We finally got Pebbles into a suitable home last Saturday and he is settling in very well with his new family. I didn’t realise I had been taking care of him for nine months until Mel checked his vaccination card. That was a pretty long time.
The night before I sent him to his new home, Pebbles spent the night sleeping beside me. He was as cute as ever. I still remember the day I took him home without any hesitation. There were two reasons I took him home straight away, first, he wasn’t neutered, and second, he is a crossbreed. He was skinny and had a bad coat and skin condition. We knew it would take time, but our efforts have paid off.
For one second, Pebbles makes me wonder if he’s a bear.
I’m glad that the adopters are keeping us posted on his well-being. Pebbles also made it easy for me to leave the day I dropped him off.
Next, we’re going to concentrate on finding Kira a home.
For many days, I avoided looking at her post because I knew about the horrifying cruelty that had been inflicted on them. With Wang Wang’s story appearing all over my Facebook feed, I finally gathered the courage to read what had happened. I knew it would break my heart, and indeed, it did. I cried for hours, imagining the suffering of the defenceless mother dog who was only trying to keep herself and her puppies alive.
Wang Wang
Her puppies were beaten to death, while Wang Wang herself was also beaten, set on fire, and burned to death. All of these cruel acts were done by four twelve-year-old boys. Imagine twelve-year-old boys carrying such cruelty in their hearts, beating and burning three innocent puppies and their mother, who could not even defend themselves.
The first thought that came to my mind was that these boys must have come from realms filled with cruelty.
On the other hand, Wang Wang and her puppies had paid what they had to pay. Their powerful wholesome kamma ripened almost immediately after they had exhausted their negative kamma, which may explain why they were able to ignite a global movement of compassion.
The tragedy happened on 28 June, and even after a month, animal activists are still seeking justice. Even today, I continue to see Wang Wang’s story being shared.
Alina’s Animals Preservation Nepal is building a memorial statue for Wang Wang and her puppies, and I decided to play a small part in making it a reality. I hope Wang Wang’s tragedy will teach the world kindness and compassion, continue to inspire people to do good, and remind us that every act of compassion matters. At the same time, I hope to leave a small legacy of compassion through Wang Wang and her puppies, showing my love and walking with them.
The image above is an AI-generated concept provided by the shelter. According to Alina’s latest update, the shelter has decided to proceed with building the memorial statue.
Anyone who would like to contribute to the construction of the memorial statue may do so through the link below:
The adoption drive at Woodleigh Mall was about a 10-minute drive from where I live. Because it wasn’t held at a cat expo, the crowd felt entirely different. People moved at a slower pace, and most were just passing through to look around rather than looking to adopt. It wasn’t all bad though as it allowed me to catch up with other fosterers and volunteers.
Kira was rescued a month ago at Whampoa. She was about three months old at that time, hiding in a drain. Someone spotted her and told me about her. I started leaving kibble out for her but I wasn’t sure if she was the one eating it. As soon as I spotted her in the drain again a few days later, I brought her home right away.
She eats and poops well, and she’s already had her first vaccination. Black cats usually take longer to get adopted and sadly, many never do. I really, really hope she finds a good home.
Pebbles has been with me for over four months now, and this was his second adoption drive. He’s a gorgeous British Longhair, so I constantly wonder why it’s taking so long for him to find his forever home.
I truly hope I don’t come across any more abandoned cats until these two are safely adopted.
I went to the Monet Inside exhibition last Saturday at Parkview Square.
Claude Monet’s masterpieces were brought back to life through an immersive, 360-degree journey that was both impressive and captivating.
The entire experience lasted about 50 minutes.
Below is the painting that captured most of my attention.
It depicts a sunrise, but I mistook it for a sunset.
It still gives me the feeling of dusk.
Below are some of Monet’s other popular works.
I can’t imagine how Claude Monet managed to raise eight children from his two marriages, especially since life was so tough for him initially. Toward the end of his life, he went blind, his famous water lilies were painted entirely from memory.
Pigeon poisoning happened again after a year of persistent pigeon killing.
Petitions were signed and proposals for managing the pigeon population were submitted, yet no special effort has been made by the authorities to explore humane alternatives. Instead, heavy fines have been imposed, effectively discouraging and locking away human compassion for animals.
On 15 June, last Monday, while on my way home after a badminton game, I saw two pest control staff carrying a black plastic bag and picking up a live pigeon sitting in the middle of the road. To my astonishment, I began filming what was happening. I felt I had to. One of the pest control staff also filmed me, which I welcomed, because my hands are always kept clean.
Dried green beans and tiny pieces of poisoned bread were scattered on the ground, waiting for pigeons to eat them and die. I filmed the entire process without disrupting their work. The emotional pain was enormous as I recorded the birds up close, watching them die in distress while knowing they had done nothing wrong.
My compassion extends not only to the pigeons, but also to those who carried out the killing, those who gave the instructions, those who supported it, the complainants who called for it, and those who rejoiced in the killing process.
When the filming was over, the two pest control staff walked away, though not very far. I took a broom and dustpan belonging to the Town Council and began sweeping away the poisoned food. The two staff members waved at me, seemingly supporting my efforts to clean it up.
The dustpan did not work very well, so I decided to pick up the remaining pieces with my bare hands. Suddenly, I heard someone shout that I could die from handling the poisoned food without protection. I looked up and realised they were standing very close to me, filming what I was doing and saying.
Well, I am not afraid of losing my life, let alone being filmed. I told them that if I died, they would be responsible for it.
I continued cleaning the area, making sure not even a tiny bean or crumb of poisoned bread was left behind. It was not only about protecting the birds, but also about protecting people who might unknowingly come into contact with the poison.
Every day, I breathe in second-hand smoke from smokers, which directly affects my health, yet no one seems to be talking about it. Instead, we point our fingers at creatures that do not harm us.
I would encourage complainants to write in and propose humane solutions for managing pigeon populations. Such efforts could help not only pigeons, but, more importantly, ourselves.
Never suggest killing when humane alternatives exist.
“Bhikkhus, dwell with yourselves as an island, with yourselves as a refuge, with no other refuge; with the Dhamma as an island, with the Dhamma as a refuge, with no other refuge. ~ SN 22.43
“Enough, Vakkali! Why do you want to see this foul body? One who sees the Dhamma sees me; one who sees me sees the Dhamma. For in seeing the Dhamma,Vakkali, one sees me; and in seeing me, one sees the Dhamma.” ~ SN 22.87
A place to discover and explore the discourses of the Buddha.
I highly recommend reading the sutta translated by Piya Tan. His "Laymen Saints" has been an inspiration to many lay people.
Cats who teach me to fly... 