Another One Bites The Dust

Hachiko is the name we gave him. He seems to have Husky genes in him as he has that characteristic Husky howl. Hachiko is really a rather vocal dog.

Walks so well on leash; understands heel, sit and stay

One unremarkable night 4 months ago, he appeared out of nowhere and decided to make a now-vacated factory his home. Like Horlicks, he didn’t seem to have friends, save for just one or two dogs. But unlike Horlicks, Hachiko didn’t seem like a stray. Hachiko was different. He didn’t want to play with the other strays. Instead, he seemed to always be staring at the cars that drove by. Could he maybe have had an owner who drove him there, dumped him out and drove off?

At the vet, waiting for his turn 

For a stray, Hachiko walks surprisingly well on a leash. He understands when we talk to him. He knows to sit, stay and heel. Strange, isn’t it?

A while ago, we were in Hachiko's deserted factory trying to trap a female dog in heat, when we smelled that dreaded yet familiar smell of maggots. The stench came from Hachiko. Our hearts sank. It was way too dark to see anything, and we decided to take him to the vet. In any case, he was due to be sterilized.

As we suspected, the vet also reckoned that Hachiko is a Husky or Husky cross, about 5 years old. At first, he was so well-behaved at the vet that even the staff praised him. But he started protesting when he was prodded a bit too much, and again when they tried to open his mouth to check his teeth.

Under examination, the vets found 3 deep, huge maggot-infested wounds in some awful places on Hachiko's body. He had a deep slash inside his ear, maggots in his scrotum and another maggot-filled wound under his right arm. The slash wound on his ear could have been caused by him getting caught on a sharp object or in machinery. If he didn’t grow up as a stray, he may not be as street smart as the other dogs. He must have been so confused and scared.

A huge slit on the inside of his ear

Maggots on his scrotum

Wounds on his underarm

Hachiko was put under sedation to have his wounds cleaned. Because one of the wounds is under his arm, it will be aggravated every time he moves, and take a longer time to heal. One silver lining is that sterilization helped to address the maggot wound on Hachiko's scrotum. He is now resting and recovering well. He will remain at the vet for a week or two till his wounds heal completely.

Unless someone is able to take him in, Hachiko will have to be released to the empty factory where he had gotten hurt. We don't know what caused his injuries in the first place, but we can only hope that it doesn't happen again. We cannot afford to keep Hachiko at the vet or commercial boarding. Our hands are tied trying to rescue the puppies left behind.

A lonesome figure in a vacated factory. Life should not be this way

He is obviously not suited for a life on the streets. He once had a normal home, but all he has now is a foreign and hostile factory. We don't know if he'll ever adjust to living in such a different environment.

If you can ADOPT HACHIKO or help with his vet bills, please do so.

Hachiko is either a Husky or Husky Cross, male, estimated to be about 4 to 5 years old. 

Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg to enquire.