Quote

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. Mark Twain





Monday, May 24, 2010

The Animal Whisperer

By Sara Ann K, Multimedia Journalist, RazorTV

Source: The Straits Times, Razor TV, 17 Mar 2010
















'Animal communicators act like a telephone link between owners and their pets,' said Ms Arquati.
ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

'IT'S like Avatar,' claims natural animal communicator Rosina Maria Arquati. 'You connect to the animal kingdom.'

Ms Arquati, who has a quirky ability to communicate telepathically with animals, devotes her life to bridging the gap between humans and animals.

'Animal communicators act like a telephone link between owners and their pets,' she explains.

The Briton has lived in Hong Kong the last 32 years with her veterinarian husband and seven rescued dogs.

Besides household pets like cats, dogs and rabbits, Ms Arquati is also able to speak to pandas, orang utans, fishes and cockroaches!

RazorTV presenter Sara-Ann brought her dog Mumble to see Ms Arquati to find out if anything was bugging it.

Watch RazorTV to find out what Mumble said.

Dog Psychic? (Animals speak to her Pt 1)
Can humans communicate with animals? Can they converse telepathically with them? Using just a photo of people's pets, Rosina seems to be able to do just that. So what's the verdict from the pet owners?

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/44844.html

Supernatural Telepathic Powers (Animals speak to her Pt 2)
Can we really communicate with animals, or is it all just mumbo jumbo?
We find out what participants at an animal communication event thought, and what they would like to learn from their pets.

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/44840.html


A Real Life Dr. Dolittle? (Animals speak to her Pt 3)
Can she really talk to animals? Rosina tells us how she does it, and explains how they actually can speak to us.  Plus, find out why she avoids wet markets, puppy farms and factory farms as well.

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/44842.html


Believe It Or Not! (Animals speak to her Pt 4)
RazorTV put Rosina to the test with Sara's dog, Mumble. Were her readings right? Were any secrets revealed?

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/44846.html

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

English Lady Displays Psychic Powers, Chatting with Cats & Dogs!

For more than two decades, Rosina has traveled the world teaching people how to connect with our animal companions.

Thousands of people from all walks of life have benefited from Rosina's teachings, but her message isn’t just about communicating with animals. Its also about the deeper gifts the animals bring to us. Through animal communication, we learn to understand the meaning of unconditional love, and often animals offer a direct reflection of those areas within ourselves that need nurturing.

Stay tuned to this blog for our upcoming Animal Communication workshop - regsitration will be open soon! In the meantime, some details are available on the right column.


Source: Lianhe Wanbao, 15 March 2010

Translation

English Lady Displays Psychic Powers, Chatting with Cats & Dogs!


Hailing from England, animal psychic Rosina (59 yrs old) shares her ability to communicate with animals through psychic concentration. Knowing their pet’s thoughts she says, helps owners establish a better relationship with them.

Rosina explains that she thinks about the questions she wants to ask, and as long as the animal is willing to respond, she will then be able to see images or sentences forming in her mind. Her communication abilities even extend beyond the mind to her other senses.

Rosina found out about her psychic abilities when she was 6 years old, while she was chatting to a cat out of boredom. Amazingly, the cat responded to her. But it was only when she reached age 10, did she understand that not everyone shared her special gift.

With her trip to Singapore, she hopes to help pet owners here understand their pet’s thoughts and feelings better. In addition, she would also like to take the chance to discourage animal abuse.

She tells us that most of her students join her classes to learn how to strengthen their bond with their pets.

One of her students, Miss Ng Suan Eng shares her experience: Her dog had a friendly personality, but 1 year ago, it suddenly developed a dislike for strangers. After communicating with it, Rosina found out that the dog’s sudden aversion to unfamiliar people stemmed from a previous break-in at home.

The dog wanted to protect the owner from similar incidences, thus it started to be wary of strangers. Miss Ng had not shared with Rosina the fact that her home had been broken into before, thus was taken aback that she knew that fact.

Rosina says she is able to communicate her questions through thoughts to the animal, even being able to tell the animal what to do. However, whether the animal wants to respond or not, is entirely out of her control.

She says:” Animals are like humans, they lie too and may not listen to instructions. Therefore, the owner must understand their pet’s personality before they can foster a stronger bond.”

Finding a Missing Dog Through E-Mail


By just looking at a picture of a pet, Rosina is able to communicate with it anywhere in the world!

Fiona Foo, a volunteer at Noah’s Ark CARES shares an incident where a pet dog had gotten lost in a crowded activity centre. Fiona and her team spent 3 fruitless hours looking for it, before deciding to e-mail Rosina for help in communicating with the dog. A picture of the missing dog was e-mailed to Rosina, who was at Hong Kong at that time.

With descriptions from Rosina on images the dog was sending her, the volunteers finally managed to find the dog 2 hours later at Kallang Park. Rosina says she is even able to communicate with deceased pets.

Believe It or Not!


Our reporter ‘borrowed’ a friend’s pet pictures for Rosina to communication with, and asked her a few related questions. After sharing the answers Rosina gave with the real owner, our report found that most of the answers were spot on!

Question: What is the dog’s favourite spot at home?
Rosina: The owner’s bed.
Owner: My bed. It always tries to jump up onto my bed.

Question: What is the dog’s favourite food?
Rosina: The owner feeds it different kinds of food, but its favourite is meat.
Owner: I feed it different kinds of food, but it loves meat the most.

Question: At home, does the dog like the male or female owner more?
Rosina: The female owner, as she is very pretty!
Owner: It likes me more.

Question: What are the dog’s habits?
Rosina: It likes to scratch itself.
Owner: It likes to scratch itself.

Question: How has the dog’s state of mind changed since the past?
Rosina: It wishes the owner could spend more time with it, like the past.
Owner: I used to have more free time previously as I was studying. Now that I am working, I am unable to spend as much time with it anymore.

Friday, May 14, 2010

HELP ME…. I’M LOST!


A white female Maltese was spotted wandering along the sidewalk near Block 510 Bedok North Ave 2 on a sweltering hot afternoon. She was panting very hard and walked with a slight limp. She had only one eye; her left eye seems to have been lost from an injury or surgery some time back. She had no collar on. Concerned that the dog might be in distress, her rescuers stopped their car to check on the cute pudgy looking white dog and offered her food and water. She seemed hungry and thirsty and gobbled up all the food in no time.

After her hearty meal, this determined dog was ready to set off again as if to look for someone. Her rescuers decided that it was too dangerous to leave this little cute dog to her own devices as they watched her attempting to cross an intersection of a road, so they leashed her and housed her at the Pet Hotel after a general health check by the vet.

The Vet revealed that this little dog had no microchip and has been relatively well cared for and well fed as she was on the tubby side. She is estimated to be about 6 -7 years old. Apart from very minor skin problems, she was in good health. She was no longer limping. Her limp could have stemmed from her walking for hours or days on the streets looking for her owner.

As all dogs should have a name, her rescuer named her Muffin. Muffin is a sweet girl who is extremely easygoing, trusting and has a charming personality.


Muffin at the Pet Hotel, looking optimistic that she’ll be re-united with her owners soon.

As the staff from Pet Hotel cleaned Muffin’s ears, she kept very still and was totally cooperative.

Her foster family even managed to brush her teeth with no problems at all. What a good girl she is!
 
The next day, Muffin was brought back to the place where she was found, in the attempt to find her owner. Muffin looked visibly excited, as if anticipating being back with her owner. She made some sounds while in the car, as if trying to communicate her plight.

Her rescuers allowed her to lead them through the blocks of HDB flat and to their surprise, Muffin hurried up a flight of stairs eagerly, brought them up to the third floor, turned right and stopped outside a flat.

Hopeful that Muffin had found her home, they knocked on the door but to no avail. They enquired with neighbors and confirmed that that particular household owns a dog but neighbours were evasive about whether Muffin was that dog. A note, with Muffin’s photograph, was left under the door but unfortunately, till now, the owners have yet to call.

The rescuers have done their due diligence by informing the relevant authorities, placing ads in the papers, taking Muffin to the vet to scan for microchip and do a general health check. They have also on more than one occasion taken her back to the area she was found, in the hope that someone will recognize her and know her owner. Alas, nothing has resulted from that.

Muffin loves the company of her foster family and is settling in well but we know she misses her owner and we sense that she still feels she is lost, or perhaps she just can’t accept the fact that she has been abandoned. We too, can’t accept that such a sweet, lovely dog can be abandoned under such circumstances, but having been a volunteer in animal welfare for many years, we are aware of the harsh realities of pet abandonment. If a pet owner has made up their mind to abandon their pet, chances are they would just do so, without considering the dangers they would be putting their pet through, or whether their pet would even survive a few hours on the streets avoiding traffic or fending for themselves.

Our initial hopes of finding Muffin’s owner diminishes as the days go by too . . . . we get the sinking feeling that she was abandoned, not lost. It has been almost one month and we now have to think of what’s best for Muffin and to give her the happiness and love that she deserves again.

Muffin is currently under the tender loving care of her foster family. However, they are not able to keep her for long.

If you have any information of who Muffin belongs to or have a BIG heart to foster or adopt Muffin, till her owner is found, please send an sms to 9488 6419/ 9109 0475 or email helprehomedog@yahoo.com.


Muffin’s Description:
Vet estimates her to be about 6 to 7 years old, probably lost her left eye several years ago as the wound has healed. She is well-built and pudgy, has a lump on the underside of her due to hernia, which the vet says is unlikely to cause any problems. She was clean shaven when she was found 28 April 2010 (Wed) and has a slight skin condition. She was found near Block 510, Bedok North St 3 with no microchip and no collar.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

What Do You Do When You Lose / Find a Dog?

Animal lovers live in dread of seeing and finding another lost or abandoned dog, or losing their dog. Whether the dog has left home deliberately or involuntarily, it is wise to act quickly.

Another dog on the streets with pleading eyes, ribs showing, hiding from you in fear yet hungry and needing help. From the people who sacrifice sleep to rescue dogs, here are some tips on what you can do to help:

1.  Be Ready to Rescue & Help The Dog
If you know in your heart that you're a rescuer, why not equip yourself to do the best possible job? Preferably you would have had observed the dog roaming around the area for period of time.

Here are some things you will need:

  • Phone numbers of your
    • local shelters and rescue centres (SPCA email : shelter@spca.org.sg Tel 62875355 ext 25 to file lost and found reports.)
    • A 24-hour Emergency Veterinary Clinic
      • Animal Recovery Veterinary Centre (Balestier)     Tel: 6252 2623
      • Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital (Whitley Road) Tel: 6250 8333
    • A pet carrier or cardboard box; collar and leash for dogs; a blanket; water bowl and water; pet tin food, such as canned tuna or dried liver to entice the dog to approach you; and a dog first-aid kit.
2.  Safety First – You and the Dog
A strange, frightened and possibly sick or injured dog can behave unpredictably. Any movement from you may cause the dog to run, hide or attack.

3.  Restrain the Dog
Surround the area so that it cannot disappear or hide. If its on the road, divert traffic around him if he appears to be injured and is still on the road.

4. Be Calm and Gentle
Speak calmly to reassure the dog that you are not going to hurt him. Speak calmly and do not show panic in your voice. Make sure the dog can see you at all times as you approach it. Use food to attract the dog's attention. If necessary, do this over a period of time.

Some Things to Think Through

  • Where will you take the dog to?
  • Can you keep the dog?
  • Call a local animal shelter/rescue and ask for assistance on where the dog can be kept and what is needed.
  • Stay Hopeful - don't assume you automatically have a stray. Give the dog and the owner a chance. It could be a pet that has been lost for a while and the owner may still be looking for it.
  • Be Realistic. Once you have taken the initiative, time and trouble to rescue/help a dog, it does not mean that a home, temporary or permanent can be found for it immediately. The animal rescuer would also need help with expenses for the animal if it is injured.
  • Show Compassion. If you're unsure if you should help the dog you see on the streets, here are two questions: What if you got lost and could not ask for help? What if it was your pet?
Steps You Need to Take to Help the Pet Find its Owner

  • Take the dog to the vet and ask them to scan to see if it has a microchip. This service is free.
  • If it has a microchip, the vet will contact the company (PetCall) provided that the owner registers the animal's particulars with PetCall and the owner will soon be reunited with his / her dog
  • Sometimes the dog has a microchip but its owners did not register their contact details with PetCall (Website: http://www.petcall.org/)  This would mean that the owners cannot be traced, despite the dog having a microchip. So please ensure you register your contact details with http://www.petcall.org/  
If the dog does not have a microchip nor a name tag, then these are the steps you have to take:

(A)  Inform SPCA – tell them where and when you found the dog and give them a detailed description of the dog. Give them your contact number and tell SPCA if the dog is not picked up, you will retrieve him before he is euthanized. If the dog is sick, which often happens to the dogs who are under stress, or if the dog does not appear friendly, the shelter may put the dog down.

(B)  Inform AVA Centre for Animal Welfare & Control - Hotline No: 1800 476 1600

(C)  Place an advertisement in the Lost & Found column with Straits Times & Lianhe Zaobao (Chinese newspapers) – you are entitled to TWO FREE advertisements (only for an Animal that you have found). Your advertisement should be clear and specific – where and when the dog was found, description (colour, male / female), breed, wearing a collar etc...

(D)  Take a picture of the dog and put up posters around the vicinity where it was found. Hopefully its owners will see the poster and contact you.

(E) Organize a Search Party - ask children and friends in the vicinity to help. Use an assuring tone to call out for your dog. The chances of finding a lost dog diminishes as his trail grows colder.

(F) Use an Animal Communicator to connect and communicate with the dog.

(G) Ensure you have done your due diligence (all the steps above)

Hopefully after having done all this, the owner can be traced and the dog will be reunited with its owners.

If after two weeks, no one comes forth to claim the dog, then perhaps it was abandoned. Then the onus would be on you to help the dog to find a new home, where it will be well loved and cared for, and hopefully not be abandoned again.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

About Lynda

As a child, Lynda had always loved animals. She found great joy and pleasure being with them, helping them and being surrounded by them. Her journey in animal welfare seems to have been carved out for her, even before she knew it.

At a tender age of ten, Lynda would save her school pocket money, catch a cat or puppy from the streets, take them home and hide them in her bedroom. After school, she would take the cat or puppy in a taxi, to the Vet, to have the animal sterilized, before releasing them back on the streets. Of course there were some animals that she couldn't bear to return, and they ended up living with her! Most children at this age would be either too busy playing with friends or on computer games, but Lynda knew her purpose in life. Some adults might not even know enough about sterilization, let alone a ten year old.

She continued sterilizing street cats and dogs with her own savings till she was in her late twenties, when she heard of Noah's Ark and realized that she and the society had been doing rather similar work. In the late 90s, she visited Noah's Ark (then located at Jalan Kayu, Singapore) although her visits were not regular. Throughout these years, Lynda had many pets, mostly given up by friends or rescued from the streets.

When Noah's Ark moved to JB, Malaysia, Lynda lost touch with them and it was only after some years that she found out where they had moved to and asked a friend to show her the exact location. That visit in 2002 was the start of Lynda's commitment and dedication to Noah's Ark and its animals. She realized that they needed funds to maintain and upkeep the animals, so Lynda used her own money, bought merchandise and sold them at events to raise funds for Noah's Ark. It was an uphill climb when she first started volunteering as most Singaporeans, like herself, had no idea where Noah's Ark had moved to in Johor so Lynda spent a lot of time, money and efforts creating an awareness again. She spent her own money printing name cards, buying merchandise etc all for the benefit of the animals.

Lynda started as a Volunteer in March 2002 and she became the Vice President of Noah's Ark CARES from June 2005 to April 2010 and those eight years saw her commitment, passion and dedication to the animals. She often slaved till the wee hours of the morning, especially before an event - designing new merchandise, ensuring the merchandise would be ready for sale at the event, getting volunteers, banners, promotional flyers - it was mostly a one-woman show for most part of the eight years. Lynda also took the initiative to design and sell Noah's Ark calendars which has now become an annual affair, launched a book and video in 2009 in tribute of the founder, Raymund Wee, and ensure that the Noah's Ark's blog kept readers, friends and supporters abreast of its events and rescue work. In July 2009, Lynda organized Noah's Ark's inaugural fund raising dinner and the evening was a sell-out.

Apart from organizing events, Lynda also utilized her annual leave to give school talks to children from Primary schools, right through to Junior College, and even office lunch time talks as she truly wanted to share the work of Noah's Ark, as well as educate the young generation on sterilization, respecting their pets and not abandoning them.

As if she didn't have enough on her plate, apart from holding a regular full time job, Lynda would also spend her nights checking on foster dogs, interviewing prospective owners keen on adopting dogs, conducting house checks, follow up visits on adopted dogs, attending meetings with organizations who were keen to organize events or partner Noah's Ark in events, as well as going into industrial estates to catch female dogs for sterilization. Sometimes she would come across injured dogs and she would rescue them and take them to the Vet. Often her days would not end till after midnight. Its amazing that her passion drives her to do such wonderful things for the animals.

Lynda believes that pets make good companion animals, especially for the elderly and often when she came across an abandoned pet, she would take them home to foster, nurse them back to health, and then find a new home for the animal. Sometimes she would meet elderly people living on their own, who would truly benefit from having a companion animal. Lynda would give them the dog, buy all the food bowls and necessities and provide them with dog food supply and help pay the pet's vet bills, all from her own pocket. She also does regular visits to ensure both the elderly person and the pet are doing fine. There seems no limit to her kindness and compassion.

It has always been her belief to adopt dogs above 5 years old, because they have a slimmer chance of being adopted and she always believes in giving them a second chance in life, even if they don't have many years with her. Her present brood of dogs consists of the old, deaf, blind and three-legged. Lynda feels that even if they only had a few months with her, they would have at least known what love and happiness meant.

In 2009, Lynda went to Hong Kong to attend workshops on Animal Communication (website: http://rosina.wordpress.com/)  and animal healing and armed with new knowledge, she continues to enjoy her work with animals. With animal communication, Lynda is here to help pets and owners to solve emotional / behavioural issues.

Often animals "misbehave" because they want to bring your attention to something but they just dont know how. Sometimes also, the animals take on the stress of the family or its owners. Lynda is also able help sick pets who are in pain or discomfort by comforting them. This does not mean that your pet does not need to visit the Vet. Visiting the Vet is always topmost on the list but healing and positive energy can sometimes help alleviate the pain that the pet feels.

In March 2010, Lynda was nominated and in the top 5 running for the Singapore's Woman Award. Although she did not win the award, it was a milestone as it was the first time that someone from an animal welfare was recognized for her work.

Many volunteers, friends and supporters have been inspired by Lynda's work and we thank her for her years of unfailing passion, dedication and commitment to the animals, always believing that she is their voice. She has touched many lives, humans and animals alike, and they'll always be grateful to her for crossing their paths. I know I am.



Source: TODAY, 25 March 2010


Source: TODAY, 26 March 2010


Doggie Carnival & Launch of Dog Owners' Group (D.O.G) by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Home Affairs

on Sunday, 9 May 2010
from 9am to 1pm at Telok Kurau Park

  

Programme
9.00am      
  • Welcome to Doggie Carnival and Launch of Dog Owners' Group (D.O.G.) 

  • Pre Activities for Doggies Owners (attractive prizes to be won!) 
9.45am      
  • Educational Talk by Action for S'pore Dogs on "Health & Wellness for Your Dog"

  • Arrival of Guest-Of-Honour, Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law & Home Affairs, Host MP, Mr Chan Soo Sen, Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat Constituency and Advisor to Joo Chiat GROs, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC and 2nd Advisor to Joo Chiat GROs

  • Welcome Address by Mr Bernard Quek, Organising Chairman

  • Launch of Joo Chiat Dog Owners’ Group (D.O.G.) by Guest-of-Honour
From left: Lynda Goh, Chan Soo Sen and Bernard Quek

10.35am  
  • Demonstration on Dog Obedience by Awesome Pawsome

  • Educational Talk by Mr Kua Cheng Hock, Guide Dog Association of the Blind on "Guide Dog Access to Singapore and How You May Help Guide Dogs Perform Successfully"

  • Educatoinal Talk by Ms Chew Gek Hiang, Noah's Ark CARES on "Responsible Pet Ownership"
11.00am 
  • Martial Arts Performance by SOKA
11.20am

  • Pre Activities for Doggies & Owners (attractive prizes to be won!) 


12.30pm 
  • Mingling Session for Residents and Dog Lovers  
1.00pm  

  • Thank You

Visitor Count

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."- Unknown