Man's Best Friend

President, toastmaster of the evening and friends. Yesterday a report in the news channel caught my eye. There was an adoption drive organized by the Action of Singapore Dogs, and 80 dogs were up for adoption. As I watched the news clip my heart melted at the sight of these furry friends, all waiting to go to a good home. And so tonight, I was moved to share with you my experience as a dog owner and hoped that after my speech you will be motivated to adopt a dog for your family too.

I still remember that fateful day that I stepped into the pet shop at Balestier 8 years ago and looked straight into the dark brown eyes of a golden retriever puppy. She has a sweet dainty face as compared to her sister, both just arrived from Australia. It was love at first sight. I know we are destined be with each other for the rest of her life. I have to admit, it was out of impulse that I decided to buy a dog. I was merely window shopping then! But that moment of folly turned out to be the best decision of my life. Six months later I was not repentant at all, I fell in love yet again, to a second dog, a husky cross, adopted from an accidental litter by a husky mother and a golden retriever father. She is no 3 from a litter of 8. And so I stopped at 2, my family is now complete with Hana and Pika.

To be sure, life with 2 babies at home was not easy. From house breaking to obedience training, it was a journey filled with both toils and sweat. House breaking was the toughest, I still remember crying over having to clean the floor for the tenth time in the same day when they are still confused over what to do when they need to go. It took me one whole week for day and night cleaning before Hana got the idea. And thank God it only took Pika, the cleverer one, couple of days to get the same. Indeed, those were the darkest days of our lives. Obedience training was another tough one, from teaching of simple commands such as sit, stay, to the tough ones such as heel and about turn. I felt like I was training a circus full of pigs, that all that I got were blank stares and panicked looks. Little did I know that it was through such hardship, toils and sweat that strong bonds were built between us. We were inseparable from then on.

My labour finally paid off after they grew out of their puppy age. Hana and Pika turned out to be the bright sparks in the family. They inject life to an otherwise lonely house of a homo sapien by their silly games such as tag of war or chasing your tails. Imagine being greeted by yelps from behind the door even before you step into the house and opening the door to 2 ecstatic kids celebrating your return by bringing their favorite toys to you and leaping up and down. It is as though your presence is everything to them and you are the only person they ever wanted in their whole life. It feels good to be needed!

Over the years we got so used to each other's mannerism that every glance, every expression and every move is immediately understood. When I am angry at them there is no need to shout, I just need to stare into their eyes and they will hung their tails between their legs. When I am sad and sat there crying, they will come and gently put their heads on my lap. They never need to say a word but it was all the comfort I needed. However, be not deceived! Dogs are naturally born opportunists. They play you at their fingertips with their pearly eyes and pitiful look. Your heart will melt when that happens and you ended up giving in to them, usually with a treat in your hand.

Some say that dogs make better companions that humans, and I fully agree. Where would you find a person that never talks back at you no matter how much you scold them? Dogs are gentle creatures and wait patiently for you to give them just a little bit more attention and that’s all they ever really asked for. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope tonight, I have given you a taste of the joy of being a dog owner, and I hope you are now motivated to adopt one yourself.  Just remember though, dogs are for life, your love for them will be reciprocated million folds, and you will find that while they needed you to take care of them, it is our four-legged companions that complete our lives. 

Thank you. Toastmaster of the evening.

Self-evaluation - did a fairly good job at memorizing the speech, but neglected on timing the speech delivery. Found out it is too short during actual delivery and had to improvise additional content; which resulted in incoherence and a lot of fillers.

Missed out on the Ah-counter report this time, but I am so sure it is a record high.