Ethics, Honesty - Two words that mean a lot to us as pet parents, and also as stewards of the community we live in. The beginning of BELLY UP was also the establishment of a movement to improve the wellbeing of all animals in Singapore through knowledge-sharing and financial aid.

In the first series of our BELLY UP Giving programme (BUG-ing), we are honoured to feature a community cat rescue project that began quite recently, aptly named “The Sand Fund” or “The Transandfund Limited” (facebook). This animal welfare group is aimed at raising awareness of issues that community cats face whilst educating our fellow Singaporeans on how to act upon finding sick or injured cats in their neighbourhood.

The passion and courage of the founders of this project inspired us to contribute 100% of our revenue in May to their fundraising efforts. Needless to say, their organisation constantly takes part in micro-projects to rescue and home community cats in need, so any ongoing donations on your part will also be very much appreciated.

Following, we interview one of the founders of TSF to give us more details about how they will continue to benefit our community cats.

Who is The Sand Fund (TSF)?

The Sand Fund (TSF) was started after our first rescue, Sand. He was a cat that had an eye infested with maggots due to bacteria infection. He was sitting in the middle of the road calmly even when his situation was dire. He needed help and we were fortunate to be able to render him the timely and necessary help!

To date, TSF has 7 members helping with all the administrative work. I (Karrina) deal with the day to day operations of going down to the location to scout the cats, where residents have referred to TSF through Facebook direct messages or Whatsapp messages. This includes trapping the cats by myself if possible, bringing the cats to the vet and understanding the best treatment plan for them. 

Our team comes from diverse backgrounds, and have one goal to improve the welfare of community cats. 

Why did you start TSF?

From Sand, we realise that there was a gap in Singapore to provide medical treatment for these community cats. Initially, when we bought Sand to the vet, the financial burden was a big hurdle to overcome. Thankfully, the appeal for donations had an overwhelming response and we could focus on providing the best treatment for Sand. As treatment for Sand continues, the donations kept coming, and I decided to take the leap of faith in helping other community cats that are in need of medical help too. 

What are the day-to-day operations like at TSF?

There will be feeders referring their community cats to us and we will assess them from minor to most serious. We will get the exact location as well as pictures of the cat to assess these. Then, I will go down to the location and attempt to trap the cat in order to bring it to the vet. Sometimes, this is unsuccessful but if so, I will bring it to the vet for a diagnosis. 

What is required to run TSF smoothly, and what other help do you need?

Right now, as TSF is very new, many things on the ground are done by me. TSF is looking to create a pool of volunteers in different localities to help with the groundwork. For example, we are trying to set up a group of volunteers in areas where there are more community cats to assist TSF in locating and trapping if possible when one of these cats requires medical help.  

We will also need a transport vehicle to bring these cats to the vet. Relying on public transport (Grabpets) or BlueSG is an alternative but they may not be available at a moment’s notice. 

Where are your funds from and how are your funds being utilised?

95% of the funds are used for the cats’ treatment plans. These include boarding and food for them after being discharged but are not well enough to return to their community yet. 

What is the latest on the charity status application?

We are now preparing the necessary documents for the application of the charity status. We are looking to start the application very soon (within this month).

Where do you see TSF in five years?

We will continue as much as possible to provide medical treatment to the community cats. 

TSF’s vision is to own and operate a sanctuary (Feline Old Folks Home) for old cats to live out their last days gracefully. The sanctuary will also provide palliative care to them as well as serve as a tourist spot in Singapore for customers to spend time with these community cats.

BELLY UP continues to give to the likes of TSF and other animal welfare organisations here in Singapore. We look forward to improving the living conditions of furry friends that are not as privileged as our own. Write to us if you require help or donations for your animal welfare group!

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xo
Nellie