THE STAR - August 8th, 2008 : Dedicated To Her Dogs
MAIN PICTURE : Sabrina Yeap getting a warm welcome from her furry friends who live on a farm in Sungai Buloh.
One woman continues to wage war against cruelty and indifference with dogged determination.
Late one evening, Sabrina Yeap was driving home after dinner, her mind filled with plans for Furry Friends Farm, a non-profit canine sanctuary she had recently started for abandoned strays, when something caught her eye.
It was huddled in a partially completed construction site.
A little voice said, “Turn back.” Yeap did. As she pulled up, she saw it was a dog, bloody and quivering, its lower jaw smashed and hanging limply like a splintered marionette.
Yeap, who had just left her 12-year job at SPCA (the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), had been relieved to have quit the heartbreaking job of rescuing unwanted and abused creatures. But the moment she laid eyes on the dog, she knew there was still a lot to be done.
“I named her Joy because she’s full of happiness and optimism, despite having been homeless, living on scraps and then, bashed up and left for dead,” says the 38-year-old.
Sabrina gives tuition for income.
Next day, both Yeap and Joy made headlines. Support and contributions poured in, while Furry Friends Farm, with Joy as their new ambassador, became a household name — if only for a few weeks.
But it was enough, more than what Yeap, who had little education as a result of leaving school after Form 6, had hoped for. With the money, she was able to rent a 1.4ha piece of land in Sungai Buloh to further expand her dog farm.
Two years later and almost forgotten, Yeap continues to fight a loner’s cause, with 60 gorgeous, healthy canines at her side.
The forgotten ones
Fate — this is a recurrent theme in Yeap’s life. Time and again, you hear her repeat this word, as if everything is preordained in her life. Her zeal for abandoned animals grew out of her own sad childhood.
Yeap’s father was a fresh-faced doctor from China who was thrilled about setting up a practice in Singapore with his new wife. They had eloped to Malaysia a few months earlier and were looking forward to a bright, new beginning. Alas, their happiness was short-lived.
The couple perished in a car crash, leaving behind a one-month-old daughter with the babysitter.
Their respective families came to claim their possessions, but none wanted the little girl, who was deemed to be cursed because of her gender and the great misfortune she had, to their minds, brought upon her parents. Eventually, the babysitter gave the child away to a nearby temple.
She grew into a pint-sized kid, lost in the shadows of the other orphans in the temple who were much older than she was. To fill her long days, the little girl started taking to the back streets and befriending stray cats, feeding them food smuggled from the kitchen.
“It was my first brush with animal therapy,” Yeap recalls.
“I was lonely, yes, but I never felt the least bit depressed or upset during those times. I looked forward to my time with the cats, and I think they felt similarly, too, judging from how punctual they were in meeting with me every day.”
Sabrina ensures that all 60 dogs are well fed with rice and chicken.
Then came her first meeting with the stray dogs. Yeap was 10 years old when a pack of stray dogs tried to attack her for food. Although she was lucky to escape unharmed, the experience traumatised her. It took a few years before she overcame her phobia for dogs. This was during a holiday break when Yeap spent time with a rich friend, the proud owner of several poodles.
“I never thought dogs could be so cute and well-behaved. Every holiday, we would attend training classes conducted by the Malaysian Kernel Association. I knew I wanted to be a vet then.”
But due to the temple’s financial state, her dream never came to pass. Yeap’s life had, after all, depended on the donations of the public, and she knew that it wouldn’t be enough to put her through college.
“I studied until Form 6 and became a private tutor after that. I improved myself by reading books, newspapers or magazines for at least two hours every day. I still make myself to do it till this day, despite how busy my schedule may be,” says Yeap, who bears a slight resemblance to Aung Yun Suu Kyi.
Incidentally, the Nobel peace prize laureate happens to be one of her heroes, because “she’s a fighter for humanity. And she does it bravely despite all the obstacles in her way.”
Loves of her life
If there’s anyone who deserves an award for being conscientious, it’s Yeap. Her day begins as early as 6am, so she could see to some obligatory reading before heading to Cheras, to get some dog chow (made of rice and chicken) prepared by a volunteer.
After that, she zips off to Sungai Buloh in her beat-up Kancil. There, she will spend another two hours or so feeding her 60 dogs and checking them for any signs of sickness, as well as cleaning their pens.
By noon, Yeap would be back in Ampang, giving tuition to a primary school student. Then, it’s lunchtime, followed by therapy classes with an autistic child at 4pm, with the occasional picketing for animal rights in between.
Just recently, this meant battling against DBKL’s inhumane dog-catching method.
According to Yeap, DBKL has now resorted to lassoing dogs with thin wires, causing them to die slow, painful deaths from maggot-infested wounds. Their excuse? Not having any tranquillisers, with not even the Animal Welfare Department having any.
By 8pm, Yeap finally gets some much-needed alone time, eating dinner by herself or with her friends. After dinner, she heads over to the nearest cybercafe to check and reply e-mail from supporters and detractors alike.
Her day usually ends a little before midnight. And, with an almost military-like precision and discipline, this cycle repeats itself, five days a week.
The founder of the Operafest Children’s Choir, Kam Sun-Yoke says this of Yeap: “Anybody who’s as committed as her should be applauded. I love dogs, but I wouldn’t go to such an extent to help them. I know most people won’t either. I knew the least I could do was organise an annual charity concert in her honour. But the response this year has been terrible.”
Yeap, meanwhile, is so often worn-out that she once fell asleep on a date.
“He was in the midst of talking about something,” she recalls, grinning. “But I was so tired, I dozed off. It was completely mortifying!”
Love isn’t on Yeap’s list of priorities right now. Much to her dismay however, many have viewed her choice of remaining single at 40 as a little odd.
“My friends have been encouraging me to get married, but I don’t think it would be fair to my other half, since I have so many things to accomplish in such a short span of time,” she states matter-of-factly.
Saturdays and Sundays are, thankfully, a little bit more relaxed.
“That’s when I get to spend more time at the farm, with the six weekend volunteers and, sometimes, a few curious visitors. I also have other passions such as hiking and camping.”
Meanwhile, shopping, as far as Yeap is concerned, should be tackled with a great deal of self-control.
“I limit my spending to RM10 a day. I don’t earn much, but it’s enough for me. At the end of the day, seeing all the dogs at the farm makes all the sacrifices worth it.”
Sources taken from The Star, 8th August 2008 : Dedicated to Her Dogs
