Little Paw Prints
I still recalled vividly the onset of panic as the dogs are brought out one by one into the carpark vicinity. It was the very first basic dog handling training for fellow NUS PAWS volunteers like myself. And in all honesty, I did not know what exactly we were in for. I remembered holding in my breath as Casanova Rambo came over to sniff and check us out. Fortunately, the feelings of apprehension began to ease week by week as I began to fall in love with the dogs at Uncle Khoe’s (UK) shelter. The first canine which tugged at my heartstrings was a charming black dog named Hugo. With his adorable floppy ears and beautiful eyes that captured my gaze, it was a no wonder that he was adored by the other volunteers. He was adopted shortly after we began volunteering and that was how I encountered Big Bobby who shared a similar set of mesmerizing eyes that Hugo possessed.
I only realized his presence when one of the senior volunteers brought him out to join us for our weekly packwalks. Even though he is affectionately known as a gentle giant, I was still hesitant to interact with him due to his intimidating size and stature. But after getting to know him week by week, I just began to gradually fall head over heels in love with him! He may not be the ideal perfect dog but I will always have a soft spot not just for him but also his sweet kennel mate Max who never fail to greet me with their wagging tails and goofy smiles.
These 2 weren’t the only one who captured my hearts. Every dog at the UK shelter has a unique set of personality that simply makes them so special. I adore darling Sparkle who is always extending her paws in the cutest way possible. I adore Baby Girl who is always among the first few heads jutted out to greet us in the mornings. I adore goofy Lucky who never fails to amuse me with his silly antics. I adore sweet Penny and especially kennelmate JD who will always follow you around with a big grin on his face haha.
Even though it is a struggle sometimes to balance my schoolwork with each progressing week, I usually end up heading to the shelter with my friend Jing Hui, who shares the same passion for dogs like I do! I also had the opportunity to work together with another fellow volunteer, Xinpeng, in helping out with these 2 dogs named Tiger and Coco under the supervision of the senior volunteers from Volunteers Anonymous. Interestingly, their kennels were located right beside Max and Bobby’s (coincidence much haha) in a neighboring shelter called Paws Perfect Love. Though there is still room for progress, I really couldn’t have asked for more. I remembered spending most of my December holidays at the shelter, each of us armed with a bag of treats! Coco demonstrated remarkable progress but it was much more challenging for Tiger due to her persistent fears of leaving the kennel. Nevertheless seeing their smiles makes every effort so worthwhile. I honestly feel toothpaste companies should consider hiring dogs instead, I mean look at their blinding pearly smiles!
It was a milestone moment for us when we were able to bring them for the recent adoption drive held at Bishan AMK Park. The dogs even had the privilege to ride in Land Rovers, talk about travelling in style! As we made our way back to the shelter and the 2 sleepyheads took a well-deserved nap; I realized how fortunate I was to meet all these furry friends who taught me the value of unconditional love, compassion and most importantly, friendship that transcends all forms - the kind of friendship which has the capacity to bring even people closer together. Maybe it is true that dogs do indeed leave little paw prints in our human hearts after all.
