You wouldn’t think that just 4 years ago like many others, Clarence was apprehensive about big dogs, thinking that they may be “fierce” and a little scary. Being a cat owner, he had zero experience with dogs but he joined team kennel. In 2016, Clarence found himself with a little bit of free time on the weekends and signed up with SOSD on a whim. Today, Clarence is one of the most outstanding volunteers in SOSD.
Clarence has evolved from a quiet unassuming committed pack walk volunteer to a leader with stoic strength and consistency in his passion for the dogs. Clarence is a part of the rehabilitation team, a group of volunteers who help new rescues to feel comfortable and condition them to their new lives in the shelter. Additionally, Clarence is also part of the Rehoming team, which helps to facilitate the adoption and fostering process. It is this initiative and sincere actions in helping with everything and anything that sealed our confidence in him to lead the Saturday pack walk team of which he has been IC since 2017.
For Clarence, the biggest motivator for his tireless commitment is the satisfaction of being part of the journey of dogs that he didn’t think would have a chance at finding a loving home. He finds fulfillment in watching these dogs grow from timid and reactive animals to trusting humans and enjoying walks. One of his favourite memories of volunteering is taking the dogs to Pasir Ris Beach for some fun in the sun together with his fellow volunteers when SOSD was located in Pasir Ris.
Apart from this, Clarence takes his leadership to the next level by building strong friendships with his fellow volunteers. Over the years, he has also forged a unique relationship of care and camaraderie with our shelter caretakers Babu, Nipu, and Nayem. The scrumptious brownies and avocado cheesecakes that he bakes to share certainly help!
During the Circuit Breaker (CB), volunteer group activities were suspended. Clarence was one of the select volunteers who came to the shelter every Saturday and Sunday to wash the enclosures, feed the dogs, and walk them. He saw that the dogs were missing out on their long walks with the volunteers so he took as many out as he physically could. Clarence also hosted a live session on the SOSD Facebook page to share how all the dogs were doing. He was the perfect person to do this, knowing each dog’s specific temperaments and quirks.
