A Plea for Help

* * * Updated September 2013 * * * 

Dear Adopters, Supporters, Friends, and Families of ISDF:

A short while ago, we were devastated to learn that dear Mona, recently adopted, was not suffering from a urinary tract infection or a post-surgical spay complication as we had originally thought, but from a disorder known as TVT - transmissible venereal tumor.

Once we had recovered from our initial shock, our thoughts turned first to her family - we are thinking of them constantly and are so filled with concern. And then to practical matters - how is Mona doing? What are the basics of the disorder, and what is her prognosis? Will Lucy, her sibling, be affected? Why did this happen, and how is TVT contracted? What has been done for Mona already, what still needs to be done, and how much will it cost her new family? 

So...this is a two-pronged post.

One, it is a central place to disseminate information about TVT to our adopters, and to hopefully address any fears or concerns they may have about their own adoptees.

Two, it is an urgent appeal to our ISDF supporters and friends. Mona's family needs our help desperately. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for considering helping her through this financial crisis.

The good news.

Let's start there.

With proper treatment, the prognosis for full remission of TVT is excellent. Mona should make a complete recovery. A more detailed description of the disorder can be found below, but this is the single most important piece of information we want to convey. We are so relieved for this sweet little survivor, though we are heartbroken for all of the emotional fallout her family has had to deal with these past few weeks.

The bad news.

The cost of Mona's care.

All told, her family has paid out approximately $3500 so far and her estimated total care costs are projected at close to or slightly above $5,000: for her care prior to the diagnosis; for the diagnostics and biopsies that confirmed what we were dealing with; for the surgical removal of an internal tumor; and for her targeted chemotherapy treatments. Mona's family adores her and do not question the care of her cost - however, they understandably never expected to be saddled with such staggering expenses in the first few months of her life with them.

ISDF would like to reimburse them for as much of these costs as we possibly can; however, as most of you will understand, a full reimburse out of our pockets at this time will effectively limit our ability to assist any further dogs this calendar year and possibly beyond, other than the two Malaysian street dogs and little Sissi, whom we are already committed to helping at this time.

Hence, this urgent plea for help.

We are fervently wishing that our ISDF friends, families, and supporters will each consider giving $5 or $10 towards Mona's medical reimbursement. Of course, and as always - we pride ourselves on transparency, and our plan is to post a financial update here and on our Facebook page as to what we were able to raise, what it was used for exactly, and how much the shortfall was, once all is said and done. 

Every dollar raised will offset our out-of-pocket costs and enable us to continue doing what we are doing. The alternative is very sad for us to consider right now - but if we are to be realistic and practical, we must acknowledge that this crisis may be the one to bring our humble and small (but mighty, we'd like to think) organization to its knees.

TVT 101.

As Dawn and I often say, we are walking a path with a steep learning curve. She had never heard of TVT prior to Mona's diagnosis, and I had vague associations of it mostly being an issue for hoarders with large amounts of unsterilized dogs in the southern United States.

Over the past few years, I have seen perhaps five photos of Thai dogs with exterior genital tumors, though I mostly mistook them for rectal prolapses at the time, as captions were usually in Thai or didn't mention TVT specifically if in English.

It was never discussed as being a common occurrence in conversations with our many Thai dog adoption associates across the world, and our hope is that this is because it is truly not nearly as prevalent as it could be, given the circumstances. Additionally, Dawn has a policy that upon each dog's arrival at O'Hare, she immediately proceeds to our wonderful vet for a complete physical exam, paid for by Dawn out of her own pocket, primarily so that she can hand over our new arrivals with complete confidence in their good health. Of course, the exam does not include an internal genital exam as we never had cause to feel this was necessary - so we will be reviewing and amending our protocol for the future, based on the recommendations of our professionals, given this recent occurrence.

To compound matters, as this whole situation began to develop, the vet who spayed Mona was brought into the conversation and Dawn, myself, Mona's pet parents, and Patarin were all startled to discover that besides a cyst on Mona's hip, she had had cysts removed from her ovaries at the time of her Caesarean section/spay surgery. Had we known this, the diagnosis of TVT might have been made some time ago, saving lots of time, effort, anxiety, and veterinary costs. This is not meant to point a finger of blame at anyone, as Mona's surgery clearly occurred under dire circumstances, and information was simply lost in the shuffle. She was rushed from Khemmarat livestock center to Bangkok on a transport during which time, as I understand it, she was literally going into a traumatic labor situation as she traveled. She arrived in rather a bad state, and Patarin's experienced and very excellent veterinarian was able to perform emergency surgery on her (a combination c-section/spay), saving her life, as well as safely delivering her six puppies, who required immediate medical attention due to their harrowing arrival. Sadly, only four of her babies ultimately survived, despite the best loving care of Patarin's vet team and Pat herself. Additionally, at the time of her spay, Mona was still a "Magic 10 dog" and not yet officially an ISDF candidate, so I don't believe we received her original surgical papers or reports. We of course understand completely that the information about the ovarian cysts was overlooked given the circumstances, and are only saddened to think that had we known about the possibility of TVT before her arrival, it is very possible that none of this fundraising would even be necessary right now.

So - for the reasons stated above - unfortunately, this disorder was never even on our radar prior to Mona's recent diagnosis. And amidst our sadness at her condition and the worries it has caused her lovely new family, perhaps this will be the one bright spot - that we are hopefully able to harness this newfound knowledge, learn all we can moving forward, and prevent this scenario from ever unfolding again.

There are some excellent resources for information on the web, but many of them are technical or research articles, so here - for our adopters and supporters - is a "crash course" to bring everyone up to speed:

What is it? 

TVT is a common tumor, only found in dogs. It has a patchy worldwide distribution including parts of the Caribbean, USA, Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is transmitted by direct physical contact and occurs in both sexes.

How do dogs contract it? 

Imagine a tumor that can be transmitted by touch. For dogs, this is not a matter of imagination; the Transmissible Venereal Tumor (TVT) has been described since 1876 and is commonly found on both male and female dogs. 

Transmission is by simple physical contact between an existing tumor on one dog and abraded skin on another. It is most commonly spread during mating. 

TVT may be visible as an external fleshy growth on the penis or vulva, or may simply present as genital bleeding (eventually the tumor will become eroded on the surface and bleed). 

Strangely, the tumor cells are not the patient’s own cells transformed into cancer cells - this is actually a very primitive type of tumor that grafts itself from one dog's body onto another dog's body. Developing TVT is somewhat analogous to getting bitten by a mosquito, and having the few mosquito cells left behind actually trying to grow a new mosquito on one’s body.

What symptoms are present?

TVT tumors grow rapidly at first, then remain static for a time as the dog's immune system produces specific antibodies that cause the tumor to spontaneously regress. Once the tumor regresses, the dog is highly resistant to further tumors and TVT is very unlikely to recur down the road, even after additional exposures.

How is TVT confirmed?

Diagnosis is made either by biopsy (taking a small piece of tumor tissue for analysis) or by cytology (obtaining a smear of the tumor’s cells and looking at it under a microscope as shown above).

How is it cured?

Treatment of TVT is straightforward and generally very rewarding. Surgery alone often leads to recurrence, and surgery may sometimes be difficult due to the location of these tumors. Chemotherapy is very effective - the prognosis for complete remission with chemotherapeutic drugs delivered intravenously is excellent.

What risks does TVT pose to humans and other pets?

This is the obviously the most frightening aspect for our adopters. We are happy to note that tumors cannot be transmitted from dogs to humans or other species. However, as stated above, it can be transmitted from dog to dog. 

We were devastated to learn this, as Mona joined a household of three - Mom, Dad, and beagle-mix sister, Lucy. We empathize deeply with her family, understand how upsetting it is that they were placed in this situation, and are deeply aggrieved for the concerns we have inadvertently caused this wonderful family. We are so very sorry! Our hearts are broken - we had the very best of intentions to help save dear Mona, and are so grateful to the Jones-Santana family for their commitment to our sweet little survivor and for allowing us to learn and grow from their difficult experiences.

We are asking for prayers, well wishes, and all good thoughts from our ISDF family to go out to Mona's lovely family for her complete recovery and Lucy's continuing good health.

Our hope is - and we were quickly reassured to learn that - there are several of factors on our side in this regard. The majority of TVT tumors present outside the body, hence why it is often noticed quickly and treated before adoption of an animal takes place. In Mona's case, the tumor was located internally, which should strongly reduce the risk of transmission, as it generally requires another pet coming in direct contact with the actual tumor - either through sexual contact, or because the resident pet has been allowed to extensively lick or otherwise have direct contact with an exterior tumor itself. Hopefully, Mona's having an interior tumor alone will reduce the risk of transmission to her sister. 

Although there have been cases of dogs with shared water bowls and dogs who groom one another passing the disease without sexual contact, we were greatly relieved to have our ISDF vet (who has worked extensively with street dogs in the West Indies where TVT is common) confirm that such forms of transmission are highly uncommon. We remain aware that there is still a risk, and are extremely concerned about this possibility, but for now, continue to hope and pray the risk can be minimized now that Mona's diagnosis is known, she has had corrective surgery, and she is beginning the final stages of treatment with chemotherapy at this time.

All of our adopted dogs are sterilized prior to entering households, and are placed only with other sterilized dogs. Given that Mona lives with a single, spayed female, and that her tumor was internal (and has since been removed), we are keeping our fingers, toes, and ears crossed that Lucy will remain TVT-free. 

Please join us in these prayers and hopes.

* * * * *

As far as how Mona is doing now - her family described her treatment to date in their own words. An excerpt here:

"We wanted to go ahead and send along another update about Mona. She had her surgery [to remove an internal growth caused by TVT] two weeks ago and has been recovering really well - she had her staples taken out today and can start getting back to normal activity in a few more weeks. She's been a total champ while recovering- our biggest challenge has been keeping her calm so she can recover.

We're still working to figure out what's going on with her tumors but are almost positive it's TVT - we're waiting on one more test result to confirm. They did find another cyst on the ovary they removed during surgery but it was benign. As of now the tumors are just in her vagina and once we have it confirmed we can start chemotherapy immediately to cure it.

We want to move forward with chemo treatments with the vet we're currently using - they've done extensive testing and really understand her medical history more fully than anyone else at this point - but know it's going to be really costly. We've already spent upwards of $3500 trying to resolve her health issues and know that chemo is not going to be cheap.

The good news is a few months from now Mona should have a clean bill of health."

* * * * *

Dawn and I spoke at length on the phone last night, and have plans for another phone conference this weekend. She will be calling concerned adopters to explain the above individually, but hopefully all of our ISDF supporters and families will have a chance to read this to help address their concerns as well. 

Anyone with any questions, concerns, or comments should - of course and as always - feel free to reach Dawn directly by phone at 414-426-4148 or by email at trimmel@usa.net. My phone is 847-912-3212 and my email is zoomdog500@comcast.net should you need to reach one us immediately. 

We appreciate all input as we make our way down this steep path of a learning curve, striving to continually increase our knowledge base and better this foundation.

We are heartbroken for the worries and fears we have unintentionally caused Mona and her lovely parents, Nate and Kelly, in regards to both Mona and sweet Lucy. 

Our deepest apologies to all of our adopters, as well, as we are besides ourselves imagining the worry that others may be feeling as well. Hopefully this post will in some small way help to assuage any anxieties or fears. 

We are hoping against hope that we can harness the power of our kind supporters and friends to help Mona's family move through this crisis without crippling the foundation's finances in the process.

Dawn and I are in firm agreement that we must place a moratorium on all adoption efforts at this time, beyond the few we are already committed to, until this issue is firmly and satisfactorily (to all parties concerned) behind us. 

But we are hoping and praying that Mona will soon be on the road to healing, that all of our other dogs and sibling dogs will continue in good health, and that the foundation can continue its work in the near future of doing what we are so passionate about. 

Any help whatsoever for Mona's family towards her veterinary care is welcomed with open arms - every penny truly counts, at this point. Please visit our website at www.istreetdog.com and earmark your donation towards Mona's medical fund.
Also, please note that we are holding a rummage sale (the link takes you to photos of the event) in Burr Ridge on October 5th & 6th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m to raise funds for Mona. Please come and have a "rummage" for some good deals - plus check out our baked goods for humans & doggies alike, browse our informational brochures, and suss out our cool new gear (t-shirts, bandanas, stickers...the list goes on) - AND visit Megan, Saalim, Sparkle & other ISDF rescue doggies while you "shop for Mona".



We are so very grateful to all of you in advance. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for considering helping dear Mona. 

With deepest apologies and sincere gratitude to all of you for your dedication and support,

Dawn & Izumi

 

Bobby/Blue (Adopted!)

* * * UPDATE * * *

October 2013

Bobby (now Blue) was adopted by a loving family in Chicago, USA. He said goodbye to his foster mom in Kuala Lumpur and journeyed here this week, alongside his good buddy, Dumbo (now Trixie). 
They arrived on Wednesday, October 16.

Blue was welcomed into the United States by Dawn and Chuck at O'Hare Airport. He was calm and sweet and gently curious about everything from the moment he arrived. The only tarnish on his otherwise-unblemished arrival was that he emerged from his crate completely favoring his bad leg.

Dawn and Chuck took him straight to our vet, and - sadly - it was determined (after consulting with his Malaysian vet, and getting a number of specialists' opinions) that amputation of his right rear limb was in his best interest. The surgeries he had had for his fractured femur, prior to leaving his homeland, had unfortunately not borne success. 

After the vet consultation, Dawn and Chuck continued onwards to VIPs Pet Hotel, where they anxiously awaited his parents-to-be. We were deeply concerned about what their response would be to this devastating and unexpected news - but we need not have worried, as they were as committed to him as ever, which caused us to spill tears of relief and unabated joy for this sweet boy!

The truth is, Blue himself will probably be relieved at how unhampered his mobility will be, once he is unburdened from that useless limb. Of course, Dawn and I can attest firsthand to the hardiness of tripods - the speed of our girls often exceeds those attained by their four-legged friends!

But still...an adjustment to all of our thinking. 

Yet Blue has been remarkably unflappable about his current state, which is already virtually that of a tripod's. 

Here he is right after walking into his new home as if he owned the place. And apparently, admiring himself in the hallway mirror...what a delightful little clown!

He will have surgery this coming week, and we promise to provide more updates at that time after he begins his true recovery.

Blue is one tough, uncomplaining, sweetheart of a pooch. I am deeply grateful that he has amazing, compassionate, and understanding pet parents who will undoubtedly see him through, and past, this setback with flying colors.
He also has a very cool bow-wow brother who goes by the name of Webster.
The siblings are getting along great, and Mom and Dad seem to be thoroughly in love with their little boy Blue.

We are thrilled to hear about all of his adventures to date - including being the feature story of The Star, a Malaysian national newspaper. Despite everything he has been through, Blue seems to maintain a positive attitude and a hardy sense of adventure.

We are so happy for this wonderful little man!



Thank you to all who made this possible, from Wani Muthiah and Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better for pulling, transporting, vetting, and fostering Bobby/Blue; to our kind-hearted international sponsors who generously donated to help cover his costs; to Blue's amazing new human and doggie family who have welcomed him with open arms.

* * * * *

My name is Bobby.

I called the streets of Kuala Lampur my home for over two years. Two long years of surviving by my wits, begging and scavenging for food, and avoiding dangers and cruel humans at every turn.

Then one day, a half a year ago, a car smashed into me - and the entire course of my life changed in the blink of an eye. 

I thought I was dead at first. My pelvis was shattered, my shoulder was slashed open, and I was bleeding everywhere from being scraped along the street. I lay there in the street whimpering in pain as uncaring humans walked past me, turning a blind eye to my suffering. 

And then - someone did care. Someone did stop. Someone did help me.

They alerted the compassionate people of Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) who rushed to my aid. I was brought to an animal hospital where my wounds were cleaned and dressed, and where I was given pain medication, antibiotics, a soft, warm, safe crate to rest in, and proper food for the first time in my life.

When I had recovered enough, they helped me fall asleep into a deep, dark blackness...and when I woke up, after major surgery, my shattered pelvis had been repaired.



Then began my road to recovery. I spent several months recuperating at the hospital, and then I moved into a foster home - oh, wow! One with dog beds, regular feeding times, and kind people...I was over the moon. 
I have never had to live without fear of ever-present dangers, and have found life as a house dog to be the most wonderful thing ever! Here, I can rest when I need to, I can eat when I'm hungry, and I can solicit pets and cuddles when I'm feeling lonely or down. I was able to recover peacefully, safely, and happily and now am fully healed.
But change is on the horizon. My caretaker scratches me gently behind my ears and tells me that some people in the America - wherever that is - are looking for a "forever home" for me. I'm not sure what that is exactly, but I think it means a place where I am not only a house dog, but someone's house dog - someone's forever best friend. 
I know, I know...it sounds to good to be true, like some kind of a fairy tale. But this is what my foster mom tells me, so it must be true.
I guess the problem is getting me to this so-called land of promise. I'm around three years old and only weigh 25 pounds, but even so, it costs a lot of "money" (another human thing, I think) to get me where I'm going.
Most of my buddies here at MDDB are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and re-released to their old neighborhoods, or adopted locally to homes in Kuala Lampur - but because of my serious past injury, and the hardship I have already faced in my short life, my chances of returning to the streets successfully are nil. My best bet, my foster mom tells me, is to fly far away to a place where I will never have to fear returning to the danger of life on the streets again - to America - to a land where they say my dreams will all come true.
Could you be my future family? Or might you be someone willing to help me get to America, to a foster home, where I can continue to be loved and cared for until the perfect future family is found for me?

International Street Dog Foundation (ISDF), the folks who are looking for a forever home for me in the USA, have raised $460 out of the $900 needed thanks to kind ISDF supporters Sarah Kasprowicz, Liz Stroh, Hayley Wiltshire, Carolyn Jolin, Deborah Seagle, and George Graham!

Would you also consider donating to my flight cost at www.istreetdog.com? Every bit helps...

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for considering helping me.

If I had been able to look into a crystal ball at the moment I lay broken and bleeding on the streets of Kuala Lampur, I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined how much my life was about to change, thanks to the kindness of so many strangers around the world. 

Here I am, in my most recent photo. 
I am fully healed, and ready to find my forever family! I can't wait for that happy day...thank you for helping me make my dreams come true.

Please share my story and help MDDB and ISDF partner to bring me to a real home, at long last. 

Thank you so very much!!

Love, Bobby

* * * * *

I am a Malaysian Street Dog.

Our lives are filled with hardship. 
The luckiest among us are ignored and allowed to eke out an existence, hunting for food, shelter, and safety. 
The rest of us suffer at the hands of man - either because we are completely ignored and disregarded (including those of us who have been injured and are suffering in plain sight of the public), or because we are actively persecuted and abused. Some of us suffer torture at the hands of the meat trade. Many of us end up in so-called "pounds" which are really just death camps for dogs. 

We are extremely lucky to have MDDB out there, on our sides, each and every day.

About MDDB

Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) is a canine welfare and advocacy project initiated to give Malaysian street dogs a second chance in life. 

Street dogs in Malaysia lead precarious lives due to certain prejudices and lack of empathy from members of the general public. As far as MDDB is concerned, the biggest abusers of street dogs are the municipal council and City Hall dog catching units that hunt down canines and lock them up in crowded and unhygienic enclosures pending euthanasia. Most of the time, the unfortunate dogs do not even get sufficient food or water while they await death. 

MDDB works hard to make local authorities understand that the best and most humane method of stray management is not culling dogs, but employing the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) method, whereby dogs are neutered and released for the local community to manage. This is a very difficult task indeed, as dog catching in Malaysia has been commercialized with bounty being paid for the head of every dog caught. MDDB also rescues and treats injured dogs, as well as stray mothers and their puppies - and they hold adoption drives to find permanent, loving homes for many dogs as well.

For a wonderful article with many accompanying photos of just some of the ways that MDDB is making the world a better place, please see this lovely article here. International Street Dog Foundation is honored to partner with MDDB to help both little Dumbo, and dear Bobby. Hats off, and many thanks, for their tireless dedication to the street dogs of Malaysia!

Dumbo/Trixie (Adopted!)

* * * UPDATE * * *

October 2013

Dumbo (now Trixie) was adopted by a loving family in Arizona, USA. She said goodbye to her foster mom in Kuala Lumpur and journeyed here this week, alongside her good pal, Bobby (now Blue). 

They arrived on Wednesday, October 16.

Trixie was welcomed into the United States by Dawn and Chuck at O'Hare Airport. She was sweet and gentle, and appeared to be relatively unfrazzled - remarkable, considering her long journey.

That evening, she went into foster care with Gina and Eric, the amazing parents of our beloved Sparkle, rescued from the illegal dog meat trade of southeast Asia.

Trixie lived the high life for several days with the Stern family, learning the ropes about life as a house dog in this new and interesting nation, and enjoying the best that American life had to offer - bully sticks, toys galore, a fun house, a backyard as big as a dog park, and a BFF and patient poochie teacher - Sparkle!

Gina, Eric, and Trixie met me at O'Hare Airport bright and early the following Saturday morning. 

After a tearful goodbye, Trixie set off on her final leg of her journey home - this time to Phoenix, Arizona, were she was greeted by her wonderful forever family, the Wylers.

She has settled into the southwest lifestyle like a champ...

...and she adores her new human siblings, Emily and Ben!

Life is good for this sweet little girl, and we could not be happier for her!

Thank you to all who made this possible, from Wani Muthiah and Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better for pulling, transporting, vetting, and fostering Dumbo/Trixie; to our kind-hearted international sponsors who generously donated to help cover her costs; to Trixie's generous and kind-hearted foster family, the Sterns; to her wonderful new human and doggie family who have welcomed her home with open arms.

* * * * *

My name is Dumbo.

I am one tough little puppy - I have come so far.

I was born on the streets of Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. 

My mom and several other mothers and all of us babies were rounded up by authorities and brought to Kuala Lampur's City Hall pound, a virtual death sentence for us all.

Once there, my mom and the other moms were taken from us and euthanized. Our little hearts were broken.

We were slated to be next - and we were absolutely terrified, without our mothers, in this horrible place, where literally everything around of us stank of suffering, fear, and death.

But then a compassionate guardian angel, in the form of rescue volunteer Tee, with Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB), arrived and saved us in the nick of time. Four of us were left, who had survived life on the streets, confinement in the pound, and worst of all, the loss of our moms. 

But more despair was still to come...

We had all been stricken by parvovirus and were now exhibiting advanced symptoms, which almost always indicates impending death in dogs younger than four months of age.

How I did it, I still don't know - and neither does anyone else - but my will to live and my strong spirit somehow sustained me, and I survived the ravages of this terrible disease. Sadly, all three of my little friends succumbed.

Despite everything I have endured, I've bounced back as only a puppy can. I am now four months old, and just nine teeny pounds! I appear to be a mix of a native Malaysian breed, the Telomian - we are known for our beauty, smarts, and ancient origins.

My caretakers report that I am now playful, silly, and a real show-off.

I am a sweetheart who is good with other puppies and dogs - and I will probably be a dream with kids, too!

* * * * *

UPDATE! I have found a fantastic forever home!!

I will be flying to the USA - hopefully this month - to meet the Wyler family of Gilbert, Arizona. I'll have a human mom and dad of my very own, and best of all, two kid siblings, Emily and baby Ben. 

Emily in particular is so excited about my arrival that she has been busily picking out beds, bowls, bones, and toys for me, for when I finally come home! 

A special thank you to ISDF's dear associate, Theresa Schneider of Surprise, Arizona for conducting a home visit, meeting (and loving!) my new family, and being ISDF's on-the-ground contact for me in Arizona as my adoption progresses.

I can hardly believe my (very big) ears! My new family lives in a huge, lovely home and their neighborhood sounds dreamy - lots of grass, trees and quiet, low-traffic streets. My new yard is big and mostly grass, which is unusual since the majority of homes in the Arizona desert have low-water rock landscaping.

Theresa shared these lovely photos of my future home, garden, and family, and my jaw just dropped. I cannot believe that all this awaits me. Still pinching myself. This must be a really great dream...and if so...I don't wanna wake up!
Of course, the biggest thank you of all goes out to Wani Muthiah and everyone at MDDB for believing in me and my little buddies, for saving us and pulling us from that dreadful doggie death camp, and for giving us every chance at survival. 

I am so very sorry for my three friends who didn't survive to see the wonderful new world that would have awaited us all - but I will carry a piece of each of their hearts with me as I begin my amazing journey in America.

Now all I need to do is get there.

The estimated cost for my vet bills and flight are approximately $900 to 1100, so we are fundraising towards the high end to be safe. Of course, any money raised above the actual total will be used towards another ISDF dog once costs are finalized upon my arrival, with the permission of our donors.
My new family has set up a page for me here and has contributed $400 already - and kind ISDF sponsors have added another $200 (a special thanks, once again, to our dear friends Hayley and Diane for their ongoing support and generosity). Several USA and overseas groups will work to fundraise the difference, but every dollar spent on me is one less dollar used to save dogs like me from the horrible Malaysian pounds. Any amount helps...truly! It all adds up, when we all chip in. No amount is too small. 
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. And a special thank you from my Mom, who did not live to see this happy day, but loved and protected me until the bitter end, and believed - against all odds - that something special was out there waiting for me. I know she is looking down and thanking everyone who is making this miracle possible. Thank you so very much.
Love, Dumbo

* * * * *

I am a Malaysian Street Dog.

Our lives are filled with hardship. 
The luckiest among us are ignored and allowed to eke out an existence, hunting for food, shelter, and safety. 
The rest of us suffer at the hands of man - either because we are completely ignored and disregarded (including those of us who have been injured and are suffering in plain sight of the public), or because we are actively persecuted and abused. Some of us suffer torture at the hands of the meat trade. Many of us end up in so-called "pounds" which are really just death camps for dogs. 

We are extremely lucky to have MDDB out there, on our sides, each and every day.

About MDDB

Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) is a canine welfare and advocacy project initiated to give Malaysian street dogs a second chance in life. 

Street dogs in Malaysia lead precarious lives due to certain prejudices and lack of empathy from members of the general public. As far as MDDB is concerned, the biggest abusers of street dogs are the municipal council and City Hall dog catching units that hunt down canines and lock them up in crowded and unhygienic enclosures pending euthanasia. Most of the time, the unfortunate dogs do not even get sufficient food or water while they await death. 

MDDB works hard to make local authorities understand that the best and most humane method of stray management is not culling dogs, but employing the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) method, whereby dogs are neutered and released for the local community to manage. This is a very difficult task indeed, as dog catching in Malaysia has been commercialized with bounty being paid for the head of every dog caught. MDDB also rescues and treats injured dogs, as well as stray mothers and their puppies - and they hold adoption drives to find permanent, loving homes for many dogs as well.

For a wonderful article with many accompanying photos of just some of the ways that MDDB is making the world a better place, please see this lovely article here. International Street Dog Foundation is honored to partner with MDDB to help both little Dumbo, and dear Bobby. Hats off, and many thanks, for their tireless dedication to the street dogs of Malaysia!