Happy Holidays!

Well guys, I am off to UK tomorrow for a much needed break so next time I post anything, I'll be very cold and probably very boring! There are of course things I will miss while I am away...my friends and colleagues, all the animals, my volunteers, my own two babies and of course you guys :)

However, there are things I will be glad to get a break from; the noise my car makes going round the corner, spitting in the street, particulary at traffic lights, reports and seeing so many stray dogs and caged pets.

I was actually driving to my office this morning and I thought "I'll just pop in to see these three dogs and then two simpangs away I can just say a quick hello to one of our foster cats". The only thing is, there are so many animals I would like to visit but I actually only have another day and so much else still to do. So do me a favour...if you have adopted an animal from us, or are currently helping us to care for an animal...give them a big, big kiss from me.

Just to help you get into the holiday season, I have pictured one of our foster dogs (now adopted) wearing her Santa outfit...enjoy!

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday season and I'll be in touch after I get over the jetlag and get used to the cold again. Take care for now.

I'm Back!

Sorry for the huge gap..things have kinda got away from me so haven't updated for quite some time but just for Al, promised I would post something today.

On the subject of Al, thanks to everyone who has ever sent us words of support. It does mean a lot to us and of course we have days when we wonder why we are even trying and your words help to remind us why!

Well things have been going pretty much the same as before. We still have dumped animals, mistreatment cases, people are still chaining and caging their pets and others are still poisoning dogs and, I assume by accident, cats. Most recently, we have had pups only a few days old dumped in a carrier bag outside a school - 2 pups were already dead but we have managed to save the other four. We have also had a cat dipped in hot fat/boiling water - we had to amputate her tail but she is currently recovering from her ordeal!

On the plus side, we are continuing to find homes for unwanted and rescued animals. We could always do with more homes, but of course we just keep going and trying again if we fail to find homes immediately. This is where we mainly need help so help to spread the word...anyone who wants a dog or cat, send them in my direction and there are plenty to choose from - as we clear animals from our care, we have plenty more to take their place...the more we move on, the more we can help to get off the street and if needed the medical treatment they need.

Thanks again for all your support guys...we couldn't do it without you :)

29th August 2008

Hello again! You know that saying "you learn something new everyday"...well I think that is actually true. I thought I had seen most things now concerning dogs but had two unusual days this week...both with my own two dogs!

The first day was on Tuesday. We have always joked that my male dog (Mr Pudding-white dog pictured) is gay but he was in fact sterilized more than 6 years ago so not surprisingly I have never seen him trying to 'get it on' with other dogs in the Simpang. However, Tuesday night as I was leaving for a meeting at my son's school, I saw him 'humping' another dog. We had a giggle because it was a male which simply confirmed our suspisions all along. I thought I had better seperate them before leaving in case it led to a fight but as I got close, I realised the dog he was 'going with' was in fact female and he was...em....actually doing it!

The female was scared off by me but she dragged my boy with her hurting his legs and his...em...equipment! I picked him up, after chasing him for a while and put him in the house for the night. Talk aout being caught in the act by your mum! After my meeting, I came home to see if I could find any surgery scars/evidence, but could find no other dangely bits apart from his 'wee wee' equipment. Whipped him into the vet and yes he is in fact sterilized but for some reason still able to 'get it on!' Very unusual but hey...welcome to my life!

The other new thing I learned was that my female dog, Miss Lilly Lou aka Stinky Poo (tan coloured pictured) thinks she is a boy. She has also developed a humping ability that I have never seen in her before. She is going for the gay...now straight Mr Pudding. Go figure!

In summary, I have a sterilized male who can sleep with females but produce nothing and a female who thinks she is a male...did someone drop a bag of HRT pills in the simpang????

26th July 2008

Hello everybody! I have just been on instant messaging with my sister and realised something...I write to you guys more often than my own family! My sister just asked me if 'I run an animal shelter or something?' Really must write home more often.


Well all is quiet today. I have spent most of the day on paperwork ready for a series of meetings tomorrow. Think I am just about done with that so time to relax for a while.


Summer Camp is going ok. We took them bowling on Wednesday which was fun...for them anyway...bit hectic for me! Worst trip we have done must have been the Royal Regalia Museum last year. Sat all the kids down and told them to be good, especially as there was a group of VIPs in the building. All the kids agreed to stay in their groups and to touch nothing so I dismissed them. 60 kids ran off in all directions and I can't write here what I thought but it did involve some swear words!


It took me 40 minutes to peel kids off the exhibitions and apologise profusely to the staff there. That is why this year we went bowling and not back to the museum! Not sure they would let us back anyway!
One of the kids came up to me Wednesday with $11.20 donation for the shelter...sooooo sweet. She raised it by selling some of her toys I believe, bless her! Nice to see the message is getting across to all age groups.

For no other reason than the fact they are cute, I have attached a picture of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Lala and Po (not pictured) who were recently adopted.

General Update!!!

Just got back from a 3 day trip to Labuan. Had just reached a point of either getting away for a few days or freaking out! I left the phone and the laptop and hopped on the ferry within hours of deciding to go! Was nice to get away and just 'chill'. I didn't see a single stray dog over there...wonder what their policy is on strays...must check it out.

Several people glad for my return. Nice to be wanted I guess! Just getting back into the swing of things. As you all know from previous posts, a lot can happen in a few days. Think people now appreciate how hard I work now which is nice!

The CfBT Summer Camp started today of which I am 'in charge'. Several reasons for doing this - pressure from my son to do it, at least it's a break from animals (kinda as still handling animal duties also) and a few of the kids from last year kept asking me to do it (again nice to be wanted I guess). First day was hectic but went well I think. Most of the kids seemed to have a good time.

Once I had finished there (about 2pm), I went off to catch up on my animal business. Had to collect a dog from the vet (pictured) as she had to be sterilized immediately. We rehomed this dog for a lady who adopted it from us. When we tried to sterilize the dog for her before, as per our adoption rules, she said it had been done already. Unfortunately however, this dog came into 'season' - not possible for a sterilized dog so we had to do her immediately before the patter of tiny paws could be heard. All done now and she is awake and well.

OK. Off to soak my aching feet for an hour and then off to bed. Gotta be up by 6am (really early for me) and ready for another day of 60 kids to be entertained. Nice bunch of kids but definitely easier to entertain animals :)

Urgent Help required - 15-07-08

We need new foster carers or adopters in the next 24 hours for 8 pups. They are one month old.We took a call today from a guy who said we move them or they will be dumped at Sg Akar or given to Thai's (not sure why he said them in particular).He said we must move today but eventually agreed to give us 24 hours. If the pups are not moved by tomorrow, I fear the worst.If you can help, please call me directly on 8830556. I am not sure of colour or sex of the pups but even if you can home them temporarily, PLEASE call me...really need your help to save them.

24th June 2008

Thought I'd best get onto a post for you guys....actually I have more reports to write and I am just putting them off really!

Wow...what a week! So, what made this such a hectic week then (I hear you ask)? Well it all started on Saturday. Tried to have a lie in but the grasscutter started at 7.30AM....come on! We had two volunteers taking new photos of all the dogs for a new advert while I did some dog viewing. Took most of the day!

Sunday was planned to be quiet with just one cat delivery - Oscar (pictured). How hard can it be...pick up a cat...deliver a cat! How to catch a cat (my way): Catch the cat and put it in a basket...it broke out breaking the basket on it's way through. Catch the cat again and jump in the car with it...realising too late the windows were open (my aircon is broken). Cat jumps out of window scratching my arm on the way! OK. Close the windows, catch the cat, jump back in the car and cover head protectively with arms until cat stops racing round the inside of the car trying to find a way out. Result: scratched stomach, arm, leg and face but we still have the cat in the car (yippee).

How to deliver a cat (my way): Pull up to the delivery address. Bruise most parts of your body trying to squeeze out the door without setting the cat free. Knock on the door to make sure someone home before removing the cat from the car. Carefully open the door to find the cat wedged under your passenger seat. Wrestle with seat to free the cat without the cat escaping suddenly. Grab the cat and run towards the house ignoring all scratching, hissing and biting and shut the door. Result: one delivered cat, one bruised and battered body, one destroyed car interior, one passenger seat that will never go to its original position and one seriously messed up and sweaty hairdo!

The rest of the week in summary: Super friendly dog outside the office which we think is a lost and found case so need to try and track her owner. She is also due to come into season so need to get her 'done' as soon as possible.

Two dogs that suffer from mange and one of them is really bad again so the owner has agreed I can take the dogs so hopefully can move them by the end of this week.

Someone upset with me because I asked to rehome their cats as they are living in a rabbit hutch and asked if I could help to retrain their dog so it can be let out of its cage. Reminder: I'm trying to help animals...not win a popularity contest!

Five cats found in a washing machine (not put there...their choice), two mangy pups abandoned by their mum (now in foster care), 6 new kittens born for rehoming in five weeks, another kitten found and needs rehoming, one cat lost even though someone wants to adopt it. And it's only Tuesday....how long until Friday????

Enjoy the rest of your week

18th June 2008

Hey guys! Quick update...the pups dumped at Serasa beach are now ready for adoption. Although we lost three of the pups, the remaining three have made it and I am so happy for them. They are cuddly, affectionate and playful and even if we didn't save all six of them, three is better than none...right?

I would love for all three of them to go together but to have three dogs is a lot to take on for most people here but we can hope. They are now strong and healthy and huge kudos and thanks goes to Angela for her nurturing care and love for them...not sure what I would do without friends like her! They make it possible for me to help more animals than I can actually handle...Angela...we all luv ya...whether we have two or four legs :)

Probably a good point here to give a shout out to my 'main guys'... along with Angela, we have Tina, Tracy and Sarah who I rely on more than I should and they have yet to let me down...thanks guys:)

If anyone is interested in adopting any pups, old or young (and there are advantages of an older dog!), please, please, please give me a call or email...the more dogs I move on, the more I can help. As my friends have demonstrated, I can't do this alone...even if the dogs don't luv ya, I will:) although cos our dogs get spoiled rotten by us they will love ya anyway:)

15th June 2008

Hi everyone. As I am dealing with the same sort of cases that I have spoken about already, I thought I would revisit some older events with you. Let me start with my first dog bite! It was a long time coming thinking about it...after 8 months of dealing with dogs, it happened!

There was a stray female dog reported to me in a business area in Gadong near the flyover. I had caught the dog and sterilized her and as usual returned her to her original pick up point. This by the way is very important. I have many people who call me to sterilize stray dogs and then ask why I am returning them to their origin. There are two main reasons for this: if I remove the dog, where should I put it? There is no land, no sanctuary, no holding area. Also if I take the dog to another area, it runs away immediately trying to find it's 'home' because the new area is unfamiliar and may contain other dogs who do not accept the 'new' dog. In this case, I am unable to monitor the health of the dog in terms of disease and feeding. The chances are good the dog will die. I have tried on two occasions to do this and in both cases the dog has gone missing within an hour of being set free even though food was placed near them to encourage them to stay.

Anyway back to the story. A week after the dog was sterilized, I got a call to say some poeple in the office weren't happy about the dog being back and because it was friendly, it kept approaching them. Some of the staff were nice to the dog and gave it food so of course it thought all people liked dogs.

So, in I go again and removed the dog. Several staff in and around the building begged me not to kill the dog. It just shows people are mostly unaware of what I do. I found a foster carer for her so I picked her up and took her there. She was ok in the van until I put a lead on her and then she freaked! She bucked and jumped and eventually ran under a table. It was whilst trying to pull her out of there that she bit me. It scared me but do you know even as frightened as she was, she didn't hurt me or even break my skin.

There is a happy ending. Her foster carers fell in love with her and decided to adopt her. She is still there and always happy to see us when we go for a visit. Her new owners named her Clover and her and her new playmates have since destoyed one of my handbags trying to get the treats out but the affection and kisses they give makes it worth it...can always buy a new bag...but not that sort of unconditional love!

6th June 2008

Hello! Sorry again for the gap...no excuses really...could come up with a few but just the usual...busy!

So to update you on going ons...the dumped kittens at Serusop have moved to their permanent home today. I will miss them of course but they have gone to a fantastic home in Tutong to a really nice lady called Ernie...she has been desperate to get her hands on them and as they are all doing so well now (with the help of my good friend Tina) they are now ready to go. Additionally, now that they have moved on, we can help other needy cats :) We have a few upcoming cats and kittens coming next week once they have finished their treatments so check out the AS blog for available animals.

On the dog side, a vet has seen the tumor dog we have spent many hours chasing. Unfortunately, our choices are to euthanize him or the remove his leg, tumour and all. If we remove his leg, he will need a permanent home as he may not survive on the streets so I am considering this case. Will keep you updated once I have spoken further with the vet. Some of the puppies are being adopted also which is great...just like the cats, once we rehome the puppies, we can help more of them still on the streets. The more people help me, the more I can help them so keep helping me to spread the word!

At a recent meeting, I showed some of my case photos including Cookies and Cream (pictured) and some of the rescue cases. I am sure we will have many more successes to show at our next meeting, of course with all the support and help I can get from you guys.

Haven't been back on the radio recently but hope to be back soon. Really had fun on the show with Jack, Harry, Tom and Siobhan. Besides, I think Siobhan needs to moral FEMALE support. She is soooo sweet but out numbered by the boys...girl power and all that!

Well that's about it for now. I am going to try to have a quiet weekend and to clean out my car...(it is so messy!) and to catch up on some paperwork so will update you all on events early next week...have a good, animal friendly weekend :)

26th May 2008

Ok at least no animals died today :) Radio show for this Friday, 7pm-9pm on the Teen Show confirmed so tune in on http://www.radio101.headplug.com/ and you can hear how rubbish I really am. Good point though is that I can squeeze a zit on air...whose I can't tell you yet!

Looked at myself in the mirror this morning and it could be one of mine. My body really is against me! I have grey streaks in my hair and teenage acne.... how did that happen? I am 32 years old...I am supposed to have neither! Oh well..such is life!

Not much happening on the animal side as I have been swamped trying to write reports Decided this morning that it is more important to get the animals rehomed so I have abandoned my reports..they are boring anyway...and started nagging my volunteers..I really pity them having to deal with me sometimes! However, I couldn't do what I do without them and tell them on a regular basis how much I luv 'em! Very important in a relationship!

If you can help to rehome, adopt or foster an animal, give me a call/email. The more animals I move, the more I can help. I seem to have had a poisoning today but I am reserving judgement til i speak with a vet as it is only one puppy out of 7 and the mum. If it is poisoning, that will be another huge bill to pay! The money I spend trying to save one dog can sterilize two dogs..come on people...killing one pup does not solve the stray population. Let me use my budget where it is needed and not solving the problems of one person's IRRESPONSIBLE actions. Out of seven pups and a mum, they have killed one animal. The rest will still father or mother more pups so while I try to save this pup, it cuts into my budget for sterilizing the mum and the female pups. There are an estimated 15,000 stray dogs in Brunei (cats too many to count!) so please...give me the money you spent on the poison..it can be put it to better use! I just wish people would THINK first. If they asked the car showroom who reported the pups, they would find I am on the case...that aside, to poison an animal is cruel and inhumane. Won't detail it here but if you have ever seen an animal poisoned and the slow death that ensues, well let's just say you wouldn't sleep a night!

Trying to end on a positive note so let me finish with Portsmouth FC won the FA cup :) :) :) Play up Pompey!!! Not a huge football fan but as my son and my husband are born and bred Pompey fans...no choice lah! Despite the protests of my good friend Paul, Portsmouth must now be classed as better than Aston Villa! Who isn't (only kidding Paul...Aston Villa must be better than someone...Southampton maybe???)

25th May 2008

Sorry for the gap! Been a very hectic and a sad week! We have lost one more of the six puppies found on Serasa Beach and one of the four kittens dumped at the Serusop office :( So sad but won't stop me!! I try my hardest for the animals and very occasionally I lose the fight. At times like this, I can only remind myself how many animals I have saved and that is why it is important I don't stop.

On a happier note, guess who made her first appearance on the new radio station in Brunei....yep me! Only a telephone interview for now but I was soooo nervous. When the guys called me back, the phone line was so bad...bet I sounded like a right idiot.

Anyway due into the studio later this week so will need to practise some relaxation techniques. Haven't confirmed when I will be on but you should listen anyway! It's all community based so you can find all sorts of local info on there. You can listen online at http://www.radio101.headplug.com/. The teen session is cool and they gave me a mention as well so I personally thank them for their support for the cause even if they are Aston Villa supporters :)

19th May 2008

Just a quick note to update you all on the pups. Sadly, one of them had to be euthanised this morning as it was so weak it had no chance of survival. Another one went the same way this evening so now only four left. We are just keeping our fingers crossed!

I am now worried about the mum of course cos she may also be ill...wish I knew how to find the people who have her so I can make sure she is ok.

On a happier note, the kittens are getting stronger and should be ready to move out in a few more weeks :)

18th May 2008

Well we have come to the end of a long weekend...not the nice kind where you get three days off of work but the other kind...so busy you didn't even notice it was the weekend.

Spent most of the day yesterday in meetings and when I came home, had the regular housework to get done. Stayed up late to watch our hometown team (Portsmouth) in the FA Cup final and thought it's OK cos it is Sunday tomorrow - my first meeting wasn't planned until 2pm so no problem to sleep late..right? WRONG!

Got a call that there were 6 puppies, only a few days old, dumped at the food stalls on Jalan Serasa beach. My first thought was that the mother had disappeared because it gets busy down there on a Sunday and she was too afraid of people to get her pups but no, when I got there, these pups were filthy, in a wet and disgusting box and there was no sign of any mother dog or whoever had dumped them there. Apparently, there originally were 8 puppies but someone took two. Hope they know how to care for them as they will need bottle feeding every 3-4 hours for the next few weeks.

Anyway, I managed to find them foster care with one of my ever-dependable friends and I am sure they are going to be fine. It just amazes me that people think this is a good way to get rid of the unwanted animals...however did this person think they were going to survive? I'll tell you how...hoping others will take responsibility where he/she failed and I am willing to bet this person will still fail to sterilize the mother.

I understand in most people's eyes you can't compare animals to humans, but if you accidentily got your wife pregnant, you wouldn't (ordinarily) let her give birth and then dump the child..right? Honestly!! Anyway I will keep you posted on their progress :)

On a happier note, during a meeting today, one of myf riends asked if I had really gone for a swim in a drain whilst rescuing some pups so I promised I would post an 'after' picture as proof...so Sandeep...laugh it up!!!!

13th May 2008

So there I was, hoping for a day without any rescues...feet up and watching American Idol and I hear my own two babies freaking out in the Simpang (that's my two dogs...not actual babies!). So being a kinda nice person, I abandoned Syesha and went out to investigate what was making my babies so upset.

They were pacing around a bush and my first thought was a snake. At this point, I should point out two things. My first encounter with a snake in Brunei involved my dogs barking at something under my car...ahhh poor pussy cat (she says) and I got on all fours and stuck my head under the car to find a spitting black cobra in the strike position, flaring its hood in my direction. My other point is, like most people and anyone who knows me will agree, bugs and reptiles I will not touch or have them touch me! Ohhhhhh Nooooooo.

Anyway, after a few minutes of 'beating round the bush' - literally, no snake was coming out and attacking me so I pulled apart the bushes and found....wait for it......a tortoise! Yep a tortoise. OK I tell myself...I can do this...it is already retracted into its shell so I won't actually be touching the slimey bits...unless it pops its head and legs back out while I am carrying it...was it worth the risk...absolutely not!

So I came back into the house and prepared myself for carrying a tortoise. How - I put on my son's football gloves, rubber gloves on top of them and finally three carrier bags on each hand and I went back out into the Simpang and picked the thing up. I carried it (at the longest possible arms length and placed it over a fence back into the jungle.

And the dogs...not very smart my dogs...they were still in the original bush looking for it...and I missed the end of American Idol...oh well!

9th May 2008

Just a quick update on the kittens...they have been formally adopted today but I will keep them in foster care firstly to make sure they survive, and if they do to make sure they are fully nourished and ready to move on.

I have also has a kitten returned and readopted today and four other kittens adopted - one of which was fostered by my good friend Tina. The cat is called Splodge and she had a really hard time letting her go! Can see why from the photo!

Good day for cats...hopefully the dogs will follow suit :)

8th May 2008

Just had four kittens dumped at our office. They are less than 3 days old and may not survive. We have volunteers working round the clock to make sure they have a fighting chance but these kittens should be with their mum. I will say it again in case you haven't heard me say it before - STERILIZE YOUR PETS. If you do not, at least take responsibility for the offspring that you failed to prevent.

It is obvious this person knew I help animals and decided just to pass the responisbility onto me. There are approx 15,000 stray dogs and countless stray cats...pet owners need to be responsible so I can take care of the strays. How can anyone address the stray problem if they are constantly spending money on cases like this.

Come on...they guy didn't even leave money for the kitten milk...has anyone ever noticed the price of it??

I personally want to thank the volunteers who have helped with this case. I couldn't do half as much as I do without you guys so thank you from me and our furry, four legged friends.

2nd May 2008

Well today was a day to catch and sterilize some female dogs. I went to catch one dog with my trusty sidekick Rick as I knew the dog's habits quite well. Really hot day as usual and the dog seemed to know we were coming! We ended up chasing her for an hour or so and decided to come back for her later. By this time, I had ended up sunk into a drain up to my knee and yes I was wearing light coloured jeans...will I never learn?

Rick successfully caught two other dogs without my help and we all returned to get Casey, the wonder dog. I call her this because every time we thought we had her cornered, she would appear somewhere else just watching us. I think she was having fun but we certainly were NOT. She had us running through the same piece of jungle for another hour and a half. We were all exhausted but she just wanted to play some more!

We decided enough was enough, we would try again another day so we packed into our respective cars and she appeared again. So, we get out again and start tracking her again. Thirty minutes later we were back in the cars, turned the cars around and she came again...one last time...gotta catch her sooner or later...right??

Wrong. After another chase we have left her to catch another day but catch her we will...even if it's the last thing I do!

This is a prime example of why just killing stray animals will not control the street dog/cat population. You can't kill a dog you can't catch and this dog typically has 6 or 7 puppies with each litter and with two seasons a year, that's 14 puppies a year from one dog. If she has female puppies (which she has before), if they all have 14 puppies a year...do you get the point! Sterilization is the way to go...that's why we keep trying and chasing and getting stuck in mud drains whilst being eaten alive by mosquitos...not for the fun of it...trust me!

If you have pets...please sterilize them. If I have to keep chasing stray dogs and cats, I won't live to see my next birthday!!!

Tuesday, 29th of April 2008

I have seen a dog a few times along the back of Serusop with a really huge tumor on its rear leg. I decided today to take my 'trusty sidekick' Rick and go and try to find the dog so we could get it the medical care it obviously needs. Here is what we found:

One caged dog
One chained dog
One litter of unwanted puppies
2 pregnant cats

BUT NO TUMOR DOG!

This is a typical day. You go out to solve one problem and end up with a handful more. For anyone reading this page who has a chained or caged animal....please....please....pretty please....find a better way of keeping your pet. If you think I am being pathetic, PLEASE feel free to climb inside a cage yourself for an hour and see how you feel or if this is too extreme for you, chain yourself out in the sun and count the number of attacks you suffer from other dogs, mosquitos, red ants, snakes, ticks, fleas...do I really need to list them all?

For those of you who have pets, please STERILIZE them. I can't stress it enough...there are too many stray animals already in Brunei and we need to be sensible about this. Do you really think stray kittens and puppies (in the majority) survive? Trust me they don't. Those that do survive are normally starving, suffering from illnesses and/or disease and are tormented by cruel humans.

I wouldn't nag if it wasn't important...trust me I would much rather deal with something more pleasant!! I can keep doing my half of the bargain but I need you to do yours...please!

If you need help with anything animal related, I will help where I can but I need your help also.