My past few posts have been a lot about dogs. Well, this will be another one if you dont mind. Just like how my holiday was filled with baking and cakes, my current free time is spent a lot on dogs. For those who are not aware, Paws Mission is an animal shelter along Old Klang Road (you can ask me for directions!) that was set up by volunteers. The shelter practises a no-kill policy so all strays that are sent here are either adopted or continue to live their lives at the shelter. Currently they have 100+ dogs of various sizes, breeds and temperaments. But all are equally special and adorable in their own way.
The past five weeks have been an uforgettable journey. I stepped into this not expecting anything but an opportunity to handle strays but I gained so much more than that. I met lots of lovely people who seem to have the same goal and love for dogs as me, I have learnt so much from the training, and more so, it has coloured my life in such a beautiful way that I would not have gotten this experience anywhere else.
On the first week, TJ(he trains us to train our dogs) got everyone to pick a dog. One that we would like to train. There was one dog that caught my eye from the first time i saw him. The one TJ pointed out as the pack leader. Haha.. I didnt choose him because he was the pack leader but more of because he looked really cool and there was something about the way he carried himself that attracted me. Lemme introduce you to.. Serdang.
Me posing with Serdang
We started our training after that. We went through the basic commands but on most sessions, we emphasised on "Sit" and "Heel". The beautiful thing about the sessions was that.. the training wasnt just about the dogs. It was about how we projected ourselves to the world too, including the dogs. Very often, it was pointed out by TJ that all the dogs I am in charged of like to use their paw to step on my foot. I used to like it when Metta did it to me and thought it normal. In fact, I thought it was kind of a way for him to express his affection towards me. Maybe something like "Hey, you're mine". Lol. Little did I know that it meant that the dog is being dominant over you. oh wow.
So anyways, my five week stint with Serdang ended. At the end of it, he was more laid-back and as for me, I learnt on how I could improve on myself. And somehow, I seem to have gotten attached to him. Although he can really push my buttons sometimes by acting so cool and he absolutely LOVES marking his territory by pee-ing everywhere, including me, I have grown fond of how calm he is compared to the other dogs. He is also very good-looking and most important of all, he recognises me! He runs over to me everytime i visit his kennel. Very touching right? :')
I now have a new dog to train. Elisa. That's me with her in the picture below. Isnt she pretty with her doe-like eyes? She has an almost similar attitude to Serdang but no one can really replace Serdang in my heart. And Elisa tends to give shocking yelps when she doesnt like something i make her do. Makes me look like the evil bully. :( Perhaps it is the first day so we need getting used to.
Picture above, from left: Elise, Yoyo (Elise's 2nd dog), Yi Hou, Chocolate (Yi Hou's 2nd dog), me, Elisa, Crystal, Rosie (Crystal's 2nd dog), TJ, Aaron, and Ruinmo (Aaron's 2nd dog).
Picture below, from top left to right: Aaron, TJ, auntie from the shelter, Taikor(pack leader of area in front of temple), uncle from the shelter, and Yi Hou
From bottom left to right: Flower (elise's first dog), Elise, me, Serdang (my first dog), uncle from shelter, Sasa (Crystal's first dog), and Crystal.
We had group photos taken last Saturday because of some promo events coming up. Adoption drives, charity events... oh ya, there will be an adoption drive at the shelter this Sunday. Do drop by if you feel like adopting a handsome dog (hint hint, like Serdang!). I suspect that there might be some dog demo for potential adopters to see as well. Another charity event will be organised on the 19th November. More details will be revealed on Paws Mission's website and facebook page.
This is me holding up a new puppy that just came into the shelter. Got dumped by DBKL, if i am not mistaken.
So that's all from me today. Please remember the two events I mentioned above.
1. The adoption drive this Sunday
2. Wag N Roll (19 November 2011) - charity concert organised for Paws Mission
And before I forget, credits to the two wonderful photographers, Crystal and Elise for the pictures. :)
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