What would you do if you saw an animal that was lost or in distress? While some folks would sadly just ignore the creature’s plight and move along, that definitely wasn’t the case for Facebook user Kyle Lim.
On Thursday (11 May), Mr Lim took to the ‘Lost and found pets in Singapore’ page to share his encounter with a poor pooch along the Serangoon Park Connector Network (PCN).
He said that the dog was panting, so he tried to give it water, but the canine did not seem to want it.
Mr Lim then decided to bring the dog home before transferring it to a vet. Sadly, it passed away on the way to his place.
It has since been identified as Wang Wang, a dog that lived at a prawning site in Punggol.
In his original post, Mr Lim wrote that he was crowdfunding for the cremation of an “abandoned dog”.
He also uploaded a video and photo of the pooch, which allegedly appeared “distressed” and was hyperventilating, probably due to the heat.
Photos: Kyle Lim on Facebook
However, it did not seem thirsty as it refused the water Mr Lim gave it.
Mr Lim then contacted NParks and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), but they allegedly “did not turn up for the two hours” after his call.
He later updated his post to add that NParks purportedly instructed him to tie the dog with a leash or rope so that it “doesn’t run away”.
On the other hand, SPCA allegedly said that he should give NParks time to come collect the dog, as they were “attending to other emergencies”.
Taking matters into his own hands, Mr Lim decided to transport the dog to his home with the help of maintenance staff, who happened to be there at that time.
From there, he planned to take the pooch to a vet nearby.
Sadly, the dog died en route to Mr Lim’s residence. It was eventually transferred to Hope Veterinary Care and then to Mobile Pet Cremation Services.
Source: Kyle Lim on Facebook
In the second amendment to his post, Mr Lim said that if the owner of the dog did not show up by Saturday (13 May), he would begin crowdfunding for the cremation fees, which was S$138.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the dog’s owners came forward.
As it turns out, her name was Wang Wang and she lived at Hai Bin, a prawning site in Punggol.
Source: Hai Bin Punggol on Facebook
The night that Mr Lim’s post went up, Hai Bin confirmed the heartbreaking news that Wang Wang had passed away at the ripe old age of 17.
Apparently, she “went off on her own quietly” to die.
“She has lived a very fruitful and long life at our prawn pond, bringing joy to children and adults alike,” Hai Bin wrote. “She will be missed very much by our crew and we hope that you will remember her for her sassiness under all that fluff.”
Mr Lim also updated his post for the final time with a statement from Wang Wang’s owner.
Source: Kyle Lim on Facebook
The statement revealed that Wang Wang had been part of the prawning site team for over a decade.
She was last spotted at around 12.30pm near the establishment’s premises before she went missing.
According to the owner, Wang Wang was “already on her last legs” when she left. They thus believed that she went to “search for her final resting place” away from their view.
Source: Hai Bin Punggol on Facebook
“Although we are deeply saddened to learn that she has left us, we are glad and grateful that you have managed to find her so that she can leave in peace,” the owner wrote to Mr Lim.
The owner also left a comment on Mr Lim’s Facebook post apologising for “troubling” him.
She said that after Wang Wang, who “hasn’t been herself of late”, disappeared that morning, the prawning site’s staff all took turns searching for her.
The owner added that they will take care of the cremation costs. She also thanked Mr Lim for finding Wang Wang and sending the pooch to the vet.
In a follow-up Facebook post on Friday (12 May), Mr Lim shared a detailed account of his entire experience with Wang Wang.
He explained how multiple calls back and forth between him, SPCA and NParks over the span of two hours ended up fruitless as officials allegedly gave various instructions and reasons for their delay, which only left him frustrated.
After his attempts to get help were in vain, and desperate to save Wang Wang, Mr Lim resolved to take action on his own.
He told MS News that he sought help from the maintenance staff, who had already provided material to keep Wang Wang comfortable and leash her as NParks instructed. While they were initially hesitant to use their work vehicle to transport the canine, they eventually did so and ferried both Mr Lim and the dog to his home.
Their decision to go beyond their fear of “punishment” to help an animal in need earned Mr Lim’s respect. Their manager also likely didn’t say anything, as the OP noted that he “had humanity”.
Although there was an eventual resolution to the incident, Mr Lim regretted the fact that help didn’t arrive earlier. In his recent post, he questioned if all the protocols were necessary in times of emergencies like this.
MS News has reached out to NParks and SPCA for comments. We’ll update the article if they get back.
We also extend our sincere condolences to Wang Wang’s owner on her passing. May the beautiful canine rest in peace.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Kyle Lim on Facebook and Hai Bin Punggol on Facebook.
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