An article of dogs ownership published by Star last month where I was one of the person interviewed. One of the family By ELIZABETH TAI The Star, 24 Jan 2006 Patches, a two-year-old Shih Tzu, is one lucky pooch. Not only does he have a well-made bed area (complete with fluffy pillows) and a basket full of toys, he has his very own chef too. “My pastor thinks I’m mad,” said Ten Siew Yung who once held a birthday party for Patches at her pastor’s house with friends and relatives. Actually, her friends and relatives think so too, but Ten is used to it by now. She just laughs it off and says that she’ll do anything for “Patchy Boy”. That includes preparing well-balanced home-cooked meals made out of the finest organic ingredients for Patches. Every morning before going off to work – Ten is a private tutor – Ten throws some quinoa grains into the rice cooker, lightly steams meat and vegetables and then adds some healthy supplements, which she makes herself, to the meal. Ten Siew Yung and her dog, Patches. Ten prepares Patches’ meals carefully, ensuring that they’re organic and nutritious. Patches eats only organic chicken – after it’s been put through the ozonizer to remove toxins. Sometimes Ten gives him some fish oil, home-made yoghurt, or liver treats which she makes herself. Ten created Patches’ menu after much research from books bought from the Internet. She cautions against feeding dogs food scraps as it is not well-balanced and contains ingredients that are harmful to dogs. Her obsession with Patches’ nutrition came after he had an operation which shortened his intestines. “A lot of dogs die young of diseases, and I wonder if it’s to do with the food that they’re given,” said Ten. She wanted to prevent that from happening to Patches and threw herself into research. After breakfast, Patches will be taken to his dogsitters’ place (she pays her a monthly fee) so that he will not be alone while she is away at work. “I know that they can be left alone but my heart is just not at peace when he’s alone,” she said and then laughed, sounding almost embarrassed. Ten didn’t think that she’d become the kind of dog owner she is today. “I lost a dog when I was young and I was very affected by the incident. He was poisoned and he died on the vet’s table,” said Ten. After the incident, Ten vowed not to have dogs, so when a good friend gave her a Shih Tzu puppy, she was reluctant to keep him. She promised her friend that she’ll “try it out” for a week. “For some reason, we developed a strange bond. He seems to understand what I say,” she said. The trial period is long over, and now the two are inseparable. Fruit of urbanisation Pets as surrogate children? It’s nothing unusual, said Deputy Chairman of the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation Dr S. Sivagurunathan. Before, …
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