pet talk
a night out with
stray feeders
Every night, when you and I
are getting ready for bed, there
are a few intrepid individuals
who stay up late and wander
the rural and forested
areas of Singapore with
containers of food and
water—they are stray
feeders. Lillian Wang
tags along with a
stray feeder one
night to experience
a little of what
they do.
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pet talk
22:32pm:
Late on
a Sunday night, I meet up with a
stray feeder who wishes to remain
anonymous, so I shall call her Z.
Z has been feeding strays for 11
years now, and goes on her rounds
every night without fail. Feedings take
place late at this time as it is safer for
the strays to venture out to eat. It is an
astounding commitment: one hour of
food preparation and up to five hours
for the feeding. This means that she
only finishes around three or four in
the morning each time, despite having a
regular day job.
In Z’s car are approximately 170
packets of food divided into small
individual plastic bags, totalling to
about 21kg of dry food and meat, as
well as containers of clean water.
We get in the car and start driving. Z
knows the area well and we head to the
usual feeding spots.
At the first location, we stop next
to a longkang (drain), by the edge of a
forested area. Z toots her horn and calls
out to the dogs. On most nights, she
says, the dogs will troop out to meet
her. Tonight, there is no sign of them.
I am a little disappointed. Z thinks
it might be because we have arrived
earlier than usual. However, I think
the dogs aren’t appearing because they
smell the unfamiliar smell of a stranger
—me!
Z tells me the story of a young
puppy that lived in this area. She used
to see it run out happily to eat. One
evening, she returned to find its body
lying on the grass, its entrails splayed
out behind it; a heartbreaking sight but
a reminder of how tough life in the wild
is. The puppy was most likely either a
victim of a road accident, or an attack
by another animal. And there are many
similar stories.
So why not trap these dogs, neuter
and find homes for them? I am
reassured to learn that, as a stray feeder,
Z has been personally responsible for
trapping, sterilising and rehoming more
than 70 dogs, by her estimation. But
there are still many, many more out
there. We all know how difficult it is to
find a home for mongrels in Singapore.
In addition, trapping the dogs is a very
difficult task. They are smart, quick to
react, and will not be caught easily.
23:27pm:
Packets of dog food
in preparation for the
nightly feeding.
Z deposits a
few packets of food along
the edge of the grassy area
and dusts a ring of flea and
tick powder around them.
She explains that this keeps
the ants away. The dogs
know how to break open
the plastic bags to get to
the food.
She then scours the
area and retrieves empty
plastic packets left behind
from the night before. As
a responsible feeder, she
makes sure that she leaves
nothing behind.
Oh, look! The stray
feeders spot a familiar face,
a dog they have nicknamed
Bingo. He is a handsome
mongrel, medium brown
with a stocky build. He
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pet talk
circles around us, doubling back and
watching, always watching. We keep our
distance as well, so as not to frighten
him. After a few minutes, Bingo edges
forward, gently grabs a packet of food
in his mouth, and then confidently trots
off into the forest.
I can’t help but smile at my first stray
dog sighting of the night. Z believes
that he took the food to feed his family,
hidden in the forest.
On our way to the next location,
we spot three dogs running by the side
of the road, as if following our car,
knowing that the “food delivery” has
arrived!
23:44pm:
Our next
location is more densely forested. I
keep my eyes peeled for dogs, and
every so often, I spot a few in the
distance, emerging from the forest,
Life for a stray is a tough
one. A vagrant dog born
and living in the wild
has to brave the natural
elements, other wild
animals and humans.
their silhouettes outlined against the
night sky. I imagine this to be like the
Singaporean version of the Serengeti at
night! It is a heartwarming sight.
What strikes me is that none of
the dogs appear to be aggressive in
the least. Z confirms that in all her
years she has never seen any more
than an isolated incident of growling.
If anything, the dogs are fearful of
humans (and rightfully so).
00:01am:
Bee Har,
a timid and skinny, young black-andtan mongrel appears. I can see she is a
favourite of the stray feeders. Z knows
that Bee Har has recently given birth
and has her puppies hidden somewhere.
She gets a special treat tonight—chicken
rice. Z places three packets on the
ground and tells me that Bee Har will
eat her fill, then save some for her pups.
Bee Har skirts the area for several
minutes before approaching the food.
Just as Z predicted, she hungrily
devours two packets of food, one
after another. Then, sure enough, she
gently picks up the third packet in her
mouth, turns and disappears into the
underbrush.
Bingo
approaching
cautiously.
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photos Lillian wang
01:15am:
As we drive away from this
area, Z tells me she has
one more area to go to, in
another part of Singapore,
which will probably take
another one and a half to
two hours. She anticipates
that she will only be done
around 3am. She says she
will drop me off at my car
as she is worried that it
would be too late for me. I
gratefully accept her offer.
As I leave that night,
and as Z and her friend
continue their task of
feeding strays, I can’t
help but feel humbled and
touched by their dedication.
BRITAIN
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Dog food with
powder ring to keep
the ants away.
There are several stray feeders just like
Z who work independently all around
Singapore. They do it simply out of love
and compassion, and they spend their
own hard-earned money to provide for
the dogs.
Life for a stray is a tough one. A
vagrant dog born and living in the
wild has to brave the natural elements,
other wild animals and humans. As
urban development encroaches on
more of their natural habitat, food
sources become scarcer for them, and
competition tougher.
So if you ever see a stray dog, don’t
be afraid or annoyed but, if nothing else,
do spare a kind thought for them. l
Lillian Wang is one of the founders of
animal welfare group, Three Legs Good,
whose mission is to help injured and
disabled dogs, as well as to encourage the
adoption of mongrels. She also volunteers
on the Management Committee at SPCA.
She has two dogs and two rabbits and a
home full of fur.
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Meet the family at
www. barking heads.co.uk
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