Will You Take Me Home?

6000 – that is the number of stray dogs that have been put to sleep each year, statistics from the ministry of national development.
250 – that is the number of unwanted dogs that SPCA received and about half of them are abandoned
$500 to $2000 – that’s the cost of buying a dog
$0 – that’s the cost of adopting one
 
President, Toastmasters, and guests, these are the staggering statistics that we see today with regards to the Local stray dog scene. Due to the sheer number of stray dogs that we faced today, increasing efforts are needed to house them and sometimes, even to put them to sleep.
 
Non-profitable organizations have sprung up over the years by kind souls to help cope with the situation. Noah’s ark is one of them. It was set up by Raymund Wee in 1995 as an animal shelter for dogs, cats and even horses, to care for those that are sick, injured and abandoned. The Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) was established in December 2000 to improve the welfare of stray and abandoned dogs in Singapore. And there is SPCA … These are the few prominent organizations that are working quietly but diligently to help with the situation.
 
Now the government and organizations are doing their parts to cope with the stray dogs situation, what can we as individuals do to help? I say- one dog at a time!  But how? Allow me to share with you my personal experience as an example. I have 2 dogs, one which I bought from a pet shop and another adopted. I bought my first dog because of love at first sight. This I shared during my P2 project, and of cos, out of ignorance for current issue that we faced in Singapore. After being more exposed to dogs, dog care and also the local dog-owner community, I came to realize the problem and that the right way is to adopt rather than buy. As such my second dog, that is adopted from an accidental litter of 8.
 
10 years have I lived and cared for my beloved dogs. Yes, to be a responsible dog owner is hard work - ensuring that they are well fed with lots of exercises so as to maintain good health. Every night I need to ensure I reach home in time to feed them, their one and only meal in a day. Each night, I diligently wash the toilet as they are house trained. Each night, I bring them out for a walk for fresh air and exercise. If I need to travel I need to find someone to replace me and my duties for each day. Isn’t it hard work? All these pain and toils, is it worth it? If I have another chance to choose, will I still choose to be a dog owner? The answer is YES! for all 3 questions.
 
Why am I still so convicted after 10 years of hard labour? Precisely because dogs are Man’s Best Friend. They are my best friend, they are my pride and joy, and I cannot live without them.  Every night I open the door to 2 smiley faces, crazy with joy of my return. Every night, I get the chance to cuddle 2 very obliging warm bodies, knowing that everything is alright with them around. Every time I feel sad for whatever reason, they are the ones that will come and console me.  Even time when I am upset with them for messing up the house, I can never stay angry for long when I stared into their pearly innocent eyes.  It looks as though my dogs are dependent on me for all their needs, but I know, deep down in my heart, I depended on them emotionally as much as they depended on me physically.
 
If dogs are so wonderful, why are there so many of them being abandoned? Ah… but we humans have souls that are dark and unpredictable… well, I believe that is just one of the reason. Most of the time owners buy dogs without thinking far ahead and understanding the full commitment.  Some buy them for birthday gifts, especially for their children, and yet others buy them purely for their cuteness. Needless to say, after a while the novelty wears off and the  once cute puppy became a naughty and destructible monster around the house. They became a burden to the whole family and are no longer wanted.
 
With  a little education, research and knowledge on how to correctly take care of the dogs and train them well, they will add immense joy into your life. They will be the only family member that remain loyal to you all their life, and certainly the only ones that would never talk back in any argument. Truly, till death do they part from you. Very soon your heart will be filled with love for this tiny ones and you will realise that having another small delicate animal in your life is a most wonderful thing!
 
Even then, why buy? Please – adopt! There are so many wonderful puppies, currently being housed in SPCA, Noah’s Ark and ASD. These dogs are no less perfect or cuter than those sold in the shops. They give you the same undivided love and attention and they promise a life time of devotion. What's most important is that it practically cost you nothing to adopt them, as compared to buying a so called pure bred from pet shops.
 
Are you convinced? Will you adopt a dog and share your life with it?  Let me give my plea a final push by sharing excerpts from this touching poem with you:
 
Will You Take Me Home – Credit - taken from a pet forum by a person named Laura.
 
I am a stray, out on the street,
Trying so hard not to get beat!
I often have to fight to stay alive,
It is a struggle, just to survive.
 
I am so alone out here, so tired and cold
This was not how, I was supposed to grow old!
No one comes to give me food,
It's not nice here, in my neighborhood.
 
I don't know what happened! Or why I am here!
What happened to my people that use to hold me so dear?
Now I am so alone and tired and cold,
Is this how I am going to grow old?
 
Could someone just stop from a busy day?
One kind word could someone say?
To a animal so scared and alone?
And perhaps find me a place in your home?
 
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, if this poem touches you a wee bit, please say yes to adopting a dog.
 
Thank you. TME. 

This is delivered as a P9 speech in the Toastmaster's Exco Meeting. Was not in tip top condition when it was delivered, and it is the first time I did not rehearse and time my speech before the actual delivery, as a result, I missed the chance to recite the poem, thinking that I do not have enough time, when the whole speech lasted on 6 min 30 secs. This proved that rehearsing is absolutely important to ensure a good delivery!

PS: all information on the organisations are taken from the respective website. Special credit given to the especially moving poem written by Laura. 

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.