KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — For days, Apollo the stray dog laid by the road side in Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan with open wounds on its head and injured hind leg waiting for death to come.
Lucky for Apollo, Nurul Huda Atan stepped in to rescue him and sent him to a veterinarian in Bukit Jalil for medical help.
Nurul, popularly known as Al Maya among the rescue circles, said she saw a post about Apollo on Facebook in July for about two weeks before she went in to rescue him.
“When I first saw the post, I had too many rescues on my hands. Only after I managed to clear off some of it, I could take in Apollo.”
Recalling the day when she first met Apollo, Nurul said its head was so swollen akin to wearing a helmet.
“That is when I decided to name him Apollo,” she told Malay Mail.
With the assistance of another rescuer whom she knows as Uncle Wong from animal welfare group KC Valley, Apollo was bundled into a cage and sent to the veterinarian.
At the veterinary clinic, aside from the bad wounds on his head and broken hind leg, Apollo was found to be suffering from heartworm and tick fever.
But that did not deter Nurul from ensuring Apollo received the necessary help.
“He still wanted to live as he could eat while at the clinic,” the engineer said.
When Apollo’s condition stabilised, Nurul said the veterinarian proceeded to carry out skin grafting procedure to cover up the open wound on its head.
“The entire procedure cost RM4,800,” she said, adding that RM3,500 was raised from animal lovers and the balance was paid by her.
After he was discharged from the veterinarian clinic, Nurul sought the assistance of fellow rescuer Siti Rohani Md Zain to look after the brown mutt.
“During the two months with Rohani, she helped to change his dressing, fed him medicines and also rehabilitated him,” she said, adding that animal lover Poon Seng Kitt sponsored Apollo’s medication then.
Rohani said when she first got Apollo, he was depressed and wary of humans.
“He was jittery and would shiver whenever I touch his wound area.”
The personal shopper said it took her about two months before Apollo learned to trust again.
Now, Apollo is being cared for by a shelter in Karak, which Nurul pays RM300 monthly, to live out the rest of his life.
Nurul, who is also the secretary of Homeless Paws of Manjung Strays, said everyone can play their role to help strays.
“Take for instance Apollo, he waited for two weeks before he was rescued. Nobody knows where he came from. He just turned up one day in front of a shop selling food.”
“Thankfully his will to live is strong or he would not be running freely at the Karak shelter now.”
