Thursday 27 April 2000

Animal shelter gets new Noah

By Pauline Leong, The Straits Times

The original Noah, Mr Raymund Wee, lost his bid for the sanctuary for homeless
animals at Seletar West. He was outbid Unusable column measure by Mr Thierry Lim.

Original Noah Raymund Wee loses bid in tender; AVA says it will lease another
piece of land in Loyang this year for animal breeding and boarding

   NOAH'S Ark will change hands soon.

   The original Noah, Mr Raymund Wee, who started the place, lost his bid for
the sanctuary for homeless animals at Seletar West.

   Newcomer Thierry Lim outbid Mr Wee's tender for the place - $60,101 against
Mr Wee's $48,000 per annum.

   The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore's (AVA) chief executive
officer Ngiam Tong Tau told reporters yesterday the tender was given to Mr Lim
as his bid was the higher of the two.

   "We also took into consideration Mr Lim's experience in managing boarding
kennels and his willingness to provide similar services as the previous
management."

   Mr Lim said he had been in the pet business for about 20 years and will use
the place for dog breeding, training, boarding and grooming.

   And he has agreed to continue managing the dogs and cats that currently live
there as strays or boarders, as long as the owners and adopters continue to
support their upkeep.

   The AVA urges them to make arrangements for the animals - to either take the
animals home, continue boarding them under Mr Lim's care, or transfer them to
other boarding kennels.

   "Other animal-lovers who are concerned about the welfare of the animals at
Noah's Ark can also help by adopting the strays and contributing to their
upkeep," said Dr Ngiam.

   He added that the new lease will run out at the end of 2002, after which the
land may be redeveloped.

   "But this year, we will be offering another piece of land in Loyang with a
15-year lease for the breeding and boarding of animals," said Dr Ngiam.

   When The Straits Times spoke to Mr Wee, he was clearly disappointed with the
result.

   "I have spent seven years of my life caring for these strays and abandoned
animals. I had hoped that I would be able to continue.

   "What will happen to the animals now? Will they be put down if homes are not
found for them?" he said.

   When The Straits Times posed this question to Mr Lim, he said he would
continue running the place as usual: "Nothing is going to change. We are not
going to put the animals down."

   But volunteers at Noah's Ark are apprehensive about the change of management.

   Said Mr Lim Swee Ho, 30, a freelance artist who has been volunteering for the
past six months: "Will the new management still take in stray or abandoned
animals?"

   Mr Tony Chen, 42, a businessman who has been with Noah's Ark for four years,
asked: "Can we expect the same commitment from the new person?"

   "If there is a capable person running the place now, why make a change?"

   THE END OF HIS DREAM: Seven years and life's savings spent on sanctuary

   AFTER investing about seven years of his life and $1.5 million in Noah's Ark,

Mr Raymund Wee's dream of an animal sanctuary has come to nought.

   "I started this place to take in stray, unwanted and abandoned animals. I
wanted to save them from being put down," he said.

   His love for animals started when he was a child. After leaving his job as a
chief air steward, Mr Wee started a dog-grooming business.

   He launched Noah's Ark seven years ago because he wanted a more humane way of
dealing with the problem of stray animals.

   He had wanted to work with the authorities to start a community outreach
programme to teach the public about respect and compassion for animals.

   But all this may not happen as he can no longer continue his work at the
sanctuary.

   "I have no intention of starting anything anymore. I'm already over 50. I
sold a shophouse and put my life's savings into this place. And now it has
come to this."

Source: The Straits Times
Date: 27 April 2000 

Noah's Ark Lodge : manager outbid but ...

By Koh Huiting, The Straits Times

RAYMUND Wee, manager of the now well-known Noah's Ark Lodge, has been outbid
in a tender exercise that would have allowed him to continue operating the
animal sanctuary that was threatened with closure early this year.

   However, the good news is that Noah's Ark's animals will remain where they
are, but under different management.

   Former dog handler Thierry Lim, who outbid Mr Wee with a $60,101 per annum
bid (as opposed to Mr Wee's $48,000 bid) will take over Noah's Ark's boarding,
grooming, training and other pet services when the latter's lease expires on
May 15.

   But the Agri-food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore's (AVA), previously
known as the Primary Production Department, is prepared to give Mr Wee an
extension to the end of June if necessary.

   Announcing the results of the tender, which closed on March 20, AVA's CEO
Ngiam Tong Tau said: "It is policy to award the tender to the highest bidder."

   Also taken into consideration in awarding of the tender was Mr Lim's
experience in managing boarding kennels and his willingness to provide the
same kind of services as Mr Wee.

   Though this change in management may strike apprehension in members of the
public with adopted animals being housed in Noah's Ark, the AVA was quick to
stress that Mr Lim is "highly qualified" and that it will "commit itself to
ensuring that the welfare of the animals is first priority".

   Also, as long as owners and adopters of the pets continue to support the
upkeep of their animals, the transitional period between the change in
management should go smoothly.

   So concerned is the AVA about the welfare of the animals during this
transitional period that it has even decided to supply their own staff to help
feed, groom and provide veterinary care to the animals.

   This will continue until Mr Lim is settled into his new management and
together with regular inspections throughout the farm, will help ensure that
the animals' welfare is in no way compromised due to the change in management.
   However, members of the public who would like to make separate arrangements
due to this change in management may arrange with Mr Wee to take their pets
home or transfer their pets to another boarding kennel, out of the seven
available in Singapore.

   Alternatively, they may also choose to arrange with Mr Lim to continue to
care for their pets or adopted animals in Noah's Ark.

   Other animal lovers may also help by adopting strays and contributing to
their upkeep in the kennel so "as long as we get the same type of support as
we did when Noah's Ark was managed by Mr Wee, there would be no reason to put
down any of the animals", reassured Dr Ngiam.

Source: The Straits Times
Date: 27 April 2000