3 dogs that became Keluarga Malaysia during the MCO

It’s probably been said often enough that the MCO and its variants were a tough time for everyone. With a big part of 2020 and 2021 being spent at home, it’s been hard to find solace, much less a warm soul to connect with. Thankfully, the world is blessed with dogs.

Throughout the last two long long years, we’ve heard (and experienced ourselves) the solace that a pet can bring. They uplift us, cheer us up when we’re down (lately more often than not), and remind us that even in the confines of our homes, we are never alone.

And what better a time to remind ourselves of the love that these canine cuddlies bring than…

Yep, Royal Canin is inviting all pet parents to join the Dog A-Paw-Ciation Month campaign by thanking their dogs babies with proper nutrition for them to lead a healthier and happier life. #DogApawciationMonth

So we found 3 dogs that found their way to owners in rather unique ways, and integrated into their funny little families in surprising fashion. Enjoy!

(If you prefer, you can also check out the video version here :))

1. The owner whose dream was to unite cattos n doggos. So she bought a house.

The majority of the population can be broken down into cat people and dog people. Between them, is a special sliver of individuals like Karynn, who not only likes both, but yearned to create a utopia for both to coexist in her home. She already had 3 cats at the time, which was perfect for condo living. But she had fond memories of owning her dog when she was living with her parents, and so she had a chat with her husband.

“So we bought a house, because we wanted a dog” – Karynn

Her husband and her chanced upon a surprisingly affordable terrace house in PJ, and immediately set about trying to find a dog to adopt. Eventually, through an adoption Instagram account called MyForeverDoggo, they eventually chanced upon a small, quiet brown dog at SPCA.

“I squatted down, and she immediately came to lick my face!” – Karynn

But more importantly, Karynn walked Halia through SPCA’s cat compound, and the dog passed with flying colours – calm and composed, surrounded by her sworn nemesis.

True to her test, Halia played well with Karynn’s cats, particularly a kitten named Mendung. Halia would occasionally play-bite, but Mendung seemed unperturbed, and often play-clawed back, at long last… bringing Karynn’s cat-dog utopia dreams to life.

“It’s great! I feel it’s so stress relieving to watch them play! No matter how horrible my work day is, I just watch them and everything is fine!” – Karynn

2. The stray that ran from the dog catchers to her new owner

“She actually came to our road out of the blue. I was actually going out, and I tend to notice strays. There was something about her that I loved – she had this smiling face. So I started feeding her.” – Pamela

There was some connection between her and Twinkle. When Pamela called, she would come. But Pamela already had a few dogs of her own, so she was hesitant to take on another, even as their bond grew over the few months. However, fate intervened one day, when a dog catcher van was spotted in the neighbourhood. As soon as she saw it, Pamela anxiously rushed out, but the stray was nowhere to be found.

Panicking, she stopped the dog-catcher’s van, and searched inside – but the smiling stray wasn’t there. Relieved, but not fully, she went home. And there was her dog soon to be named Twinkle for that smile she always had, hiding under her car.

“I decided I’m not going to have a heart attack every time the dog-catcher comes, so that’s how Twinkle came to live with us.” – Pamela

Pamela was still a bit apprehensive about how she’d get along with her other dog, Roxy. Twinkle had lived on the streets for a long time before, so she was a bit nervous, not used to being in an enclosure, despite her familiarity with Pamela.

“That took about 2-3 days. We kept petting her, and trying to get her into the house. Slowly she got used to the space. Roxy was still keeping her distance, having been alone for 1.5 years before.” – Pamela

Thankfully, with a lot of petting, caring and coaxing, Twinkle became a well-adjusted house-dog in just a few days. She quickly endeared herself not just with Pamela, but her children as well. She never growled, and seemed to love the attention from Pamela and her family.

“Now, she’s the alpha of the 3 dogs we have. We actually respect her for maintaining her role. But she has become more serious because now she’s got this important position. My kids keep saying “She’s not a dog! She’s a human being!” The only difference is that she barks.” – Pamela

 

3. The neighbours who chipped in for the neighbourhood dog

Around the time of the first MCO, something weird happened in Chak’s neighbourhood of Damansara Jaya. A young white and brown stray started hanging around the street.

“He was very friendly, didn’t bark or bite… and seemed to love humans. So eventually the neighbours all started feeding him. He’d go to one house for breakfast, another for lunch, and another for dinner!” – Chak

Different people had different names for the dog. Some called him Johnny, others, FF (Friendly Fellow), others just Doggie or Woof, and eventually he came to be known as the Neighborhood Dog. However, on a few occasions, he was blamed for knocking over rubbish, and messing up some front gardens, and some neighbours actually started complaining, saying they would call the dog catchers.

Chak had two female dogs at the time, and was hesitant to adopt a third male. So he helped the neighbours with an adoption drive. However, probably because it was during the MCO, no adopters materialised. About two months later, tragedy struck, when one of Chak’s dogs died of a snake bite. His other dog, Shell, was noticeably depressed, and lonely. So he started bringing the Neighborhood Dog home, to see if he would integrate.

Initially, there were issues. The dog always wanted to go out, and experience his “bachelor life”. Every night he would bark and howl, and try to run out at the first opportunity. The neighborhood even organised a neutering fund for the dog, who Chak and his girlfriend decided to name Jean Luc, because they were Trekkies.

“I think one of the breakthroughs came during his second vet visit. He hated going to the vet, and would refuse to go inside. So I used to sit down with him outside the vet, and talk to him, try to gain his trust.” – Chak

After a few months of equal parts discipline and trust building, the bond started to grow. Jean-Luc quietened down, playing well with Shell, enjoying some play biting with Chak and some fallen mango tree twigs. Chak had been walking him with a leash for a few months, and then one day at the playground, he decided to take a risk. He let Jean-Luc off the leash, to see if he would run off. And he bolted, but ran around the playground, and thankfully came back when called.

“He went off, he came back, and he went off and came back again. And that was the moment where I think I realised… ok. He treats himself as part of the family.” – Chak

Let’s not forget to appreciate these bundles of joy :*)

As the world resumes, it’s easy to get back to our usual lives, and forget how these lovely animals helped keep us going through the last two tough years. So the timing of Royal Canin’s A-paw-ciation month couldn’t be better.

Let’s take a moment to just sit with our doggies and be grateful for having them in our lives. And one of the ways to do that is with a good meal. A burger/CKT/Nasi Lemak for you, but perhaps something a bit more nutritious for your doggy!

We’ve worked with the people at Royal Canin, and we can assure you that they really really do care about nutrition, ensuring that all the dogs in this interview, and our video were fed the right type of food, precisely measured for the right dosage. With more than 50 years of experience, these recommendations of the over 70 varieties of food they provide are based on a vast, scientific understanding of pets and nutrition. It isn’t just putting a bunch of vitamins either, because all Royal Canin products are backed by extensive research and development to complete nutrition for your pet.

Royal Canin invites all pet parents to join the Dog A-Paw-Ciation Month campaign by thanking their dogs babies with proper nutrition for them to lead a healthier and happier life. #RoyalCaninMalaysia #DogApawciationMonth #RoyalCaninBHN #RoyalCaninSHN

Because in times like this, we need to remember what’s truly important…