Sandra Foo - Heroine of the Week (International Women's Day - March Feature)


 

Sandra Foo  – Finding perfections in imperfections.

Sandra: Hi all! Firstly a big thank you to The Pet’s Couture Singapore for this wonderful honour to share a little bit of @chiyo_and_san with you. I've not contributed anything much significantly in life but I would like to do so from now on, hence the decision to leave the corporate world to pursue a life-long mission. I'm in Operations for a local Pet Food company that focuses on individualised meals for dogs and cats. Follow us on Instagram to and find out what we are up to exactly.

To add on a little bit more, I’m not the unsung hero in this Wonder women campaign, Chiyo is the Wonder Woman. Born with Hip dysplasia and Patella Luxation, she carries herself every single moment as if there was no pain at all (but trust me, according to the X-ray results, she is actually in constant pain). As a dog, she has no voice to list her likes and dislikes, however it is, she takes it all in with grace and acceptance no matter what. Faithfully she waits for yours truly every single time I return home with a big smile and an animated tail wag. Opening my eyes to see what her world is like, she taught me to love unconditionally, with no expectations. All the dogs are the unsung heroes in fact!

Despite Chiyo's struggle with constant pains, Sandra cites that the Shiba Inu's determination has inspired changed in her life.

The Pet’s Couture : Tell us about your love story with Chiyo!

Sandra: A black coated German Shepherd look alike puppy in a pet shop caught my eye from afar. And the Shop was closed for puppy viewing and I went home thinking about that puppy for a few days, I have no idea why I was feeling that way. Soon, I decided to give the shop a call to check on the actual breed of the dog. After they confirmed that the puppy I saw was a Shiba Inu. I made an appointment to see the puppy. And of course, I didn’t return home empty handed! And yes the German Shepherd looking puppy I was describing was Chiyo.

Chiyo was the last in her litter left alone in the play pan and it didn’t take me too long to understand why she wasn’t chosen. She was scrawny, her coat was dull, and there was something not right about her hind legs as she couldn’t stand very well on her hind legs and when she sits down, her hind legs would spread out like a frog. Believe me, it wasn’t love at first sight for me (laughs)! It was more like a nudge in my heart, an immediate resolution and decision I made to myself to nurture and love her for as long as she live. And she will never ever be alone without a family. 

The Pet’s Couture : What are the pains and joys of raising them? Tell us your victories and struggles!

Sandra: Chiyo was never a foodie, getting her to eat her meals during her first year was a big challenge. The first half of the year, I had to use a Mortar and Pestle to pound her kibbles into smaller bits and mix with pet milk, otherwise she won’t eat at all! And believe me, she’s a tough cookie, she can go on hunger strike for days! But she’s come a long way, grown out of that and she’s eating well every meal now which is awesome! Apart from being a handful, Chiyo enjoyed learning tricks more than anything. I think the mind stimulation games makes her tick. It only takes a few minutes for her to pick up a new trick and she loves the affirmative cheers and praises I give her every time she does a trick correctly. That what makes her happy and as long as she’s happy, I will continue to go through the same routine with her (boring to me but absolutely refreshing for her haha!) 

The Pet’s Couture : Has your life changed ever since?

Sandra: Absolutely! This little raccoon turned my life downside up! And she has no idea how powerful of an influence and effect she has on the people around her. She changed my perspective in love, I found myself eating better, because she's eating well too. I spend lesser money on stuff which I don't need, I make more like minded friends because of her, and the list is never ending. But what I can say is that she's the best thing ever to happen in my life. She's a precious gift from God!

A loving moment between owner and dog; Sandra describes Chiyo as the greatest gift from God.

The Pet’s Couture : Being a career woman is definitely demanding. How do you deal with adversities when you face one?  

Sandra: Honestly, I'm no career woman (laughs)! You flatter me. I’m just another pair of hands, eyes and a brain committed to an organisation I believe and hold my heart to. I’m very blessed to be working with a bunch of likeminded passionate people. 

I honestly think that the power of one's thoughts is good enough to make or fail a life. My philosophy in life is to be happy and thankful for everything, even when things don't go my way. In this way, you don't need to fight adversity, instead, you embrace it with positivism and that’s how things miraculously turn for the better. I don't know about you, but it always works for me. And of course it's always a joy to go home welcomed with a pair of kind glassy eyes, winsome smile and that is simply enough to calm my heart down no matter how bad of a day I’ve experienced. 

Sandra regards Chiyo as the actual Wonder Woman and inspiration in her life.

The Pet’s Couture : Tell us one of the craziest thing that you have done for Chiyo?

Sandra: When Chiyo and I were living abroad and returning back to Singapore, one of the requirements for her to return to Singapore was to produce a serology test certificate. The city we were living in had no such medical facilities to do this test. The nearest medical facility available was in another state and it would require4 days by land to get there. It was the only way out, I took the blood samples from the clinic, packed them into a Styrofoam box with ice packs, sealed the box and had it couriered by land to the medical center. Miraculously, it rained continuously for 3 days after my box was collected by the courier man, God was on my side. Spring was ending and Summer was just beginning, so it was getting hot.

To cut the story short, the blood samples safety arrived and were still fresh for the serology test!Actually what I did was illegal in that country too. Opps!  Somehow the courier company did not pick up the blood samples from the X-ray machine during the checks. That was indeed a close shave. I'm so glad we are back here in Singapore!

The Pet’s Couture: Sandra, if you could imagine yourself with a superpower for a day, what would you like to do?

Sandra: Nothing fanciful, nothing out of this world. I would heal all animals of their sicknesses once and for all. Imagine how the world would react when animals are disease free! Pets get have a complete quality of life, they get to travel around the world with their family. Great health will likely reduce the chances of pets being treated badly and given up by their owners. There has been too many horrible stories of that. Aint that wonderful?!

 


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