“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
Anne Frank

When we launched BELLY UP in May 2020, one of our goals was to give back to society and to the wider animal community that did not have access to sufficient resources that they required. This included animal welfare organisations such as Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD), The Sand Fund, Causes for Animals Singapore, Exclusively Mongrels, Voices For Animals, just to name a few. These groups are focused on helping abandoned dogs and other animals in Singapore find food and shelter, and hopefully rehoming them with a caring owner.

When I visited my first animal welfare organisation ten years ago, I was shocked at the lack of basic amenities and resources that were required to keep them going on a regular basis. Many of these organisations survive purely on volunteers and donations which may at times be uncertain. We have consciously decided to give regularly to these animal charities since our incorporation, and our motivation to give back to the community is grounded in our love for animals and our society.

“It is better to give than to receive.” “施比受更有福”
The Bible

Animals Need Our Care

Unlike humans, animals are not able to fend for themselves. Many strays that are living in the community spaces of Singapore are unable to find sustainable sources of food other than those by charitable community feeders. Furthermore, not all strays have accessibility to feeders as some may dwell in inaccessible areas due to their fear of human traffic. Our community Singapore Specials and community cats are also subjected to the weather conditions and different elements that bring about illness and disease. When they starve or fall ill, there is no easy way for them to seek out the necessary food or care that they require. Therefore, we strongly believe that these animal charities are doing an important job in caring for our abandoned animals.

“We rise by lifting others.”
Robert Ingersoll

Giving Strays A Shelter & Home

Providing community animals with shelter and food is a more sustainable way in managing their population than putting them to sleep. Many of these shelters advocate rehabilitation and rehoming of abandoned dogs and animals instead of euthanasia. If these animals have access to shelter and food, it strengthens their immune system and grants them a better chance at survival. That is why we still require voluntarily run shelters to take in mongrels and other stray animals to be cared for. Bringing community animals into shelters also allows them to be sterilised for population control, which prevents any more puppies or animals being born into unfavourable conditions.

Preventing Spread of Disease

Singapore specials and other dogs living in public spaces do not enjoy medical care and vaccinations. This may lead to the development of common contagious dog diseases such as parvovirus, heart worm, canine distemper, or lyme disease which is spread by ticks from one dog to another. Animal welfare and rescue groups in Singapore aim to vaccinate and care for our community animals to ensure that they have the same level of preventive medical care as other domesticated dogs. We see the prevention of such diseases in the animal community a social responsibility rather than just that of any voluntary organisation alone.

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
Mother Teresa

Strengthening Communities

Giving back to the community also taught us a huge lesson in social responsibility. We noticed that as a society, we are only as strong as our weakest link. It is up to the responsibility of individuals and organisations like us to lend our community our support. We also believe that donations of any amount will help in building a more certain future for these community animals. The financial resources that these animal charities require are mostly contributed by the public, they will require every cent that they can get to provide more reliability to their operations. Every donation provides more than financial benefits, it also inspires and encourages these voluntary organisations to carry on.

“Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.”
Kathy Calvin

Inspiring Others

We hope to use our business as a platform to inspire our customers, individuals, and other businesses to give back to our community in their own capacity. You can check out their individual websites to find out more about volunteering, donating, or adopting an animal. It could also be as simple as buying from our store, knowing that a significant part of the proceeds goes to an animal charity vetted by us. We hope that we can continue to build our platform to educate the wider public about the work that these organisations involve themselves in, and the importance of it in society.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Our Future Plans

We hope to build a more sustainable future with our partners. This includes partnering with more animal welfare organisations in Singapore to help raise awareness and educating the general public about the work that is being done to help our abandoned animals.
We currently engage in environmentally-conscious methods in producing our products (zero carbon-emission manufacturing processes, hand-picking processes, natural grazing instead of force-feeding etc), and we hope to become even more sustainable in the future.
We also hope to reduce the use of plastic in our packaging, so if any of you know great materials that are hardy and ideal for our single-ingredient treats, do let us know!

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xo
Nellie