the SPCA and asked them to forgive Reve, as she "is a foreigner and not of our culture, and may be a bit too blunt and may have said offensive and unacceptable things".
Reve apologised to me later for snapping at me, and although I was by then very weary from brainworm (i.e the kind of headache that leaves me lethargic, depressed and nauseated), I told her that there was little point in shouting at people and offending them because it would not help the cause of animal welfare. You can't educate people by angering, intimidating or humiliating them. There are many, many cruel people out there who kick stray animals for fun and ill-treat living beings, but this lady wasn’t one of them. She had apologized and had wanted to bring her cats home. You should always give someone a chance if they apologise, because it means they have learned from their mistakes and are willing to do better. If you don’t give someone the opportunity to make amends, how could we ever become a more caring and more civil society?
I know Reve cares very deeply about animals and is one of the best animal welfare workers you can find, but you won't be able to accomplish much if you can't engage other people and get them to help you in your fight against animal abuse and pet abandonment. You can't keep on believing that you can't change the way people are, and that if they've made up their minds to abandon their pets, they will. That is a defeatist attitude that demonstrates a lack of faith in the innate goodness of people.
If you had asked me 5 years ago if I liked animals better than I liked people, I would have said "Yes" without hesitation. Today, however, I believe there is no real choice between which one I cared for more. I work for animal rights and welfare because animals and the environment have no suffrage, and I strive to give them a better life because I can. But at the same time, I don't believe that humans are less honest or less likeable than animals. I believe that deep down inside, people are essentially good, and people do the best they can, in what they believe is in the best interests of their families or community. People's values are often influenced by their religion, culture, economic exigencies and even the policies of the government of the day (e.g. "if the Internal Security Act has been passed by Parliament, it must be necessary and it must be for the good of the country").
So in our case, the lady was of the opinion, in good faith, that instead of abandoning her cats at the roadside, the best thing she could do was to surrender them to the SPCA. She was not aware that she had the option of neutering them and bringing them home. In my opinion, many people act the way they do out of ignorance and lack of awareness. To bring about change and to reform animal welfare policies in this country, we have to take this approach:
1. Create awareness on the benefits of neutering/spaying your pets.
2. Provide access to affordable spaying/neutering.
3. Create awareness of shelter and pound euthanasia rates.
4. Use schools and the mass media to disseminate information on responsible pet ownership.
5. Create incentives for people who neuter, vaccinate and provide proper care for their companion animals.
6. Instill pride in a society that cares for its animals.
In dealing with this issue, anger is counterproductive. Reve may have the best of intentions but she doesn't realise that she's alienating people and making the public wary about having to work with the SPCA. People could be negligent or uncaring or downright cruel, but people could also be agents of change and reform. Susan reminded me never to become "angry and bitter like Reve", because "you may be the best animal shelter volunteer on Earth, but if you can't work with your fellow man, then I can't say very much for your effectiveness as a volunteer". I agree with you, Susan, and I thank you for your reminder. I pray I never become angry or bitter either. Each day, I learn better ways of communicating with people and helping them make better choices that will result in less harm to other living beings.
Susan and I finished cleaning the shelter, cleaned ourselves up, picked up Felicity (who wasn’t adopted today) and Bear (who is to be fostered for 2 weeks by Jessica’s father) and drove on home. Dropped Susan off at her home, went back to the ‘Quarters. Got my animal babies fed, cleaned up and settled down.
Rolled on back to the parental home on Saturday night. I think the Battletank’s driveshaft is rumbling. I hope it’s not going to be expensive to repair. Completely flaked by the time I was done having dinner with the parents and doing the washing up. Could not sleep thanks to the brainworm. I wonder if this warrants an MRI scan, or if I’m just being a hypochondriac.
Sunday wasn’t a productive one for me. Bathed Amber, tidied up the insides of the Battletank, cleaned the living and dining rooms, took Amber on a walk and a car ride and that was all. No major projects undertaken.
Went back to the Bachelor Officer’s Quarters late Sunday night, cleaned the cages, did my laundry, cleaned the ‘Quarters up and was stayed up until morning replying to e-mails and typing my blog entries.
Project Second Chance would like to thank all its donors, sponsors and volunteers for their contributions, assistance and kind support:
1. Bernadette Chin
2. Lillian Danielle Khoo
3. Serina Rahman
4. Zawalan Razak
5. Jacobus Raj
6. Jessica Ng
7. Susan Thomas
8. Hazel McClure
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Woke up at 0740h upon receiving a text message from Susan T. that she was free to come and help out at the SPCA today. Picked up my weekly 2 kilos of peeled garlic to be cooked in the shelter animals' food from the wet market and went to the foodstalls to see if they had any stray cats for neutering under Mission Help. The kind stallowners had managed to capture a grey tabby for spaying, but as one of their staff was holding on to the cat, she (the cat) clawed and bit her captor so fiercely that the poor girl screamed and had to let the cat go. After putting antiseptic from my First Aid Kit on the girl's wound and checking that she was okay, I left some cat food for the stall owners and told them that I would bring them a cage next week.
Put Felicity in the carrier to see if I could get her adopted this week. I would hate to have to say goodbye to her, but if I were to keep all the strays I found, I'd have no time, energy or funds left for my rescue work. I would much rather Felicity be adopted by a good family. I just hope they'd want to keep in touch with me and let me board Felicity from time to time if they want to go away on vacation.
Swung round to Bangsar to pick Susan T. up. We arrived at the SPCA around 1130h. Set up Felicity's cage and put up a sign stating her medical history and the fact that she is for adoption. Susan and I started walking the dogs from Kennel A, 2-by-2. Upon our return, I bathed and tickwashed the dogs, as Susan was not used to bathing dogs.
The Twin arrived around 1300h, bringing Bear (the fostered puppy) back for vaccination. Prasan waited in the car while the Twin surrendered Bear. Both of them were quite emotional about having to part with the puppy. Prasan's family did a great job with Bear, as he had grown much bigger in just 3 weeks and was a picture of health. The Twin took a frightfully long time explaining Bear's needs, likes and dislikes to me. As though I didn't know how to look after a dog!
I put Bear into an oversized, cavernous carrier on loan from Dr. Pushpa and resumed my animal care duties. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Susan had overcome her fear of bathing dogs enough to bathe and tickwash the dogs while I was dealing with the Twin. Well, miracles happen every day! We went on walking, bathing and tickwashing dogs until it started to rain. Susan and I then took a quick lunch break while waiting for the rain to let up.
It was still drizzling when we got back to the shelter, so we decided to clean the shelter instead. I made 2 pails of soap and disinfectant solution for our use. Susan and I cleaned the Catteries, the Maternity Kennel, Kennels E, F and G, the Puppery, the cooking area and the central area.
In the evening, Reve let the dogs out to play in the shelter compound while Susan and I cleaned the Reception/Admin area. Halfway through our cleaning, a Malay lady came with her daughters to surrender her cats. Apparently she knew nothing about neutering and had let her 2 female cats breed. Now she found that she was unable to look after all the cats and had to surrender them. Before I could talk to her, Reve started shouting at the lady and screaming things about "Muslims saying it's a sin to neuter pets but sending many, many cats to be put to sleep". The lady and her daughters started crying and apologising. It was clear that like so many members of the public, they have no knowledge of the harsh reality of animal shelter euthanasia rates. They had obviously thought, in good faith, that the SPCA was the right place to send animals that they could no longer care for. After all, the Malay name of the SPCA is "Persatuan Menolong Haiwan", i.e. Animal-Helping Society. The lady then asked for her cats back but Reve would have none of it. Susan asked me to intervene, and although I know better than to mess with Reve when she's angry, I intervened anyway. I know Reve wouldn't stay angry with me for long.
I explained to the distressed lady and her daughters about the animal surrender rates and the percentage of those euthanised. I showed them around the shelter so they could see how crowded our kennels are. We have grossly exceeded our limit of animals housed in the shelter and although we have executed new strategies including having outreach and adoption booths at shopping centres, the surrender rates still exceed the adoption rates tenfold. I then talked about the benefits of neutering and gave them our shelter literature on the neutering of cats. The lady and her daughters agreed to bring their cats home and have a neutering appointment fixed within the week. I gave them my number and business card in case they encountered any problems with the Neutering Clinic staff. I apologised on behalf of the SPCA and asked them to forgive Reve, as she "is a foreigner and not of our culture, and may be a bit too blunt and may have said offensive and unacceptable things".
Reve apologised to me later for snapping at me, and although I was by then very weary from brainworm (i.e the kind of headache that leaves me lethargic, depressed and nauseated), I told her that there was little point in shouting at people and offending them because it would not help the cause of animal welfare. You can't educate people by angering, intimidating or humiliating them. There are many, many cruel people out there who kick stray animals for fun and ill-treat living beings, but this lady wasn’t one of them. She had apologized and had wanted to bring her cats home. You should always give someone a chance if they apologise, because it means they have learned from their mistakes and are willing to do better. If you don’t give someone the opportunity to make amends, how could we ever become a more caring and more civil society?
I know Reve cares very deeply about animals and is one of the best animal welfare workers you can find, but you won't be able to accomplish much if you can't engage other people and get them to help you in your fight against animal abuse and pet abandonment. You can't keep on believing that you can't change the way people are, and that if they've made up their minds to abandon their pets, they will. That is a defeatist attitude that demonstrates a lack of faith in the innate goodness of people.
If you had asked me 5 years ago if I liked animals better than I liked people, I would have said "Yes" without hesitation. Today, however, I believe there is no real choice between which one I cared for more. I work for animal rights and welfare because animals and the environment have no suffrage, and I strive to give them a better life because I can. But at the same time, I don't believe that humans are less honest or less likeable than animals. I believe that deep down inside, people are essentially good, and people do the best they can, in what they believe is in the best interests of their families or community. People's values are often influenced by their religion, culture, economic exigencies and even the policies of the government of the day (e.g. "if the Internal Security Act has been passed by Parliament, it must be necessary and it must be for the good of the country").
So in our case, the lady was of the opinion, in good faith, that instead of abandoning her cats at the roadside, the best thing she could do was to surrender them to the SPCA. She was not aware that she had the option of neutering them and bringing them home. In my opinion, many people act the way they do out of ignorance and lack of awareness. To bring about change and to reform animal welfare policies in this country, we have to take this approach:
1. Create awareness on the benefits of neutering/spaying your pets.
2. Provide access to affordable spaying/neutering.
3. Create awareness of shelter and pound euthanasia rates.
4. Use schools and the mass media to disseminate information on responsible pet ownership.
5. Create incentives for people who neuter, vaccinate and provide proper care for their companion animals.
6. Instill pride in a society that cares for its animals.
In dealing with this issue, anger is counterproductive. Reve may have the best of intentions but she doesn't realise that she's alienating people and making the public wary about having to work with the SPCA. People could be negligent or uncaring or downright cruel, but people could also be agents of change and reform. Susan reminded me never to become "angry and bitter like Reve", because "you may be the best animal shelter volunteer on Earth, but if you can't work with your fellow man, then I can't say very much for your effectiveness as a volunteer". I agree with you, Susan, and I thank you for your reminder. I pray I never become angry or bitter either. Each day, I learn better ways of communicating with people and helping them make better choices that will result in less harm to other living beings.
Susan and I finished cleaning the shelter, cleaned ourselves up, picked up Felicity (who wasn’t adopted today) and Bear (who is to be fostered for 2 weeks by Jessica’s father) and drove on home. Dropped Susan off at her home, went back to the ‘Quarters. Got my animal babies fed, cleaned up and settled down.
Rolled on back to the parental home on Saturday night. I think the Battletank’s driveshaft is rumbling. I hope it’s not going to be expensive to repair. Completely flaked by the time I was done having dinner with the parents and doing the washing up. Could not sleep thanks to the brainworm. I wonder if this warrants an MRI scan, or if I’m just being a hypochondriac.
Sunday wasn’t a productive one for me. Bathed Amber, tidied up the insides of the Battletank, cleaned the living and dining rooms, took Amber on a walk and a car ride and that was all. No major projects undertaken.
Went back to the Bachelor Officer’s Quarters late Sunday night, cleaned the cages, did my laundry, cleaned the ‘Quarters up and was stayed up until morning replying to e-mails and typing my blog entries.
Project Second Chance would like to thank all its donors, sponsors and volunteers for their contributions, assistance and kind support:
1. Bernadette Chin
2. Lillian Danielle Khoo
3. Serina Rahman
4. Zawalan Razak
5. Jacobus Raj
6. Jessica Ng
7. Susan Thomas
8. Hazel McClure
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Labour Day jaunt to the Kuala Selangor Nature Park
MAP OF THE KUALA SELANGOR NATURE PARK
I had initially decided to spend the Labour Day holiday at the SPCA, but since I would be going there on Saturday anyway, I opted to do some trail cleanup work at any one of my favourite camping or trekking sites instead. I wasn't able to contact any of the Feroza Gang to come with me, and a few of my friends have gone off on a mountaineering adventure. Lillian was in hospital for a check-up, while Mun Yee was in Melaka playing football in the Bench and Bar Games. I decided to take a drive down to Kuala Selangor on my own because it was to be only a day trip and I didn’t want to have to drive for hours.
The Kuala Selangor Nature Park ("KSNP") was gazetted by the state government in 1987 and is managed by the Malaysian Nature Society. One of the best things about the park is that it is a synthesis of 2 ecosystems: tropical rainforest and coastal wetlands. I go there pretty much once a year and have not grown tired of it yet. I know that on weekends and public holidays, our friends from the Bird SIG can probably be found doing their LAMIBA (Local Area Monitoring of Important Bird Areas) data collection work at the Park, so I could always join them for a bit of birding if trail-cleaning gets too lonesome.
I reached the foot of Melawati Hill by midmorning. There was a family of Silver Leaf Monkeys feeding in the trees, and they watched me with their comical faces and held out their little black hands to me when I started eating the organic seed and berry trail mix I brought. I love Silver Leaf Monkeys because they are mostly gentle and retiring, not brash and belligerent like the Long-Tailed Macaques. I could write a book about the mischief the Long-Tailed Macaques get up to in my neighbourhood, playing on the park equipment, lifting our roof tiles, uprooting our potted plants, getting into the trash and stealing food. But Silver Leaf Monkeys are a different story. I tipped trail mix into each tiny hand and watched the monkeys nibble daintily at the treats. One tugged at the corner of my jersey and held out her hand for more treats. The others watched without attacking. If they had been Long-Tailed Macaques, I would have been mauled to death by now. I bought them bananas and the monkeys accepted the goodies politely with both hands, nibbling the bananas and staring at us with grateful eyes. We really shouldn't be feeding the monkeys, but Loretta and Vegan Eugene were not here to tell us off, so I could feed all the monkeys I want, with impunity.
Walked into the KSNP office and chatted with the staff after gaining admission. My old friend Laila was circling the grounds on her motorbike to check that the gates were locked and that the visitors were not starting fires or leaving litter behind. I walked past the office and campsite and down the first trail towards the lake, putting any litter I saw into the biodegradable garbage bag I brought with me. The Park was largely clean and litter-free, except near the mudflats where the river tides would bring the flotsam in.
There was no shortage of fauna sightings. Of birds, there were Greater Racquettail Drongos, Black-Naped Orioles, White-Throated Kingfishers, Pied Fantails, Common Ioras and Laced Woodpeckers around the trails, and Brahminy Kites, Purple Herons, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Great Egrets and Chinese Pond Herons at the lake. Besides the pugnacious Long-Tailed Macaques and canopy-dwelling Silver Leaf Monkeys, I didn't spot any other mammals. In the mudflats and water, there were Giant Mudskippers, Blue Spotted Mudskippers, Fiddler Crabs, Monitor Lizards, River Snails and other smaller fauna galore. Blink, and you might miss something.
We encountered a few of our birder friends and fellow MNS members along the trails. I managed to make conversation with 2 photography enthusiasts and persuaded them to join MNS, as they love nature photography but could not find many other people to go on field trips with.
Completed cleaning up all the trails in the Park by late evening. Deposited the bottles and cans into the recycling bins at the Park. Showered at the campsite's communal bathroom. Came out to the car park to find a monkey sitting langorously on the Battletank. Laila asked me to chase the monkey off, but I couldn't bring myself to say "Shoo!" to the monkey, so I tapped the monkey on the shoulder instead.
Two of the KSNP staff had by now gathered round to watch the fun. "Hello, excuse me," I said to the monkey, tapping him on the shoulder again. He merely turned around, gave me an insolent look, and went back to leaning against the back windscreen of the Ranger. The KSNP staff dissolved in a fit of giggles, pointing and carrying on. I tapped the monkey on the shoulder once more and explained that we had to leave and could not bring him with us as it was against the Protection of Wildlife Act. I switched the engine on but the monkey was unfazed. I finally brought out the last of my trail mix and managed to lure the recalcitrant monkey away from the pickup and onto the grass using the goodies.
At the foot of Melawati Hill, I decided I would like to go up the hill on the tram. I bought a ticket and duly rode up the Hill on a trip with a tramload of tourists. We disembarked on the top to visit the ruins of the old fort, the lighthouse and the royal mauselum. The view from the top was fantastic as usual, but I was disappointed to see a lot of litter. I believe the hawkers should be charged a fee for the cleaning and upkeep of the area, as they are primarily responsible for the litter being there in the first place. There were only a couple of rubbish bins, which is grossly inadequate when there are so many mobile hawkers selling all sorts of junk food.
Left Melawati Hill when it got dark and reached the city around 2100 hours. Went back to the 'Quarters, fed and cleaned up after the cats, tidied the place up and mopped the floor. It's been a public holiday well-spent.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
“The 11th Hour” Malaysian Premiere at KLPAC
“THE 11TH HOUR”
I verily believe the environmental offender, YTL Corporation, is trying to ingratiate itself into the good graces of the Malaysian Nature Society. We had just been informed, quite at the last minute, that we have been invited to set up a booth at the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) at the Malaysian premiere of "The 11th Hour" on Tuesday evening, and that we would be given a certain number of complimentary tickets. Am not sure what transpired between YTL and our HQ staff but the Branch Committee was given tickets as well. Gary called up to ask if I could make it to the premiere. Besides feeding and cleaning up after 16 cats, cleaning a house, preparing several reports, drafting a legal opinion and practicing for an upcoming bowling tournament, no... I didn't have anything to do, so I agreed to come for the screening.
The documentary was pretty mind-blowing. I strongly recommend that it be translated into all major languages and screened on national TV in all countries. I believe it should be compulsory screening in schools and government departments. If 'An Inconvenient Truth' made our indifferent public sit up and listen, then 'The 11th Hour' would make them want to get up and take action.
For me, watching the documentary was like witnessing a reunion of old friends. The heroes of my youth, including Kenny Ausubel, the founder of Bioneers, environmentalist and TV presenter David Suzuki and Janine Benyus, author of "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature", were interviewed in this documentary to speak on the topic that matters most to them: Mother Earth.
The message conveyed is one that each of us should treat with utmost importance: Climate change should not be debated as though it were an issue of faith, i.e. "I believe / don't believe in climate change". All scientific evidence shows that the current rate of global warming is unnatural and dangerous, and the human race is on the verge of self-destruction. There is nothing alarmist about this. Contrary to the argument of religious fundamentalists that environmentalists are attacking the institution of marriage and family by calling for a slowdown of human population expansion, the solution we environmentalists advocate ISN'T in not having babies, it's in finding cleaner and more efficient alternatives to practices and inventions that are polluting, wasteful and unsustainable. Just as humans have the ability to destroy, we also have the capacity to innovate, rebuild, heal, rehabilitate and protect.
As I have often lectured in my public speeches and Letters to the Editor, the Malthusian idea that a finite Earth cannot sustain indefinite human expansion is just an idea and not natural law. The Planet can sustain 6 billion people or 60 billion, depending on the way we utilise our space and resources. Ultimately, this is what makes the documentary both affecting and uplifting. It alerts us to the urgency of climate change, yet it also reminds us that the current rate of global warming can be halted and environmental destruction mitigated, if not reversed.
Monday, 28 April 2008
Earth Week @ the Ikano Power Centre
Saturday, 26th April 2008 - Sunday, 27th April 2008: Earth Week @ the Ikano Power Centre
The MNS Corporate Communications Head had e-mailed me in early April asking if I would be willing to render a talk on environmentally-friendly practices on 26th April at the Ikano Power Centre in conjunction with an Earth Day Carnival organised by an organic products store. Believing that I would have the time to go to the SPCA for my usual 6 hours of animal care and kennel work after the former event, I assented. Not only did I agree to deliver a presentation, I actually invited the Parents over to Ikano on the said day, so I could take them out to lunch and perhaps do a spot of shopping for essentials. Oh joy. I have just invited 2 English teachers over to parse my sentences and criticise my grammar.
I didn't expect a big audience on the day. Public speaking and delivering presentations on Green Living is old hat to me, and I know that talks such as that I was about to deliver would be effective only if I had a captive audience, such as at a Residents' Association gathering, not an ambulatory crowd of shoppers. I did, however, manage to get a gaggle of interested visitors as well as product promoters from the Earth Day Carnival booths to sit through my presentation, which covered the following topics:
1. Environmental conservation and protection: Whose duty is it?
2. Climate Change and how it will affect us.
3. Our duties as consumers and good citizens.
4. Priorities identified by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
5. The Climate Change Action Survey.
6. Take the Green Living Challenge.
My CD wouldn't run in the organiser's laptop, so we had to do without the video screening of "The Story of Stuff" (visit www.thestoryofstuff.com). I had to rely on the interactive nature of my oral presentation to capture the attention of the audience instead. The parents both thought the presentation was informative and well-rendered, although Dad did have a few things to say about my grammar. I’ve never been any great shakes at keeping track of my tenses and singular and plural nouns. Well, at least the parents now understand a little of what I do as coordinator of the Green Living SIG.
It was rather late when I was done, and seeing as that it wouldn't make sense to drive all the way to the SPCA just for 2 hours of work (and what with the pulled muscle in my left shoulder and all), I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon with the parents instead. Dad was fidgeting to go home because the Streamyx serviceman would be stopping by the parental home to help hook the parents' laptop up to the Internet, so we told him he could go home and leave the shopping to us.
Mum and I spent an enjoyable afternoon trawling the mall. I bought us ice cream and a dishwashing brush from Ikea but was quick to point out all the things we didn't need and could live without. I've never been an impulsive shopper and have never been easily influenced by advertising or other people's wheedling. We had a ridiculously-priced tea at Absolutely Thai and I insisted on going through every aisle in Ace Hardware before we called it a day. Had a pizza dinner back at the parental home and spent the evening teaching the parents how to Google travel destinations and gardening tips.
Sunday was spent at the parental home letting my injured shoulder recuperate. Did some yard work, gave Amber a bath, dismantled and cleaned the cookerhood, cleaned the living and dining rooms, polished the furniture, sorted the recyclables, took Amber on a car ride and a walk and taught Mum how to do error-free Sudoku. Same old, same old.
Left the parental home around 2130 hours with a foldable cage in the back of the Battletank to be delivered to Wolfhound's hostel in Section 18 Shah Alam. The kid had been fostering kittens in her dorm room without a proper cage, and her roommates have not been overly happy about it. It took me an hour to locate her elusive college and I managed to talk the security guards into letting me in with the well-disguised cage. The security guards decided to play silly buggers with me and tell me that I was obliged to 'cover up' and wear a long-sleeved article of clothing in order to enter the premises. I laughed and responded that I am not a hostel occupant, a student, or a Muslim and will not be subjected to their preposterous regulations. Long sleeves, forsooth! That will be the day when I wear long sleeves! The cage was safely delivered into Wolfhound's hands and she reported later that the kittens were quite comfortable in it. I went back to the Bachelor Officer's Quarters, cleaned up after the cats, did the laundry, tidied the place up and repaired to bed with a cold bottle of beer.
The MNS Corporate Communications Head had e-mailed me in early April asking if I would be willing to render a talk on environmentally-friendly practices on 26th April at the Ikano Power Centre in conjunction with an Earth Day Carnival organised by an organic products store. Believing that I would have the time to go to the SPCA for my usual 6 hours of animal care and kennel work after the former event, I assented. Not only did I agree to deliver a presentation, I actually invited the Parents over to Ikano on the said day, so I could take them out to lunch and perhaps do a spot of shopping for essentials. Oh joy. I have just invited 2 English teachers over to parse my sentences and criticise my grammar.
I didn't expect a big audience on the day. Public speaking and delivering presentations on Green Living is old hat to me, and I know that talks such as that I was about to deliver would be effective only if I had a captive audience, such as at a Residents' Association gathering, not an ambulatory crowd of shoppers. I did, however, manage to get a gaggle of interested visitors as well as product promoters from the Earth Day Carnival booths to sit through my presentation, which covered the following topics:
1. Environmental conservation and protection: Whose duty is it?
2. Climate Change and how it will affect us.
3. Our duties as consumers and good citizens.
4. Priorities identified by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
5. The Climate Change Action Survey.
6. Take the Green Living Challenge.
My CD wouldn't run in the organiser's laptop, so we had to do without the video screening of "The Story of Stuff" (visit www.thestoryofstuff.com). I had to rely on the interactive nature of my oral presentation to capture the attention of the audience instead. The parents both thought the presentation was informative and well-rendered, although Dad did have a few things to say about my grammar. I’ve never been any great shakes at keeping track of my tenses and singular and plural nouns. Well, at least the parents now understand a little of what I do as coordinator of the Green Living SIG.
It was rather late when I was done, and seeing as that it wouldn't make sense to drive all the way to the SPCA just for 2 hours of work (and what with the pulled muscle in my left shoulder and all), I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon with the parents instead. Dad was fidgeting to go home because the Streamyx serviceman would be stopping by the parental home to help hook the parents' laptop up to the Internet, so we told him he could go home and leave the shopping to us.
Mum and I spent an enjoyable afternoon trawling the mall. I bought us ice cream and a dishwashing brush from Ikea but was quick to point out all the things we didn't need and could live without. I've never been an impulsive shopper and have never been easily influenced by advertising or other people's wheedling. We had a ridiculously-priced tea at Absolutely Thai and I insisted on going through every aisle in Ace Hardware before we called it a day. Had a pizza dinner back at the parental home and spent the evening teaching the parents how to Google travel destinations and gardening tips.
Sunday was spent at the parental home letting my injured shoulder recuperate. Did some yard work, gave Amber a bath, dismantled and cleaned the cookerhood, cleaned the living and dining rooms, polished the furniture, sorted the recyclables, took Amber on a car ride and a walk and taught Mum how to do error-free Sudoku. Same old, same old.
Left the parental home around 2130 hours with a foldable cage in the back of the Battletank to be delivered to Wolfhound's hostel in Section 18 Shah Alam. The kid had been fostering kittens in her dorm room without a proper cage, and her roommates have not been overly happy about it. It took me an hour to locate her elusive college and I managed to talk the security guards into letting me in with the well-disguised cage. The security guards decided to play silly buggers with me and tell me that I was obliged to 'cover up' and wear a long-sleeved article of clothing in order to enter the premises. I laughed and responded that I am not a hostel occupant, a student, or a Muslim and will not be subjected to their preposterous regulations. Long sleeves, forsooth! That will be the day when I wear long sleeves! The cage was safely delivered into Wolfhound's hands and she reported later that the kittens were quite comfortable in it. I went back to the Bachelor Officer's Quarters, cleaned up after the cats, did the laundry, tidied the place up and repaired to bed with a cold bottle of beer.
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