How many death will it take, Sarah? How many..

Dear Humans,

I received a message from a kind person yesterday. She was asking for donations to defray the cost of sending 5 cats to the vet.

Asked her for photos and a breakdown of how the money donated would be used to help the cats. I already knew how much it would cost as I send my cats to the vet more often than I would like to. And trust me, vets are no cheap business. Just had to ask to figure out if this story was a legitimate one.

Asked a couplea hundred other questions (again, this becomes a very sensitive situation when money is involved), and she answered them to the best of her abilities.

So. Long story short -- her story is legit. So please donate where you can.

This hits close to home for me as this disease, most commonly known as feline AIDS, was a disease that one of my own cats suffered from. It's been 2 years since his death, but everything about his journey still rings clear in my memory.

Something's got to change. Lives are being lost for no good reason. With modern medicine and facilities, this virus shouldn't be on the streets.

Something's got to change with me as well. I've found myself thinking -- how many lives have to be taken before I make an active effort to help?

You should be asking yourself that question too.

Love,
The Aminals

KINDER!

Dear Humans,

Finally got a chance to visit the SPCA! Yes, finally.

So many aminals up for adoption.
Big. Small.
Furry. Fur-less.
Canine. Feline.
Young. Younger.
Quiet. Rambunctious.
You get the idea, yes?

Was greeted by the bigger dogs at the entrance of the shelter. Sweethearts. The bigger pooches made me a little hesitant. Hesitant with regards to sitting with them in their kennels. So I did my rounds and squatted (very unglamorously) at the entrance of each kennel. Let them smell me. Most, if not all of them, came up to me and licked my hand when I let them smell me.

Will write more about each aminal I met with time to come. It's amazing how you really don't need to spend too much time with them to understand and feel their love.

The one that stood out the most to me was Kinder, a 6 year old Jack Russell. Little beauty! I'll let this painfully short video show you what a lovely pooch she really is.

Show your support by sharing the video with your friends. You really never know how much a share or a story you tell about a shelter aminal could change the life of a very special being. I heard that the most frequent breed of dog the SPCA receives is the Jack Russell. And boy, are they a lovely bunch.

Spread the word, humans! Kinder needs a forever home.

Love,
The Aminals

Tuesday Mornings for the Aminals!

Dear Humans,

I'm super psyched. Doesn't happen very often, but I am. Yay.

Here's why: My boss has declared (or trying out) a new workplace concept where we get every Tuesday mornings to do whatever it is we want. That's right. Whatever we want.

Such a blessing because as you know, I've been wanting to volunteer at the SPCA by creating videos for them. Problem I have is that they have a schedule to stick by, and so do I. Early mornings are when it's best to drop by the SPCA as that's when the animals and their facilities are cleaned up, and when the bigger animals are brought out on their walks, etc..  But I work mornings!

So now, with Tuesday mornings free and easy to do whatever I want, I'm going to the SPCA! Sorry I know, I know. Doesn't take much to excite me, does it? Boy do I need to get out more or what.

Let's hope this works out well for the company. Would hate to see it being ditched down the road. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed!


Love,
The Aminals

Okay, finally ready to say it to everyone!

Dear Humans,

Sorry about the hiatus. Been doing a lot of thinking (soul searching, if you may). Figured I'd better do all that in my mind before expelling verbal diarrhea on this blog. It has become increasingly difficult not expressing emotion or making everything out to be about sadness due to cruelty.
 

Those closest to me have probably seen a change in me. It feels significant to me, but I don't know if others take me seriously. Just as well I guess. We all need a reality check every now and again.
 

Not like it's any surprise, but I've been (seriously) considering a move away from my current job. It's not based on impulse as these feelings have been building up over the past 3 months. This is the time when I wish I was born rich (hahaha, don't we all?). I think it is safe to say that 90% of the reason I don't just take the leap would have to do with monetary factors.

 

 

Okay so let me figure that nonsense out in my head before I go all psychobabble on you lot.
 

Bigger and better things! Here we go.
 

 

Sure many of you know of the dolphin situation here in Singapore. I've been on my tippy toes around this subject and haven't reported much on it. Sorry, I just needed to get my head around the whole situation and understand all sides of the issue before I made any sort of sane decision on how I feel about it. Wow, that was a long sentence.
 

Anyhoos. I think I'm finally ready to be more vocal about it. Hello, Singapore government and RWS! That's right, I'm talking about the dolphins! Oh me oh my! Best to keep track of this blog and my Facebook page from now on, ey? Goodness knows what I might write about this issue that would cause you to be on HIGH ALERT! That's right. Perk your ears. Widen your eyes. Keep refreshing my page. Attention is what I want and attention shall be what I get.

 

 

Haha verbal diarrhea again. I'm a bit high-strung this bright sunny day -- can you tell?
 

Jokes aside though, I've done my homework about the topic and well. Safe to say that I know why all parties involved are where they stand right now. That's right, I'm bring all Asian and all about understanding about everything. Psshht I've totally missed my calling. Should have studied to become a damn psychologist! Too late.
 

Wait what did I want to say....
 

Oh right. Dolphins. In Singapore. Brought in for tourism and entertainment, guised under the name of conservation and education. A dolphin spa? So people can interact with the dolphins? Sorry, have to call bullshit on that.
 

Conservation 1 - 0 RWS
 

Dolphins were caught from the wild. Trained. 3 died between the time they were caught and brought to Singapore, give or take a few years. So uncool. And for that, I bump Conservation up THREE notches. One for each dolphin life lost. What, what what... I am the game master! I make the rules! Ha!
 

Conservation 4 - 0 RWS
 

So much discontent has been voiced from the time RWS came up with the proposal to house a whale shark and dolphins in its compouds. As you can tell, I haven't seen anything the size of a whale shark enter Singapore (cos Singapore just is that small. I'd be able to see the transport of a damn whale shark from.... wherever on the island!). Why has RWS stopped contact with wildlife and conservation organizations? Wasn't it all going good with the whole 'Let's talk about it' thing? Why oh why are the phonecalls now not answered? The emails left unreplied? The invitations to open discussions (ACRES) that have yet to be addressed by RWS? The situation is NOT going to go away. The eyes of the damn world are on this. It's not going to evaporate into oblivion. What sort of plan are you guys devicing? I want in on it! So yes, point goes to conservation!
 

Conservation 5 - 0 RWS
 

Okay. Let it all out. Now, to balance this argument out a little. This is something not many of you know -- dolphins around the Solomon Islands have been hunted before. By the villagers and locals. Meaning to say dolphin killing isn't an entirely new thing out in the area. That's something nobody has bothered to mention to me in the numerous meetings I've had regarding this topic. So, essentially, RWS is doing the dolphins a FAVOUR by taking them in. Because well, as painful to say this, it's the truth -- there would have been a very high likelihood that these dolphins would have been killed by the villagers. Can that be called conservation? Sure! Pity RWS has never approached the matter this way. Who are their PR people?
 

Conservation 5 - 1 RWS
 

The exact place where these dolphins have been taken has recently been hit by tragedy. For the dolphin population, at least. Long story short, a memorandum of understanding between the village(s) and EII (Earth Island Institute) expired a while ago. The locals were bound by this understanding that they would NOT hunt dolphins in the islands in exchange for a certain amount of money from EII. Now that it's expired (and the locals claim they never received the full amount of money EII promised them), they've gone on a dolphin rampage. Last count -- 700 slaughtered in a day by the villagers. Odds are pretty good that these dolphins we have now in Singapore could have ended up being killed by the locals had they still been out in open water.
 

Conservation 5 - 2 RWS
 

So here's the point I feel many people disregard and look past. Everyone's all up in RWS' junk about them mistreating the dolphins. Here's what I think -- now they're in Singapore, I don't think they're being abused by their caretakers and keepers. I've seen their tanks from up above. They're small, sure. But there's no way we can recreate the space they would originally have out in open water. Okay, okay, so we shouldn't even have them if we can't provide for them. That aside though, can you say that the humans taking care of them now are actually abusing them? I think the caretakers love them! So.
 

Conservation 5 - 3 RWS

 

 

That said. I think these people are just Chris Porter and Ric O Barry personalities in the making. I love Ric for what he does, but because he's made it so big with how he's turned the tables on the very industry he helped bring up -- I think people think it's now really cool to have a 'Ric' story. Sorry, I call BULLSHIT on this too. Love Ric, but Ric wannabes? No thank you goodbye!
 

Conservation 6 - 3 RWS
 

So there's the final tally. I've given you the information you need to make an informed decision on whose side you should be on. I'm not here to get you to be on my side. I'm just here to show you all sides of the argument and be aware. And hopefully, if you're a good person who walks the talk, you'll be able to help this cause that's made the headlines all over the world.
 

The World's Saddest Dolphins. Is that an exaggeration? Sure. It's not the dolphins in Singapore which are suffering. But let me leave you with a final thought.
 

Singapore is the country that the rest of Asia looks at as an example of what they'd like to be. Singapore is the place where the laws are upheld. This is the country where drug dealers are immediately given the death sentence. Where capital punishment still exists. If this is allowed to happen in Singapore, the import of dolphins which really is only allowed because there is no law that says it's disallowed... If this happens in Singapore.. The rest of Asia will follow.
 

Singapore -- you have to do this for yourselves, for your reputation and for the rest of Asia that looks upon you as an example. If you allow this to happen here, you're giving the rest of Asia permission to carry on with the cruelty they've gone around performing and getting away with for such a long time.
 

Finalest of the final tally: Conservation 7 - 3 RWS
 

Think. Decide. Act.
 

Love,

The Aminals

Did You Know?

Dear Humans,

Apologies that I haven't been actively updating the blog and FB page. All this is very green to me, and I'm still learning how to best approach this cause.

There are days when I just have so much to say.. And right after, I have days on end where other types of news just gets me down and I don't feel like I have anything to say anymore.

I still do keep myself update on the cruelty cases, especially those in the areas where I feel I can help. For example, the case of the kitten mutilation. And cases where aminals are abandoned. All of which gets me down for a good while. Though one part of me wants to go on a massive rant on how evil humans are, the other part just says to shut up for a bit.

Anyways, I think we should all learn something new everyday. Something new about aminals. So, I will be starting a daily update of 'Did You Know' updates about aminals. Allows you to learn alongside yours truly. Part and parcel of you going along on this journey with me.:)


Love,
The Aminals