Ohana means Family

Find out more about how Linette and her family worked to provide a better life for a homeless, sweet-natured pup named Lilo.

Story by: Priya Ganesan | Photos by: Linette Tan Hui En

Many believe that the most innocent and purest form of love, is the love of a dog. They love so unconditionally without expectations of getting anything in return. Unfortunately, some dogs aren’t blessed the way they should be. This is a story of how a 20-year-old nursing student from Nanyang Polytechnic, Linette Tan, found Lilo — a lost, scared little puppy that desperately needed some love and care.

Linette was only 16 when she decided to volunteer at an animal shelter. She never had any pets before but have always loved the idea of caring for animals. She got in contact with Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS), that led to her adopting Lilo four years later. 

As a volunteer there, she was tasked to keep the shelter floors clean, feed the dogs and help them rehabilitate from past trauma. “Rescue dogs usually require rehabilitation to learn how to trust and interact with humans again, due to their negative experiences in the past,” said Linette. 

She also took part in road shows and played an active role in educating people on the strays of Singapore and why it’s good to adopt. She did this for a few months until she felt like she had enough experience on her hands to take on fostering as well. 

After Linette had gained some experience fostering a few dogs, Linette shared that the founder of OSCAS, Mary Soo, felt like it would be useful for her to learn first aid for dogs — which came in handy soon after she completed the course. Linette got a text from Mary, saying that there was a dog with a huge maggot wound covering most of its back. 

The dog also needed a place to recuperate. Lilo had been at the vet for a month and the fees were getting far too expensive for the shelter to cover.

No one was willing to take Lilo in as they were afraid of her wound infestation. Linette questioned with a slight laugh: “How could I just leave her in the lurch?” Linette rationalised with herself that the dog needed a loving home and Linette was sure that she could provide that. Upon meeting Lilo at the vet’s clinic, Linette and her family fell in love with her and brought her home a couple of days later.

It’s no easy feat taking care of a hyperactive puppy that has anxiety issues around people, a majorly infected wound, and no toilet-training. Issues that Linette hadn’t come across before, surfaced. Lilo was a curious little pup that loved exploring the house, so there was a constant fear that her wound might get infected further. Being wrapped in bandages 24/7 led to painful skin rashes and matted fur, which had to be constantly shaved off. Meeting new people made her tremble and hide in Linette’s room. Having the wound meant that Lilo had to be on antibiotics, resulting in multiple blood tests, which was “one of the hardest things for my family and I to watch,” said Linette. 

While all this was happening, Linette had to ensure she didn’t let her grades in school slide. As a nursing student, she was attached to a hospital, which meant working shifts. Linette recalls how she was extremely drained — physically and mentally. For morning shifts, she had to be up by 4am to clean Lilo’s wound, feed her and be ready to leave home by 6am. For afternoon shifts, she only got home by 10pm, and by the time she settled Lilo, it would be midnight. During consecutive workdays, she survived on three hours of sleep. 

Despite all that, Linette knows she did the right thing. It’s not every day you come across a story of someone who would willingly bring in an injured dog instead of a cute healthy puppy and make sacrifices along the way. “I couldn’t leave her after knowing nobody was going to take care of her. My heart told me to do it. Plus, I have my huge family, and they’ve been a great support system,” said Linette.  

Besides the cleaning of the wound, her family helped with everything else — from feeding to cleaning to training. Even through all the challenges, Lilo has been nothing short of a blessing to the Tan family. “I feel like my family and I have gotten much closer, and we exercise together now too, only because Lilo will not walk unless the whole family follows.”

Linette had an ardent passion for something, and even though she knew it would be tough, she committed herself to it.

“I love Lilo more than anything, and I wouldn’t have wished for things to work out any other way.”