In 2015, local dog shelter Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) found itself in a precarious position. Its lease was almost up and the mutts had nowhere to go. In addition, its advocacy for a trap-neuter-release system for humanely controlling stray dog populations yielded little success.
As the organisation’s president, Dr Siew Tuck Wah had to make a tough call. “My career as an aesthetics doctor was flourishing, but because I was busy with work, I couldn’t adequately devote my resources to the charity. Plus, donations were dwindling,” explains the 44-year-old.
In a bid to stabilise operations, he decided to give up his five-figure salary job. Saving the shelter eventually led to the opening of two new spaces, one of which is now situated at Animal Lodge at Tengah.
SOSD currently cares for almost 200 dogs and relies heavily on the support of some 100 active volunteers and 16 full- and part-time employees. Daily operations include finding homes for the dogs, sterilising strays, and running an outreach programme that conducts educational activities in schools. Thanks to an improved organisational structure, it is now able to cover monthly expenses of $100,000 through donations and, to a lesser extent, grants from the government.
But while things have looked up, it has new hurdles to overcome. The biggest one is the rehabilitation of dogs before they go to their permanent homes. Then, engaging committed volunteers to take on leadership roles for succession planning.
Inspiringly, Dr Siew remains undaunted even if sometimes burnt out. Witnessing the results of his efforts unfold keeps him going, he says.
“There is no greater reward than seeing a dog’s smile after a second chance. Strays have been persecuted for many decades. They have only recently been able to find loving homes, thanks to the tireless efforts of animal welfare groups.”
Dr Siew Tuck Wah on keeping SOSD’s head above water
He adds that the sweat and tears of the team have been worthwhile. Since the organisation has regained its footing, Dr Siew has resumed his role as a medical professional at his own clinic, Radium Medical Aesthetics. He is no longer actively involved in operations at SOSD but remains responsible for strategic planning and leading the management committee.
In his opinion, our attitudes towards street dogs have improved substantially in recent years but there is still a ways to go. As it is, many misconceptions about stray dogs still persist. “They are often portrayed as dirty and aggressive, which isn’t true. Or that they will bite, which is also false, since they are just trying to survive,” he explains. “They’d rather hide than harm.”
The good news is, an islandwide sterilisation programme has resulted in a decline in the stray dog population in Singapore. A shared common vision drives not just SOSD, but also other local animal welfare groups, to achieve this feat. SOSD rescued and sterilised some 167 dogs last year alone,
Dr Siew’s next objective is developing the shelter space. “Being close to the other groups at The Animal Lodge fosters synergy. However, the current space is too small. To continue to improve the lives of our street dogs and rehabilitate them in better environments, we are always trying to find additional space.”
Style director: Chia Wei Choong
Photography: Stefan Khoo
Photography assistant: Rex
Videography: Isaku Lim
Hair & makeup: Aung Apichai
