You have all met the spirited two-legged Qian Qian, as well as sweet Pansy, who is going for her eye restoration surgery soon. Now, meet the rescuer who made it all possible!
Teresa is SOSD’s small-breed rescuer and rehomer in-charge. Rescued poodles, shih tzus, terriers – they all come under her charge. From the day Teresa joined the team 3 years ago, she has not once said ‘no’, taking on even the most challenging of cases.
Teresa shares, “Prior to joining SOSD, I was volunteering at another shelter, walking rescued dogs every weekend. Although the dogs were very well cared for, it dawned on me that this will be the same place where they will grow old and die. I attended the funeral of several of my old favourites and I wanted to make more of a difference to the lives of the dogs that I helped. That was also the time SOSD was founded.
“The turning point of my life was the sight of Old Man the cancer dog, with his gaping wounds and mushrooming tumour. I sought the help from SOSD and with the funds raised by SOSD, Old Man was treated at the vet and had his discomfort alleviated. Old Man eventually passed on and I went on to join SOSD as a rehomer and occasionally participating in rescues.
“Pansy was one of my most memorable rescues. She was in a terrible state when she was found but through the TLC of her fosterer and donations from the public, we were able to transform her life for the better. She is the sweetest dog I have ever met and the one who was the most attached to me.
“As Karen Davison says, ‘Saving one dog will not change the world but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.’ Volunteering has changed my life and has certainly changed the mindset of many people in the course of my work. It is especially rewarding to be able to help so many dogs (as it is not possible to own all of them) and love them as my own. In return, the dogs love you back many times over — they would seek me out from a crowd of people during adoption drives, give me more licks and even wait up for me at the usual drop off points like Pansy does. It is amazing how they still remember long after they have been adopted. Helping the dogs has certainly enriched my life in so many ways.”
We know that Teresa has enriched the lives of many dogs too! Thank you Teresa!
