Contributed by Sylvia Jeanes

In the beginning God created everything. Every kind of animal he created, and the pinnacle of His creation was humankind. Men and women were given the mandate to rule benevolently over this creation. They were .to name all the animals, from giraffes to jelly-fish. A story is told how one animal was following Adam around all day. This one had not been named, and at the end of the day, the animal that had been his friend and companion asked Adam why he had not been named. Adam replied he had kept the best name until last, and that name was God's name, only backwards. And so his faithful companion was called d-o-g. Of course this story is only relevant in English! Sadly humans have not been very successful at ruling God's creation, and have pillaged and polluted it, and hunted its animals to extinction. One only has to look at the streets and lanes of the cities and suburbs to see how true this is. Rubbish thrown indiscriminately everywhere and dogs and cats abandoned and left to forage in the rubbish. Covered with sores, and wounds, grossly extended bellies from starvation, pain and anguish in their faces tell only too clearly human selfishness and failure.

I first saw Bravo when a group of brown dogs appeared in the shop plaza opposite my house. I presume he has been dumped prior to the approach of Chinese New Year, when people go away to other places to visit the relatives. In the unavailability of someone to take care of the dogs which they found so cute and loveable as puppies, they do the next best thing in their opinion, that is dump them outside the nearest restaurant to take care of themselves with whatever scraps fall from the tables. Bravo tried to make himself at home in my place on two successive occasions. But I drove him away because I already had Rascal and Blackie, and I did not have the time to take care of any more. Bravo's friends disappeared one by one. Some perhaps were knocked by cars, and some captured for food. The practice to put them into a sack and beat them to death to make them into tender meat.

Bravo came once again to me on Sunday, 9th April, 2000. I noticed him sitting at the gate. There was clearly something wrong with his back legs, but what? I hoped he would go away before I came home. But no, there he was sitting on the opposite side of the gate out of the sun. By nightfall I hoped he would move on, but there he was sitting nearby on Monday morning watching the world go by. I took him out some food and water which he consumed ravenously. Clearly he was very very hungry and thirsty. I went to work, and hoped again he would be gone when I came home. But there he was having moved again up alongside the fence which bordered a drain. I took him out some more food in the evening and lo and behold he was gone, but gone to where?

He could not walk and only managed to drag himself with considerable effort. How he ever managed to drag himself to my gate I shall never know. Anyway where was he? I looked into the deep drain and there he was up to his shoulders in water. I wanted to rescue him immediately so I poured lawn clippings and branches into the drain in the hope that he could pull himself out. God only knows I could not leave him in the drain with his two brown eyes looking up appealingly to be pulled out.

I needed to teach an evening class that evening, so set out with a heavy heart, wondering how I could get him out of the drain. During the break in the two-hour class, I asked one young man to help me. He assured me the problem would be taken care of. I needed to take home two of the students, and by the time I reached my gate, one of the strong young men had reached down, grabbed Bravo by the scruff of the neck and hauled him out. I asked them to put him into the empty room down below my flat. So I settled his wet and badly wounded body down on newspaper for the night.

On Tuesday I tried to get him more comfortable and fed him. By Wednesday, he had pneumonia due to his poor emaciated condition and five hours in the drain. I called the vet who gave him some powerful antibiotics. He was very sick, and very weak, but continued to eat well. Also there was a wildness and fear in his eyes. I treated his wounds and he began to make good progress. By now I had observed that not only was there something wrong with his back legs, but the right forepaw and tail had been broken. This must have happened some time ago, because both had calcified into a hard mass. Clearly the legs just would not go where they were supposed to go, no matter how much I put him into position and tried to help him stand. I wanted so much for him to walk again.

Saturday was not a good day. My helper came to look at him. Bravo did not like her and snapped angrily at her. I was away most of the day. By the time I got back, he was cranky and hungry. As he was trying to move to defecate I moved to assist him at which he snapped at me also. Such was his frustration, but this was the only time he did that. By now it was clear that he was crippled and not going to walk again without a miracle. I had to make the decision to put Bravo to sleep.

I hoped the little act of kindness from the vet would take place on the Sunday, but he had gone away for the weekend, so I needed to wait. As Bravo's wounds healed and he was satisfied from eating three meals a day, and as I regularly cleaned up his messes, he became more attached to me. I still hoped for a miracle and I perceived some feeling and movement in the legs and tail, but alas it was but wishful thinking. The fear left his eyes and what the tail would have done if there had been movement was done with his eyes. He welcomed me eagerly when I appeared, but I sensed a growing plea to be put out of his frustration and misery. On Tuesday night, 18th he pulled my hand with his broken front leg and licked it. This was the only time he did this, and I sensed he was saying thank you.

On Wednesday morning, after a satisfying breakfast we sat for a little while just saying goodbye. The vet came at last and within a few minutes his brown body lay limp and still. I lifted him out to the hole we had already prepared and laid him in with tears of anger. Why did he have to suffer so and for so long? The pain and starvation which must have gone on for many weeks, the indignity of not being able to move out of his own shit. Didn't someone know that he was made to be a friend? Did he get hit by a car and live? Did he escape from a sack after a stick had broken his back? I shall never know. His condition but reminded me of the cruel world in which we live. Was is all in vain! Perhaps not! His last ten days were comfortable and pain free, and he was glad to go. For me, I believe I have felt the pain again of losing someone loved.

In those days, there was no SPCA. Was the city full of heartless people who did not care. Surely not! And yet, who cared enough to set up an Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It all began with a dog named Maximus. On March 6th, 2004, Joanne deArment lost her beloved eight month old Maximus. Mistaken for a stray, her dog was shot to death not far from her house, and body dumped on the city dump. This tragic event was the trigger to motivate the setting up of the SPCA in Kota Kinabalu. Using her holiday, she tramped from house to house to canvas support. Then on 23.10.2004, her supporters rallied to the first meeting with Dr Chua Kim Heng of the DBKK. This meeting was to foreshadow the good working relationship we now share with the DBKK. Those present on 23rd October have become the foundation members today. By November, the public were becoming aware of the existence of the SPCA, a committee of concerned members was formed, an email address was set up, the Constitution was in formation, and Registration of the Society was in hand. The work at the beginning was mammoth and foundational.

An article published by Daily Express on 30th May, 2005 was headed "Time for a SPCA in Sabah". The wife of the State Secretary, Datuk Dayang Jamaiah Pengiran Alli affirmed this need while launching the Sabah Cat Show Carnival 2005 at Wawasan Plaza in Kota Kinabalu. Registration of the Society was granted on 14th February, 2006. And so the SPCA was born.

At the Annual General Meeting on 29th March, 2008, an election of office bearers took place. Puan Loretta Lucas was elected President and has continued to work tirelessly for the establishment of the SPCA in Kota Kinabalu. Awareness campaigns have been held in a city plaza and in school and colleges. Membership is increasing. Articles have been written animals rescued and fund-raising continues. In this infancy stage, the SPCA has no animal refuge, but concentrates on education. It is hoped to establish cell-groups in the housing estates and suburbs to deal with local promotion and problems such as spaying of strays and ultimately removing them from the street. Is it an unattainable dream! It is not, if we would remember the original mandate to rule responsibly over the creation, including man's best friends, our animal friends.

Those wishing to join SPCA as member may contact www.spcakk.org.

- Daily Express, 28 July, 2008

Posted by webmaster on 22 Jun 2009, Mon