A Home For The Homeless
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - She seemed to be the apple of their eyes. As a little one everyone almost worshipped her. And as she grew up she was a friend to all.

She was beautiful and they were proud of her. She went almost everywhere with them. They were all one happy family. And so the years went by. Happiness and harmony. Those were the words that would spring to mind.

That was particularly so for little Bobby, the youngest in the family. He loved her to no end. She was his constant companion. No, she was not his girlfriend. Because Bobby was only six years old.

They called her Jenny. She was a little puppy. There could be no other family pet like her, they were sure.

But they were only in Brunei for a short while and soon time came for them to leave. They were the so called "expatriates." So then what to do with adorable Jenny? That was a difficult decision. Take her with them? They thought about it. The very idea of leaving her behind made everyone's heart sank. It is a human condition to put off difficult decisions. Jenny was not an easy problem.

So the family members tried to discuss it. Little Bobby was too small to realise what was happening. He never thought Jenny would be left behind or carted away. They tried to advertise for a home but no one suitable came forward.

Poor dumb animal. She did not know what was in store for her. In fact no one knew.

Each night they gazed sadly at her. She sat there yelping happily unaware of the impending doom. But then the family left it too late.

There was a sudden change in plans. Flight schedules had been altered and they had to leave in a hurry, in fact, much sooner than they thought.

And in the rush there was not much time to think of Jenny. In fact they had almost forgotten about her. There were so much to do in the rush of things. When the last, day came they realised to their horror that they had to leave Jenny behind.

And Jenny happily pranced around and gave little barks at the driver who came to take them to the airport.

Bobby had gone with others to the airport ahead a little earlier. Poor boy must have thought that Jenny would be with others and would see her at the airport.

His parents realising the mistake had tried to phone friends pleading with them to look after the little puppy. But there was no home for her. No one wanted little Jenny.

So it was with a heavy heart that the family made their way to the airport. They were already on the plane when Bobby realised that Jenny was left behind.

The broken hearted boy cried his heart out throughout the journey. There was no consoling him. For him the world had come to an end. He was sure he could never overcome such grief.

Back in Brunei, Jenny was left behind and started foraging for food. Day by day life became difficult. All of a sudden her life had changed. Only a few days ago she was surrounded by such love and care.

But now there was no one. She could not understand what had happened. Where was Bobby? Where were Mummy and Daddy and the rest of them?

The house was cold and empty. She could not get into it. It was firmly locked up. She tried scratching at the door and gave little barks. At last, lying on the front porch, she whimpered pitifully.

After a few days, there was no Jenny. Nobody saw her after that. Hunger and animal instinct could have driven her to the nearest rubbish dump. Or she might have been killed by a car. A wild animal or a ferocious dog could have ripped her to pieces. But you do not know. In any case it is most likely the end was a sad one.

Likewise this is a familiar happening. Pets left behind by owners who leave the country.

So many stray dogs and cats roam the country unattended. And the condition of many could be horrendous. Many suffer from inflicted wounds that fester uncared for enough to turn your stomach.

And they can be carriers of diseases because they are poorly cared for.-And the- problem is not here alone.

Dr Mark Trotman, of the Veterinary Services in Barbados writes: "Stray and roaming dogs and cats are usually poorly cared for and are often carriers of disease.

"Many diseases of animals, including dogs and cats, are zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people). Some of these diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis are well known, however others are not so commonly recognised.

"Of course, stray animals also pose a threat to pets. Parasites and highly contagious diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus enteritis and feline AIDS are readily spread across the community by these animals. Dog and cat fights and unwanted pregnancies further add to the equation.

There is also the nuisance factor. Worrying walkers and joggers, scavenging garbage cans, pollution, noise and especially in the case of roaming dogs and cats, neighbourhood friction."

The effect on tourism is another problem. In Brunei the menace has not developed to such proportion. However there have been instances of stray dog attacks. The situation should be solved now when it is comparatively manageable.

There has also been some talk by some people of setting up animal shelters. But so far there has been no concrete action although there seem to be no lack of volunteers.

The solution would therefore be to get all these public spirited people together to form a meaningful and cohesive force focused in producing results for the good of the nation. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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