The
Straits Times
Animals at Pets Villa will have
more freedom to roam, thanks to Pedigree Pet Foods.
Cats &
Dogs there will enjoy more space, and even able to sunbathe, swim ..
There will
be a pool, plenty of space for sunbathing and, soon, attap huts for lazy
afternoon
naps. Abandoned and stray animals will soon find the good life at Pets
Villa, a
shelter in Pasir Ris, because of a $20,000 donation from Pedigree Pet Foods.
The
donation will also allow the shelter's founder, Ms Cathy Strong, to finally put
up a
2.13m-high fence to keep the cats from jumping onto the zinc roofs of the
building where the kennels are and to prevent them from climbing out of the
compound.
Started in
February this year & run by non-profit animal welfare group Animal Lovers
League, Pets Villa has already taken in 250 cats and 120 dogs. Most are
strays. The rest are put there by owners who can no longer keep them at
home.
With the
injection of funds, the pet haven will finally be able to achieve its goal of
letting the animals run free.
"These
are strays and they are used to roaming around, so we try to create a natural
environment for them. It's good to give them more freedom," said Ms
Strong.
Once the
fence is up, by the middle of this month, the 80 spacious kennels at the
shelter will be left open, allowing the animals to venture out.
This also
means that space at the facility, which sits on a grassy plot half the size of
a football field, can be freed up for more strays to be taken in.
Currently,
even the office is being used to house animals.
The
donation will also by used to put in awnings, to replace the vinyl sheets being
used to prevent rain from splattering on the animals and volunteers.
The
shelter, which is clustered among other commercial animal shelters and fish
farms, will also, finally, get a signboard.
In
addition to the cash donation, Pedigree is also donating $10,000 worth of food
to the shelter. "The donation is really a big help," said Ms
Strong, explaining that the animals consume up to $8,000 worth of food every
month.
Monthly
running costs at the shelter come up to $25,000.
"We
have been able to pay for our rent & utilities every month, although we are
never on time," she joked.
Besides
donation, the shelter depends on boarding fees & the sale of merchandise,
like T-shirts, to cover costs.
Other
supporters have also chipped in. One contractor put in fans & also
did the electrical work for free. Another, who is also a volunteer at ehe
shelter, will be building the fence at cost price.
By the
middle of this month, the dogs will also have a wading pool - also donated by a
contractor.
A
fund-raising dinner organised by the league in June raised some $15,000.
There was
even an unusual donation of $10,000 from the estate of a woman who had passed
away. Her 17 cats now live at the shelter.