Pets are great companions. They can bring a lot of joy and laughter into our homes. Plus they are so cute you can just fill up your phone with pictures of them. The best part about having pets is that they are fiercely loyal to their owners.
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But what most people do not realize is how much of a responsibility it is to be a pet owner. When you take a pet in, you are responsible for its life. It is an additional mouth to feed, another thing that you need to pay attention to, and something you have to clean after and take care of.
A sad reality
Sadly, not everyone who gets a pet commits to it. A lot of pets being bought and adopted are being abandoned far from their homes once their owners realize they could not handle the responsibility.
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These pets often end up lost, sick, and sometimes, killed on the road as they try to find their way home. This is the story of how an abandoned pet was lucky enough to be rescued by the road in Ipoh, Malaysia. Read on to find out how this heart-wrenching story moved the world.
Meet Lionel
It was March 2020 and Lionel Keith Vytialingam from Ipoh, Malaysia, was out on an errand to pick up a couple of things in the grocery store. On the way back to his car, he got distracted by a sudden blaring of car horns.
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When Lionel turned to see what the commotion was about, he saw a small, beige, and floppy-eared dog trying to make its way through traffic. It looked very confused and scared. And as Lionel puts it, he acted without thinking that time and made decisions without actually deciding. He just knew he had to help the poor pup.
Trying to survive traffic
Lionel immediately got into his car and tried to follow the spooked dog. He recalled that the pup looked like it was running around like a drunk pony that did not know what it was doing or where it was going.
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There were a lot of cars and bikes in the street and the dog ran up to each of them as if expecting to see someone familiar. Luckily, the dog headed into a residential area where there were fewer cars and bikes around that could run him over.
Getting the dog’s attention
Lionel felt for the helpless dog trying to find its way around traffic. It was practically a deathtrap for the poor puppy. Once there was a lull on the road, Lionel immediately pulled over by the roadside to try to get the dog to safety.
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When Lionel got the dog’s attention, he reached his arms out to it. The dog seemed to be relieved to see a friendly face and slowly walked towards him. Now that the dog was closer, Lionel observed that the dog’s fur was all soggy and matted.
Gaining the dog’s trust
The dog looked very cautious once it realized that it did not recognize Lionel. But at least the dog was no longer in the middle of the road. The two stayed on the sidewalk and Lionel waited patiently as the dog took its time observing him.
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Lionel tried his best not to move at all to show the dog that he could be trusted. Any sudden movement may cause the dog to run off into the street again. So, Lionel sat beside the dog on the sidewalk calmly, giving the dog a friendly smile when they get eye contact.
Asking for help
The dog observed him for about 10 minutes then went behind Lionel and gave him a good sniff. It must have liked what it smelled since it walked back to him and faced him with pleading puppy eyes that were difficult to say “no” to.
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Lionel reached out and tried to comb his fingers through the dog’s messed-up hair. This time, Lionel got a closer look and saw that the dog has a collar. And attached to the dog’s collar, there was a tattered note on it.
There was hope
When Lionel saw the note, he was puzzled. But it immediately gave him hope. Maybe it had information about the dog and he can bring it home, back to its owner. But Lionel was wrong.
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When Lionel got the note and read its content, he found a different type of information. The letter was written in comic sans and it was a note written from the dog’s perspective. The note said that the dog’s name is Siggy.
A heartbreaking story
Before he knew it, Lionel had tears in his eyes and he was practically hugging Siggy the dog when he finished reading the letter. He knew that there was no way he could just leave Siggy on the street after reading his story.
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Lionel claimed that whether you are a dog person or not, what was written in that note can tug on anyone’s heartstrings and make them love Siggy instantly. He admitted that it made him very emotional, being a dog owner himself. So what was written on the note?
Siggy’s story
The note started with “Hi! My name is Siggy, and I’m the most loving and attentive doggy you’ll ever see!” Then the next sentence explained Siggy being lost and confused. “My master is very sorry he had to leave me here with you, but he can’t just look after me anymore. I’m very sorry about that, as I am sure he is too.”
Source: Lionel Keith Vytialingam Facebook
Then the note continues as if Siggy is begging for love. “Please take me into your home. Please let me be a part of your family. Please love me.” The heart-wrenching note continued with “I’m five years old this year, and I have not been neutered. I am very nice, I haven’t bitten anyone, ever!”
A dog worthy of love
And as if to prove Siggy’s worth, the note continued with “I am a good guard dog who will sit in front of your door all day, and bark at anyone who comes to your gate. Until you tell me to stop. Or if I know the person very well. I can do some tricks too!”
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Then the note ended with “I hope you’ll accept me. With love, and some woof, Siggy.” Imagine reading that note and looking into Siggy’s lost and confused eyes right after. Who could say no to that?
Taking the dog to his car
After reading the note on Siggy’s collar, Lionel knew he had to take Siggy home with him. Lionel immediately picked up Siggy and brought her back with him to his car. Siggy seemed uneasy at first inside Lionel’s car.
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Lionel waited for her to settle in the car seat comfortably, whispering reassuring words to her. Siggy eventually realized that she was safe and in good hands and Lionel was free to start the car and take her home with him.
A new home
When they arrived at Lionel’s home, Siggy was still suspicious. She spent a lot of time in the outdoor area, often near a wall as if looking for something stable to protect her. Eventually, Lionel was able to lure her inside the house.
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Lionel fed Siggy first then bathed her. When Siggy was all dried off, he put her in a cozy makeshift dog bed under a chair in the living room – a spot Siggy seems to be the most comfortable with.
A grateful dog
It did not take long for Siggy to get attached to Lionel. She would not let him out of her sight. Siggy would follow Lionel everywhere – even in the bathroom. And she would now easily jump into Lionel’s arms. It is quite clear that Siggy had been very grateful to Lionel for taking her in.
Source: Lionel Keith Vytialingam Facebook
Siggy had a lot of attention to give Lionel. Lionel says that Siggy loves to sit and sleep near him or on him. Siggy is always calmest when Lionel is around. When she wants attention, Siggy would nibble on Lionel’s fingers or tug at his shirt.
An unexpected problem
However, as mentioned earlier, Lionel is a dog owner. Lionel already had a rescue dog at home named Sammo. And as lovable as Siggy was, Sammo was not happy about having a new dog around. It was hard for the two to be in the same room together.
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Lionel tried his best to make the two dogs get along but it soon became clear that it was not working. Since Sammo was his first dog, Lionel had to make the difficult choice of letting Siggy go.
The plan for Siggy’s new home
Of course, Lionel would not just abandon Siggy just like that. He had fallen in love with her and he wanted to make sure that Siggy goes to a good owner. So, instead of dropping off Siggy at an animal shelter, he tried to make some arrangements first.
Source: Lionel Keith Vytialingam Facebook
Lionel had a plan. He knew that Siggy deserves an owner that would love her and give her a good home. The first person Lionel thought of was his brother. If Siggy stays in the family, Lionel will still be able to see her and know how she is doing.
It became official
Thankfully, Lionel’s brother loved the idea. Since Lionel’s brother is residing in Kuala Lumpur, they had to wait till Malaysia’s COVID-19 Movement Control Order ends so that Siggy could be transferred to him.
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According to Lionel, Siggy will surely love his brother since they shared some personality traits. And since they still had to wait for the COVID-19 movement control order to be lifted, it bought Lionel some more time to be with Siggy.
The viral Facebook post
Because of what Siggy had to go through, Lionel took it to his Facebook account to share Siggy’s story and urge people to only get a pet when they are ready for it. Having adopted a rescue himself, Lionel wanted people to understand that taking a pet in is a full-on commitment.
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Lionel hopes that Siggy’s story would show that abandoning a pet recklessly just like how her previous owner did is not the right solution. There are always rescue groups or animal shelters that would gladly take the animal in and help it find a better home.
Dog lovers unite
It did not take long for Lionel’s Facebook post about Siggy to go viral. A lot of dog owners reacted and commented on the post and shared Siggy’s story. They all agreed that people should be more aware of the full responsibility of being a pet owner before getting one.
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Lionel was just thankful that he was the one who found Siggy. He shared that it makes him sad knowing that there are others like Siggy out in the streets and that these dogs did not have notes with them to move people’s hearts.
Being a responsible pet owner
Siggy is not the only dog out there in the streets with a sob story. There are a lot of other pets that have been abandoned by their owners who have not found a new home yet. Some are still out in the streets, trying to survive on their own.
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If you see a stray dog, try to get them to an animal shelter or let an animal rescue group know that an animal needs their help. If you want to get a pet, try to look at animal shelters first instead of pet stores. There are a lot of rescue pets that need a new home that would benefit from your love and care.