Fortune favours ‘Lucky’ the Shiba Inu after assoc, good Samaritans come to its rescue

BINTULU (Jan 28): Lucky the Shiba Inu lived up to his namesake after being rescued from starvation and dehydration by the Street Animal Rescuers Association (SARA) Bintulu and good Samaritans.

SARA, a kind neighbour and other rescuers arrived just in time to save Lucky from sharing the same fate as another dog, who had rotted to death in a cage, after the dogs were left without proper care at a residence here by their owner.

The association’s president Michelle Law said Lucky was recently recovered from the house in an operation led by the Sarawak Veterinary Department Bintulu division with assistance from the police, People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), SARA Bintulu and other volunteers.

She added Lucky was immediately referred to the clinic for treatment since he had trouble defecating.

“When Lucky first arrived at the clinic, he was suffering from severe diarrhoea. Given Lucky’s health, we opted to perform a blood test and administer the worm treatment prior to the vaccination.

“We recently had a blood test, and the results were not good — Lucky’s urea levels were quite high, which may cause renal damage. This is the result of dehydration, as Lucky had been hungry for a long period. Lucky has been admitted to the clinic for further monitoring,” she said.

Once Lucky is in a more stable condition, Law said he will be returned to the Veterinary Office and kept on the department’s premises until a court order is issued.

Law said SARA wished to highlight a few key points from this case.

“If you are working offshore or in a remote location for an extended period of time, please find a dependable person to care for your pet. If there is no other option, please send it to the pet hotel or give it to a new owner who can properly care for it,” she said.

According to Law, neglecting animals such as in this case is a form of animal cruelty — further emphasised by the other dog dying as a result of the owner’s negligence.

“This is prohibited, and the culprit can be prosecuted. Cases of animal mistreatment are serious and should not be overlooked. If you find yourself in such a scenario, do not hesitate to take action and report it to the authorities right away. Urgent action can save innocent lives,” she stressed.

Law hoped the community will open their eyes and treat this situation seriously as it concerns life.

SARA has also established a donation fund for Lucky to cover medical expenses, blood tests, food and accommodation, which is currently estimated to cost above RM800.

Those who wish to help Lucky can donate to SARA Bintulu’s Ambank account (8881045814928) with Lucky as the reference. Then, send the transaction slip to 016-8952878 for record and to update the donor list for this case.

Law also extended her thanks to the agencies involved in Lucky’s rescue as well as the individuals who reported this incident and fed Lucky over the past few days.

“Thanks to everyone who shared our post and with the power of ‘viral’, we managed to save another life today. I hope everyone is willing to help Lucky,” she said.

The Shiba Inu is a breed of hunting dog native to Japan. A small to medium breed, it is the smallest of Japan’s native dog breeds, with comprise the Akita, Kishu, Hokkaido, Kai, Shikoku and Shiba.