Do you believe in fate?

Perhaps it was fate that I decided to sign up for the bi-monthly pack walk offered by the NUS Pawfriends, an animal welfare interest founded by a couple of enthusiastic, paw-loving NUS students. Friends and family cautioned me against heading to the shelter that is located in the outskirts of Pasir Ris, a good 20 minutes walk away from the nearest bus stop, and filled with noisy and largely untrained stray dogs that are stereotyped to want to eat your limbs. Those naysayers couldn’t be more wrong. On my first pack walk, these stereotypes were quickly debunked as I walked Cooper, a then-8 year old senior dog that didn’t pull at the leash nor poop on my shoes. He had a guileless doggy grin and the softest of ears that twitched every time I pet him. Eat my limbs? No, not at all.

I remember going home that day feeling more tired but also much happier than I had been in a long time. Walking Cooper and meeting with his partner-in-crime as I later found out, Dusty, had been the most life-changing thing I’ve done. I started visiting the shelter weekly and then twice a week and it wasn’t long before I found myself clearing my schedule so I could head to the shelter 5-6 times a week just to walk my dogs and spend time with them.

It was after a thundery afternoon that the little seeds of adoption were sowed. Aida warned that I should keep Dusty and Cooper in their pen because they were afraid of thunder and the rain. “Wouldn’t want them to climb out of the gate”, she said. Cooper was restless and Dusty was on constant alert. It pained me to leave when my ride arrived. I wanted to be there for the dogs and assure them that no harm was coming their way, that they were safe now. But how could I do that while I was in the confines of a home and they had to brave the claps of thunder and the beating of rain on the shrapnel that probably kept them awake? It was not fair to them; it is not fair to all of them. I wanted to give them a home, where there will be blankets to hide under if the thunder gets too overwhelming, where there is warmth and humans to hug them when they’re afraid because dogs, as incredible creatures as they are, get scared too.

Fast-forward a year later and I’m so excited to be bringing Dusty and Cooper home in little more than 2 months. I never thought a day like that would be in the charts and while there are challenges that lie ahead, I am confident that Dusty, Cooper and I would ride the storm together; sheltered, unafraid and stronger together as one.

To anyone who is hesitating that visit to the shelter, start with Uncle Khoe’s K9. It is probably a biased opinion but I am sure that the truth isn’t that far off –we have the best rescues out there. Not all of our dogs are picture perfect nor are they the most obedient (yet). But they have the biggest hearts and to be perfectly honest, isn’t that all you could ever want and need? Adopt, don’t shop, because by adopting, you change two lives –yours and your dog’s.