Friends For Life
EL Singapore|November 2017

Singapore’s stray animal population remains a big issue, and adopting is vital. Three Expat Living editors explain why they chose to give forever homes to local dogs.

Amy Brook-Partridge
Friends For Life

SUSANNAH JAFFER and her fiancé Entheo Leung adopted Doodle in 2014, when she was two years old, from Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD).

Why did you decide to adopt?

Being aware of the stray dog situation in Singapore, I just felt the morally right thing to do would be to adopt. My fiancé and I decided to visit an adoption drive at SOSD to help us make up our minds. I had seen Doodle’s profile on the website and I liked the sound of her temperament, so I made a mental note to look out for her, though I didn’t mention it to my other half.

On the day, after finishing a conversation with a volunteer, I looked up to find my boyfriend sitting happily on the other side of the shelter with none other than Doodle! I still think it was fate.

Did you have any concerns?  My key concern was how Doodle would fit into our daily routine, as both of us work full-time with no help. The fact that there is a homestay trial period meant we felt less worried about the process - if things truly didn’t work out we could either get training help or give her back to the shelter so she could find a more suitable home. Luckily, she was a perfect fit, being a low- to medium-energy dog, and so satisfied with her early morning and evening walks.

What should people be aware of when adopting?

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