After a traumatic, harrowing rescue, and a three-hour surgery for his gaping wound that required other dogs to be on standby to give him a blood transfusion, the worst appeared to be over for Benjamin.
He has spent the two weeks recovering, waiting for his wound to dry completely and for his strength to return.
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| His wound has dried up since this was taken |
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Ben's wound |
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The doctor did warn after the surgery that his wound might split open because of the tension from the stitches and the constant movement from his head / neck. Two days later, the wound did open, by about 1cm. This afternoon, Benjamin, underwent another surgery to have his stitches removed and the small hole repaired. He has been extremely brave through it all. For now, the wound is being cleaned twice a day, and the focus is on keeping it clean and dry. |
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| Handsome Ben |
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The harness is left on so its easier to take Ben out for walks |
Benjamin's bill has now run to almost S$5,000. We thank the people who have gone down to visit him at The Animal Doctors, cooked for him and contributed to his vet bill.
Ben is still very afraid of people, and shivers when he is brought out of the cage, even when we attempt to bring him out for walks to pee - he trembles badly and freezes on the spot.
Only in the past few days has he allowed volunteers to gently pat his head, but that's about all - he remains very fearful.
He has been at the vet for about 15 days and will be ready for discharge in two days’ time. We would be rehoming him but for now, he requires a patient foster to instill in him confidence and trust in humans.
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| Skinny and still wary of humans |
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| So scared he just freezes |
Benjamin has nowhere to go. The cheaper kennels that we can afford have no space for him, possibly due to the holiday season.
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| These stitches have been removed |
Click below to watch how fearful Benjamin still is:
If you can foster Benjamin or give him a permanent home, please email us fiona@hopedogrescue.org He has gone through so much, please help him. We can’t keep him at the vet any longer as his bills are more than we can afford.
Contributors : Leslie Kok, Lin YanQin and Dawn Wong
Daryl's Kindness :
It wasn't much but it was everything he had, and eight-year-old Daryl was willing give up every last penny to do his part for Benjamin. And his big heart makes that $6 donation one of sweetest gifts HOPE has ever received.
His mother, Yiu Lin, had been preparing to make a donation to HOPE to fulfil a birthday wish from her sister-in-law Natasha, who had generously asked her friends and family make to a donation to HOPE instead of giving her presents for her birthday this year.
Little Daryl, upon seeing pictures of Benjamin on Facebook, decided he wanted to he wanted to help the poor dog, and told his mother he wanted to donate every last cent in his piggy bank - a total of $6.
"He was really saddened by the picture, and wants to help Benjamin in any way he can," said Yiu Lin in an email to HOPE.
Daryl's generosity and earnest desire to help has warmed all our hearts here at HOPE, and he sets a great example for everyone to think beyond one self, and spare a thought for the poor animals out there that need our help. We hope more parents can raise their kids to show the same kind of compassion and maturity as Daryl did!
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| Natasha and Daryl |