what a piggish world it is//*

Sunday, October 30, 2005 * (57) help, there's a b!tch in my home...

Ben's college mate found a chihuahua on the very long overhead bridge that spans across the PIE between CJC and the Police Academy! How on earth did the b!tch, yes it's a 'she', get onto the bridge? There was a bit of blood on her collar, a few scratches near an eye and she was shivering with fear. Doris didn't want to leave the dog on the bridge because practically no one, except the CJC students, uses it. But Doris couldn't take her home and knowing that Ben lives nearby, she rang him and the rest is history......

Aiyoh, I have nothing against animals but I just don't like pets in my home! It's just too much work looking after them. I remembered we had tank after tank of fish before we finally gave up. Then there were the 2 baby terrapins which maternal grandpa gave Jon when he came in top 3 in Primary 1. They ate and ate and grew and grew till they were too big for their tank. Finally, after 6.5 years, I gave them up for adoption to BMM Fan No 1's mum since she had a bigger tank and 2 other terrapins. AND, I don't particularly fancy feeding animals when there are so many starving people in the world!!

The lost dog aka 'The B!tch' looked pretty healthy and well-fed despite the few scratches and a broken toenail. She had a pretty pink collar but there was no ID tag or AVA licence tag on it. Meanwhile, Doris had gone to Caltex and bought a can of dog food but 'The B!tch' refused to touch it or drink any water. It just wanted to be carried as it was very frightened.

Laogong called the SPCA and they took down his name and number. They said they could send a van over to pick "the B!tch' up. But Doris said that if after a few days an animal is brought in to SPCA and no one adopts it, it will be put to sleep. So Laogong did not call them back to give them our home address. Ohhhh, my head started throbbing... then I called the Mt Pleasant Animal Hospital and they said we could bring her in to be scanned for a microchip ID.

As it was almost 12.30pm, the hospital's lunch hour, I told Ben and Doris to take their lunch first. Laogong and I dropped Jon off at school as he was on duty for the SJI Information Day to 'wow' as many boys as possible to opt for SJI as their No 1 choice of secondary school. Then we went off to check on the progress of the renovation and get an update from the contractor. When we got home, Emily, the dog-lover was already back. She was cuddling 'The B!tch' and was grinning ear to ear! She had managed to feed 'The B!tch' and get her to drink a few sips of water. My headache got worse...... I knew what was coming next!

Ben, Emily, Doris and I went to the animal hospital at 2.30pm and spoke to the receptionist. After a while, we went into a room where the receptionist had her hand-held scanner. Unfortunately, the scanner did not capture any microchip implant on 'The B!tch'. Sigh...... my head pounded even more badly but Emily was grinning even more broadly.

The receptionist then asked if we wanted the vet to check 'The B!tch' for any injuries. I hesitated but Ben asked me to. He and Emily said I could take it out from their allowances! Hah! The receptionist said that the consultation costs around $29.50 and that we had to wait about an hour. And that silly Emily asked why we had to wait so long and Ben told her 'Hello, it's like going to the doctor!'

We didn't really have to wait that long. Anyway, it didn't matter because the animal hospital was airconditioned! When we finally got to see the vet, he asked us for the dog's name and was kind of shocked when we told him that we didn't know. The vet was nice. He did a rescan for a microchip implant and found it immediately. The vet said she looked healthy except for some bruising on one ear. He then clipped off her broken toenail and bandaged it. Total cost=$34 for consultation and procedure! Woah, more expensive than for a consultation at a GP! And that was after a 10% discount for a 'stray'. Oh yes, I also bought a can of 'supposedly' better quality dog food at the little store at the hospital ~ 'Science Diet' brand! Another hard-earned $3 down the drain......

When we got home at 4.30pm and now armed with a microchip ID, I called the SPCA and AVA. I wanted to check if anyone had reported a dog missing. Then I called the Classified Section of the Straits Times because I heard that one can place an advertisement in the Classified Section under the Lost and Found Section. They will run an ad for 3 days and it is free of charge. Sheesh, I really hate the 5-day work week. I guess I have to made those calls on Monday!

Later in the evening, Laogong and I drove along Dyson and Whitley Roads to check if anyone had put up a 'lost dog' poster. Sigh...... nothing! Wasted time and wasted petrol! Gosh, maybe we have to try Mt Pleasant Road? It's expensive having a dog around! Oh well, I'll have to check the Classified Section under Lost & Found tomorrow to see if anyone has posted a lost dog.

AND should I make posters of 'The B!tch' and indicate the date and location where she was found, include my contact number and then put up the posters in the vicinity (1 km radius) where she was found? Aiyoh, more wasted time and printer ink! What if I get prank calls???

the pig oinked at 1:50 PM

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