Artic Adventure #1 - Husky Sledding

I was recently in Finland and had the opportunity to go on a husky sled expedition. Those who know me well would know of my love for dogs and this is one adventure on my bucket list (checked!).

Some may and some have asked me if dog sledding is considered as animal cruelty. The answer is no and yes. No in the sense that the dogs actually enjoy the run and exercise of pulling the sleds. They are bred for that and they love it. Yes would apply only to husky farm owners who mistreat their dogs and deprive them of care, rest and love. That is why it is important to choose the right kennel for your expedition.

The next important thing I learned is the difference between Alaskan Husky and Siberian Husky. At most (if not all) of the kennels in Finland, Alaskan Husky is preferred for dogsled racing. They are leaner, faster, and have longer endurance as compared to their Siberian counterparts. Siberian Husky is used mainly for photo taking with tourists, shows and shorter races.

Alaskan Husky (left) and Siberian Husky (right)

Before we start our expedition, we were given outer suits to be worn over our winter gear to provide additional warmth. We were then given a short brief on how to "drive" the sled. How to brake, when to tilt to the side when taking a turn, and some basic safety measures. It may sound intimidating at first, but it comes naturally once you start driving. Do pay attention to the key points, such as always put your foot on the brake when stopping and do not touch any of the ropes or harness.

All strapped up and ready to run...

If you are in a pair, you will take turns to drive.

 Enjoying the view from the sled

Enjoying the view from the sled

Time flies when you having fun. We took a 2-hour ride and it was over before we felt too exhausted. We found Alba Husky in Ivalo by chance as we did not plan ahead with the booking of the husky sled expedition.

Scottish by origin, owner Alister Dunlop is a musher and has won several races. What we like about him is his passion for the sport and the love for his dogs. He is even trying to change the dog welfare system in the industry, by promoting good housing standard and care for the dogs. In line with what we advocate at D.O.G.S.

At his kennel, Alister adopts the method of tethering the dogs to their respective kennels when they are at rest. Done appropriately, it is a safe and humane method of keeping sled dogs. It allows healthy social interaction, minimises risk of injury and facilitate kennel hygiene. Tethering is necessary as the dogs have a very strong flight instinct.

These dogs are given good care and daily exercise. They are not chained up 24/7. How you can know for sure is by looking at the snow. If a dog is chained up for too long, it will be pacing in circles and you will see deep circles of snow tracks.

The dogs taking a nap after our sled run.

After our sled run, we had the chance to play with the dogs.

We also got to see the puppies that were the latest addition to the kennel family.

For enquiries, please contact info@albahusky.com.

Swiss Adventures - Grand Saint Bernard

Dog lovers must not miss out the chance to visit Foundation Barry in Switzerland, which is named after a famous Saint Bernard dog that is believed to have saved the life of more than 40 people. 

The museum is located in Martigny

Following its creation in January 2005, the Barry Foundation took over the 300-year-old breeding kennel from the Great Saint Bernard Pass Hospice. This makes Foundation Barry, a non-profit organisation, the oldest and most important Saint Bernard kennel in the world.

Foundation Barry converted an old military arsenal to a popular tourist attraction

Museum entrance

At this museum, not only can visitors learn more about the history of the Saint Bernard, the Swiss national dog, but can also see the dogs up close.

A female dog and her 3-month old puppies

 Visitors can view the dogs at an indoor enclosure

The dogs also get access to an outdoor enclosure

 

 Visitors can also go outdoors to check out the dogs 

A puppy chilling outdoor

 I was also lucky enough to witness the feeding time for the puppies

I also had the chance to see the Saint Bernard up close. As I visited the museum an hour before closing time on Christmas Day, I was one of the only few visitors. I happened to see a caretaker and she offered me the chance to pet the dog and take a photo with it.

Check out the paws of this Saint Bernard. It is bigger than my hand. I was told he is a 2-year-old male dog that weighs 70kg!

If you can tear yourself away from the cute dogs on the ground floor, you can make your way up to the second level where you can see some exhibits on the history of the Saint Bernard. 

Don't forget to check out the gift store before you leave. You can take home a Saint Bernard as a souvenir. 

The Barry Foundation is a member of the Swiss Saint Bernard Club and is a recognised non-profit organisation. A team consisting of a vet, a breed specialist and 8 caretakers, is responsible for ensuring the dogs’ comfort and optimal development, as well as providing professional training.

I hope I will be able to set up a similar museum in Singapore through D.O.G.S, a dog welfare charity that I co-founded. With a museum as such, I can create awareness of dogs and educate the public on dog related issues. I would also include a children's corner so we can guide them on the proper way of dog handling.

For more information, please visit www.fondation-barry.ch

The True Price Of Helping A Dog

After getting involved in dog welfare volunteer work for almost a year, I know more now than I did years ago. This blog entry is to share with you the true price of helping a dog, so you can make informed decisions on how you can help as an individual. When I decided to start D.O.G.S with my like-minded friends, my objective is for it to be a positive organisation that can support other dog welfare groups, as well as raise awareness through public education and understanding.

You can make a difference as an individual. Yes, you can! Here's how...

1. Volunteer at a dog shelter  

Apart from SPCA, there are also many dog shelters in Pasir Ris Farmway Drive and Lim Chu Kang. Even if you can only volunteer your time once in a while, the dogs are happy to be walked and given some TLC. Every shelter needs volunteers, so write to one and find out how you can help.

I volunteer at Madam Wong's Shelter when I have spare time. I walk and bathe some of the difficult dogs. I also rehabilitate some dogs with fear and aggression issues.

2. Foster a dog

This is good for those who want to help a dog on a short-term basis. Usually, puppies and recuperating dogs would need a home environment. If you love dogs, you can consider opening up your home for a needy dog.

Peanut and Butter are puppies that have been recently rescued by Uncle Khoe's Shelter. They are looking for foster homes before the adoption drives. Shelters are no place for young growing puppies. Please send D.O.G.S a message if you are able to foster them.

3. Adopt a dog

If you are looking to have a pet dog, consider adopting instead of buying one. Many shelters offer dogs of different size and age. So do look around and you may find your ideal dog mate. You don't just save money, you save two lives. How so? You save the life of the dog you adopt, and you free up the kennel space for another dog to be rescued. Good deal!

Many shelters have Facebook pages where you can also browse the dogs that are up for adoption. SPCA has an adoption gallery and its website provides useful information about adoption, as well as a list of dogs that are HDB-approved.

4. Do not support puppy farms and unethical breeders

If you absolutely have to buy a puppy, please do your research and buy from a reputable and ethical breeder. There are many puppy farms out there and way too many unethical breeders. I wrote about the ugly truth of puppy mills last year.

Visit http://sgpuppies.com to learn how you can spot a puppy mill or unethical breeder. Let's put an end to this cruelty. Even if you are not buying a dog, you can share the information and create awareness about this cruel trade of dog breeding.


5. What if you found a dog?
Say you found a dog while you were out, what should you do? Call AVA or SPCA? Are you sending the dog to its death sentence? This is what you can do.

Step 1 - Check if the dog has a dog tag with a contact number. If there's a contact number, the lost dog can be easily reunited with its owner.

Step 2 - If the dog has no tag, you can contact SPCA to check if anyone reported a lost dog of similar physical attributes. It is also important to note down the date, time and location that you found the dog. You can also bring it to the nearest vet to check if the dog has a microchip. If the dog has a microchip and is licensed with AVA, you will be able to help locate its owner.

Step 3 - If the dog has no tag and no microchip, you can try to foster the dog in the meantime, while trying to locate its owner by sharing the info and photos on Facebook, putting up posters in the area where you found the dog, and asking SPCA to post the info on their website.

It is a big misconception that you are sending a dog to its death by calling SPCA. What SPCA does is to find a fosterer for the dog while trying to locate the owner. SPCA will actually ask the person who found the dog to foster if possible. Many people don't know that SPCA will put out classified ads for lost dogs. They also try to foster and rehome the dogs to the best they can. Unfortunately, some dogs may have to be euthanised in the process if they are unsuitable to be rehomed due to temperament, age or health conditions.


6. What if you found a stray dog?
If you find a healthy stray dog, leave it be as long as it is not aggressive and poses no threat. If you have found an abused stray dog, please do call the SPCA and report the animal abuse. If you found an injured stray dog, you can try contacting dog welfare organisations such as HOPE Dog Rescue to see if they can assist. Otherwise, you can choose to bring the dog to the vet and pay for its medical bill, foster it till it gets better. After which you can try to rehome it or set it free where you found it.


This is the true price of dog rescue and welfare work. Instead of being a keyboard warrior by criticizing and pointing fingers at AVA or SPCA for having to put some dogs to sleep, you can choose to help solve the overall big problem in your own little ways. Making informed decisions and doing what you can, this is how we can make Singapore a better place for our canine friends.

Last but not least, if you are a dog owner, please be a responsible dog owner and don't abandon your dog. *woof*

D.O.G.S

I have been very busy last month setting up a new dog charity with my good friend Manida, and that explains why I haven't had much time to update Style Canvas. D.O.G.S stands for Dogs Owners Guidance Support, a charity that aims to raise and allocate funds to various dog welfare organisations and individual dog rescuers in Singapore.

D.O.G.S is a non-profit organisation in Singapore that aims to be a collective voice for the dogs, and to assist various dog welfare groups and individual dog rescuers.

This is me with Bailey from Madam Wong's Shelter.

My good friend Manida with Rocky from Madam Wong's Shelter.

Our primary focus is on public awareness program to promote responsible dog ownership, good canine behaviour, equipping volunteers and fosterers with the right knowledge to help dogs. We will also help to rehabilitate rescued dogs and make them more adoptable. Our goals are to help re-home rescued dogs, impart knowledge to owners to ensure they have a meaningful relationship with their dogs, reduce dog abuse, abandonment and related issues.

Please like the D.O.G.S Facebook page if you support what we are doing. On our Facebook page, you will see pictures of the dogs that we have helped and you can also pick up some tips on how to rehabilitate dogs. You can also post a picture of your pet to show support for D.O.G.S.



Here are some of the dogs that we have rehabilitated at Madam Wong's Shelter since we started helping them 3 weeks ago. To read the full story and follow their progress, all you have to do is to visit D.O.G.S Facebook page.

#1 Success Story - Rocky

Rocky was happy to feel grass for the first time in his life. Madam Wong was so happy that we managed to get Rocky out for a walk. Due to his "aggressive" nature, he has been isolated in the kennel for maybe about 3-4 years. Rocky now enjoys walks with selected volunteers.

#2 Success Story - Bailey

Handsome Bailey had a sad past as his owner passed away while he was being boarded at a pet hotel. Madam Wong adopted him and so he won't be homeless. He was also deemed "aggressive" and un-leashable, and hasn't been on a walk for about 2 years. Bailey now gets excited at the prospect of going for walks and has transformed into an affectionate dog who loves to be petted.

#3 Success Story - Timber

Timber was a rescued dog who used to roam free around the Tanjong Pagar area. He is being isolated in the kennel as he has aggression towards certain dogs. He has also never been out for walks since he became a resident at the shelter. His first step out of the kennel saw him hiding under a car as he was so fearful. However, he has now discovered the joy in being taken out for walks by volunteers.

#4 Success Story - Xiao Bai

Of all the dogs we rehabilitated so far, Xiao Bai is the one with the most "aggression" when she sees a leash. She will show her teeth, growl, bark and then yelp. However, once we overcame that, she was happy to go for a walk and actually walks really well on leash. We now need to overcome her fear of water as we really wanted to give her a bath!

#5 Success Story - Shadow

Beautiful Shadow is also a rescued dog from the Central Business District area. She was extremely fearful and shy. Even after we managed to leash her, she will remain frozen and will not move. It was only on the 2nd attempt a week after that we discovered how to encourage her to venture out of her kennel on her own terms. She is now opening up and is walking a little more.

The reason why I wrote "aggressive" and "aggression" in quotation marks is because the dogs are perceived to be aggressive or with aggression. In fact, most of the times, the dogs are just fearful and insecure. Now that they opened up and are being taken for walks, they are mentally more stable and have less pent up frustration, making them easier to manage.

If you are interested in adopting any of the dogs featured, please email me at marie@alchemyc.com and I will put you in touch with the personnel in charge at Madam Wong's Shelter.