Berenice Hickey reveals the joys of working with animals and their adoptive parents at the SPCA.
After 16 years in Singapore I’d seen many best friends come and go and decided it was time to find myself a more stable community. I yearned to have somewhere to go on a regular basis where I’d see familiar faces – and perhaps do something useful as well.
Volunteering for the SPCA in the past meant fostering young animals, walking dogs, stuffing envelopes and selling calendars at Christmas stalls – always on an occasional basis. But now, I’m a Voluntary Pet Care Counsellor. Every Friday I work at the RSPCA shelter advising would-be adoptive “parents” on the practical issues relating to caring for the new addition to their lives. But what has amazed me is how volunteering not only rewards those helped, it also offers enormous benefit to the volunteer.
Life at the SPCA
All the staff and long-stay animals at the SPCA are now firm friends. And knowing I’ve been constructive in helping my colleagues place homeless animals in their “forever home” is very rewarding. The sense of care and concern the staff, counsellors and other volunteers has is superb and having the chance to meet and enjoy the company of the new animals coming in for adoption is very special.
Working here can be surprising though. Many people feel they know enough about pet care because they grew up in a household with a dog or cat. But familiarity with something does not necessarily teach you about it. We may have grown up in a home that also had a car, but we still needed driving lessons when it came to our turn to get behind the wheel!
And then there’s the person who regards animals as “disposable”. I’ve had phone calls from people complaining, “My dog is 15 and sick. Can I bring it to the SPCA and get a new one?" Others tell me they want an animal for their child, when in reality it will be the parent who cares for it – often, long after the child has left home.
Upon hearing what I do others sometimes say, "I couldn't do it, I couldn't bear to see the animals like that." It’s as though they believe there’s some kind of merit in being too sensitive to tolerate the discomfort of seeing the result of the disposable attitude of today’s society. But if the volunteers and staff didn't do it, who would? There comes a time in everyone’s life where you have to put the needs of others first – and this is the essence of volunteering.
Adoption
The animals up for adoption are the lucky ones. Some, such as Handsome – the Labrador Corgi cross, or Vanilla – the silver tabby, have been at the SPCA for years. So long in fact, it’s become their home and the staff are very fond of them. But these are just a few of the thousands of animals the Singapore SPCA receives every year.
Those who work in the shelter on a daily basis believe there’s an owner for every animal. Some residents just take longer to find their “forever home” than others. Frill the cat was a big, rangy, quiet boy who didn’t really like to draw attention to himself – preferring to laze the day away high up on a shelf where no-one could bother him. He was constantly overlooked. Until, after living in the cattery for six years, a kind person took him home to end his days as a much-loved pet.
My own cats were both abandoned and are from the SPCA. Wuxi the tabby was rescued from the drains and Kitkat is a Siamese cross. I personally prefer to adopt adults. Many people want young animals due to their cuteness. But babyhood lasts a very short time and the animal in adult form is the one who will be your companion for up to 15 years – and sometimes beyond in the case of cats. By adopting an animal that has reached adulthood, you’ll also see its true character. So you know exactly what you’re getting! And don’t forget, looks can change, but the animal’s character is its true beauty.
A friend for life
Pets are with us through both the good and bad times. Through the comings and goings of friendships, job changes, house moves and other milestones of life, a pet is a constant companion and offers unconditional love. Their loyalty remains constant and predictable and they instill a sense of responsibility in both children and adults. Pets are also great for stress relief! They listen to all your troubles, but will never pass judgment. To care for a loving animal is a wonderful thing. And it’s with this sense of deep personal satisfaction that I – through volunteering – am grateful to be part of the team at the SPCA. Bringing happiness to the lives of people and animals by uniting them is very special indeed.
RSPCA Adoption Shelter, 31 Mount Vernon Road., www.spca.org.sg Open: Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-4pm (last Friday of each month closes at 8:30pm), Sun & PH 11am-3:30pm.
To adopt: Visit www.spca.org.sg to see images of animals available for adoption. There’s a particular need for people to adopt larger dogs which have been deemed unsuitable for HDB dwellers. Adoption is free but there is a nominal fee to cover microchiopping, sterilisation, vaccination and deworming. Female dog $155, male dog $145, female cat $65, male cat $50, rabbits $10, purebred rabbits $50, hamsters and guinea pigs $10.
To volunteer: Tel: 6287 5355, Email: volunteer@spca.org.sg
Do you have a Singapore Secret you’d like to share? Send details (700 words) plus images to mjones-white@acpmagazines.com.sg and you could be published in an upcoming issue of The Finder!
Posted on May 08
