We spent the whole day at the cemetery today…and did something useful for worthy humans and worthy dogs.
Today was our spay-neuter campaign for Kwai Chee’s and Meiji’s dogs up in Kampung Chamang (halfway between Bentong and Raub).
We left at 8.30am and met up at PAWS to wait for the vets.
While waiting, Ainey and I walked our two boarders (survivors from the Klang Dog Pound), Sweetie and Russell. Both were very happy to be able to stretch their legs and smell the grass. I also brought a treat of steamed fish for them to eat. They polished off everything.
Then, we made our way to the NKVE to head for Bentong.
However, there was an unbelievable jam on the NKVE right up to the Damansara toll and this delayed us terribly. We only arrived at Kuala Chamang at 11.30am.
The dogs had already been fasted and caged, all ready for us. Meiji had also chloroxed the entire place this morning.
Kwai Chee’s shelter is located at the Chinese cemetery. It is a makeshift shed. Many people dump dogs and puppies at this cemetery. Kwai Chee rescues and looks after them. She hails from Thailand.
The puppies that needed vaccination were also caged up in two separate cages.
Mr Edward Lim, the manager of PAWS. PAWS has most graciously sponsored the spay-neuter for this campaign. We only needed to supply the e-collars, lunch and humanpower to help in the recovery. In the photo above are Kwai Chee (in green), Meiji (in blue) and me.
Thanla, Agnes and the two vets, Dr Ragu and Dr Gowri, setting up the surgical table.
We made use of whatever was available.
And while the the table was being set up, the puppies were vaccinated by Dr Ragu. We sponsored 60 vaccines for Meiji’s and Kwai Chee’s dogs.
Kwai Chee and one of her puppies.
Pastor Chomy, Vice-President of PAWS, also came to help.
Sandy, the secretary of PAWS.
Kwai Chee’s friends also lent a hand. All her friends love the dogs very much.
This lady is a breast cancer patient (look at her swollen hand). But her illness does not stop her from doing all the good she can. She has adopted a rescued cat and a rescued dog, and looks after them as best she can. This mixed pug practically had no hair when he was rescued off the highway. Look at him now – I think I can get him adopted if I had brought him back! But he’s definitely better off with these kind humans over there (no dogcatchers, too!).
We’re all set now. That’s Dr Gowri and Thanla (the vets’ very able assistant).
Dr Ragu.
Pravinn and Bala, our volunteers.
PingSu, with Ah Wong. The dogs are named either according to their colours or their breed. So, there were three “Ah Hak”s (black ones) and two “Ah Fah”s (literal translation, “flower” – they were white with black patches and some Dalmatian spots).
Ainey and Ah Hak, Pravinn and another Ah Wong.
While we were doing recovery, some of the vaccinated puppies came to visit. “You’ll get your turn, dear, in a few months’ time…”
Kwai Chee with another Ah Hak. She loves all her dogs to bits, and she calls herself “mummy” to the dogs. She even has all kind of medications for her dogs, which she administers herself. However, she has been giving the females birth-control treatment (because she could not afford to spay-neuter the dogs), but Dr Ragu has advised her not to do so anymore because it causes harm to the uterus of the dogs. We have advised her to throw away the birth-control medication. We will do our best to help her spay-neuter her next batch of puppies when they are of age.
And while the surgeries were going on, this puppy, was happily sleeping nearby, oblivious to everything.
Thanla shaving a dog before surgery.
A gentle man, with a gentle dog.
The two vets worked almost non-stop, from 12noon until nightfall, stopping only for lunch.
Soon, it began to rain. The vaccinated puppies had to be confined as they could not get wet.
This is a makeshift kennel for the puppies.
It doesn’t look much from the outside, but inside is quite comfortable. Kwai Chee brought cushions in for them.
This must be an “Ah Pak” (white one).
Kwai Chee has lots of concerned friends. As PingSu remarked, this place has a lot of positive vibrations because the people who come truly care for the animals. That makes a difference.
This “Ah Fah” had trouble recovering and got us very worried. But the moment she heard Kwai Chee’s voice, she woke up! Phew, what a relief!
Doing recovery can be very stressful. We have to keep checking that the dog’s eyes can still blink, and the dog is still breathing. Then, when the dog doesn’t get up after more than half an hour, we start worrying. Some took longer than others, even up to an hour. That…was stressful!
This “Ah Hak” scared the daylights out of ALL of us. Her heartbeat stopped on the table, and I thought we had lost her. But it started pumping again. Ainey and I both had near heart-attacks. Later, she was trembling and her eyes were bobbing in a frightening way. Because she was struggling, she started bleeding from her wound as well. We finally had to put her in a cage and cover it with towels. She settled after a long time.
I thought we would not be able to finish doing all the dogs, but by evening, we were almost done. There were only the 4 males left. By then, Kwai Chee’s friends had gathered at the shed, and they were all very caring and concerned for the dogs.
Many were very curious too. It must be their first time witnessing spaying-neutering of dogs. That’s Dr Ragu doing the last dog for the day. He’s male and a wee bit aggressive (I mean the dog, not Dr Ragu!). That’s why he was kept for last!
The last two males woke up from the anaestesia a bit too early (they were given the Reversine) and spent some time yelping and crying in pain. It was heart-wrenching for all of us, but the vets assured us everything was under control. We were also advised not to mother them too much as they would yelp even more (like small children?). So we had to finally leave them in a cage and cover the cage with towels. True enough, they settled down after some time.
Three thumbs-up for the three who worked the hardest, ate the least, talked the least and did the most! They are the true heroes of the day. Thank you, Dr Gowri, Dr Ragu and Thanla.
We FINALLY finished the last four males, just before nightfall. Then, it started to pour “dogs and dogs”! We could not go home as the rain was rather heavy. One of Kwai Chee’s friends insisted on buying us dinner – Bentong’s famous noodles.
A feast after a day’s work, at the cemetery!
Kwai Chee’s friends brought durians, mangosteens, cempedak and rambutans for us to take home. And throughout the day, we were also feasted on these fruits. PingSu brought us titbits and drinks.
One last check on all the dogs, whom by now, had all settled down. All had woken up from the anaesthesia and many were resting peacefully.
It was 8.15pm when we finally got ready to head for home.
The cemetery was now in pitch darkness.
Meiji had brought Doby for us to see, one of our rescued Klang dogs whom she took over from LLLP when he was dying. Doby was caged in LLLP because he chased chickens. Meiji rushed him and another dog to Ampang for treatment that evening. The other dog died of distemper that night itself, and even though Doby travelled in the same car with that dog, he was fine.
Doby has since put on 2kg and is looking well. He accompanies Meiji everywhere now, even when she goes rubber-tapping every morning. That is not surprising – Meiji saved Doby’s life. Dogs are eternally grateful creatures.
It was a pleasant drive home for Ainey, PingSu and me. Bala and Pravinn left before dinner.
We reached home at almost 10pm.
It was a day well-spent.
We would like to thank the team from PAWS – Edward, Agnes, Sandy, Pastor Chomy, Dr Gowri, Dr Ragu and Thanla, for all their hard work today in helping two worthy humans, Kwai Chee and Meiji, and 16 worthy dogs (12 females and 4 males).
Our volunteers for the day were Ainey, PingSu, Pravinn and Bala – thanks, everyone. We had fun, albeit the near heart-attacks.
Tomorrow will be another day, with more dogs and cats to help.
Viva la CNRM!
Comments
6 responses to “Spay-Neuter in Kampung Chamang”
Thank you for the update. A bright spot in your blog after the sadness of the Klang news.
Drive safely.
Great work Dr Chan, you are indeed an angel sent from above.
All in a day's work, my friends. Doing this is not easy, but it's easier than talking to politicians and government officials about the need to be kind to animals. And it is definitely more rewarding too.
Your story brought tears to my eyes – tears of sadness (for the suffering) as well as tears of happiness (gallant efforts out love and compassion, most of all the remarkable combined and harmonious teamwork, the miraculous single-minded focus of everyone working towards the good of the animals involved). KY, this is indeed great, great achievement of good teamwork between AnimalCare and PAWS. This is actually how humans should be working together, yeh, KY? Especially animal lovers.
Your story also tickled my heart and brought laughter – "Ah Hak", "Ah Pak" and "Ah Fah"! Hahahahahaaaaa!!!!!
I was waiting eagerly to read your posting on your trip to Kg Chamang. Its really great to know that even the Manager and some Committee Members of PAWS took time off to go with you on this important trip. And you all really did fantastic work!! With the kind of positive vibes from this place, I would love to call this place home one day. And I would love to meet the 2 great ladies, Meiji and Kwai Chee and learn from them. When's the next trip?
I loved the way the dogs were named! Hysterical!
But it is so obvious that they are well cared for. They ask for so little, don't they? And yet, there are those who would deny them even that.
So heart-warming to learn that this is the kind of work you guys do. Syabas.