Carmen

Saturday, 05 January 2008

Do you know how it feels when someone you love abandons you ? How it cuts like a knife, like a stab through the heart. I never saw it coming, never saw through the cold calculative thoughts that ran through their minds.

Perhaps I was too trusting and too naive, I thought if I gave of my love whole heartedly, that was enough. Perhaps it was my skin problems that started it all, but how could I control my genes or my condition ? I have never complained about my condition, though at times the maddening itch felt like thousands of ants biting me all over, yet I suffered in silence for my antitode was my family ...

My family, whom I would never imagine on that fateful day, drove me to a deep canal and threw me in. The days that ensued were of fear, confusion and hunger. The only companions were the rats that hovered intently nearby, waiting to feast on my slowly deterioating body. The dank and rancid odour of the sewerage water clung onto me like a discarded coat that provided no warmth nor comfort.

I knew no day or night, for it was darkness that enveloped me. For what seemed like eternity, I wandered aimlessly to and fro along the road to nowhere, till the strength ebbed from me, for my only sustenance was the sewerage water .... As the last ounce of energy slipped out of me and as I hovered between consciousness and hallucination, a figure appeared ... is that my guardian angel come to take me to my home amongst the clouds ? ....

On the 12th of July 07, we received a call from a member of the public that there was a dog 'residing' in a deep drain in Toh Guan Rd. The dog had been in there for about a month now and was only noticeable when it appeared under the drainage grating. Nobody had bothered to do anything at all and the poor thing was trapped in there. As fate would have it, there was no rain during that period, else it would have drowned

The transport was dispatched immediately to the scene and Yvonne, our rescuer, navigated the treacherous and slippery slope down into the dank depths of the drain. In the darkness, she could make out the skeletal shape of the dog and estimated it to be a medium sized dog. Perhaps frightened by the sudden invasion, the dog bolted but could not get far because of its emancipated state.

Sensing the moment, Yvonne made a grab and labourously carried her out of the drain. She would recall later that the dog's skin felt like sandpaper and weighed like a small dog, and she could feel all the bones.

In the light of day, what was revealed was a severely emancipated female dog with extreme skin infection. The skin was crusted greyish black and was literally flaking off. She was so weak she could not stand and her eyes reflected the darkness that was her life. She looked ready to die ...

At the vet, she was given a hydrating drip and some food but was too weak to eat. She tried to stand but kept collasping in a heap. Her lifeless eyes really tugged at the heart, but daily visits saw her getting stronger and life slowly sparkled in her eyes again.

We named her Carmen and realized that as she started to put on weight that she was a Boxer, and a young one at that, she was just about a year old. Tests revealed severe mange and fungal infection over the entire body and tick fever as well

In the week or so at the vet, Carmen started eating again and warmed up to people. She has a very sweet temperament and a truly zen like perspective of living for the moment.

In time she was discharged where she spent her days at our nursing home making friends with the other dogs and the volunteers, nudging them for treats or pats. Such amazing resilience and strength of character after such a traumatic ordeal !

One month later with lots of food & love !

With continued nourishment and love, Carmen's strength returned and her immune system became stronger and fought off the skin infections. Lush, brown fur transformed her into a beautiful and radiant dog and her zest for life returned.

In December, she made an apperance at the AVA road show to highlight how cruel pet abandonment is and she made many a friend there.

Carmen's ordeal is over and she is safe at last. She is now looking for a forever home and a loving family she can spend her life with, with all her unconditional loving to give